Let us turn once more to God's
Word in that portion of Scripture where we read in Mark chapter
10 reading again this meeting between the Lord Jesus Christ
and the rich young ruler in Mark chapter 10 and reading verses
17 to 22. And when he was gone forth into
the way There came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked
him, Good master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal
life? And Jesus said unto him, Why
callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that
is God. Thou knowest the commandments,
Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear
false witness, defraud not, honor thy father and mother.' And he
answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from
my youth. Then Jesus beholding him, loved
him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest, Go thy way, sell
whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven, and come, take up the cross, and follow
me." And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he
had great possessions. Now previously, We see how the
Lord Jesus to this incident had been speaking of what is involved
in being a real Christian. Those words that we have at verse
15. The Lord prefixes this statement
with the verily. In other words, it's a statement
of some importance, some significance, verily. I say unto you, whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he
shall not enter therein." The Lord, as I say, is setting
forth that that must be the mark of those who are true Christians. And the mark is that they are
like little children. And what does this speak of?
Well it speaks of at least two things, there is a simplicity,
we have to be converted and become as little children says the Lord
Jesus. We have that promise back in
Isaiah chapter 11, a little child shall lead them. All the simplicity
of the child, and the simple faith of a little child, that
natural faith, how the child is so trusting, how the child
looks to its parents, its father, its mother, and believes everything
that the parents tell it. And this is how we are to be
then if we are those who are true Christians. to look simply
and solely to the Lord Jesus Christ and to believe Him in
all His words. And what remarkable words we
find in this portion. We concluded our reading there
at verse 27. Jesus looking upon them said,
With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all
things are possible. are with those who believe that
simple, that straightforward statement of the Lord Jesus. And all things are possible with
the One that we come together today to worship. Here is the first mark, then,
of the real Christian. There is simplicity. But there's a second mark that
we can also see, and it is that of humility. And it's so evident
really in what is said in this 15th verse because the words
that we have for child, the noun child, is really a diminutive. It means a little child, a toddler
we might say. And yet there is also here an
adjective before that now and so there's an emphasis upon the
smallness of this child a very little child and now that really
sets before us the importance of being small in our own eyes
being those who are truly lowly and humble minded How can there
ever really be a meeting between the Lord Jesus who is that lowly
Saviour and those who are nothing but proud sinners? Humility is
also the mark then of those who are the real followers of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He himself was lowly in mind
and he humbled himself and he became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Simplicity, humility are the
things that the Lord Jesus is telling us then with regard to
those who are his true followers. Whosoever shall not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein. And then immediately After this,
we find the Lord Jesus Christ being approached by this young
man, in the passage that I read for our text, verses 17 to 22,
immediately after Christ has spoken of what it is to be a
real believer. we're directed to this incident. And it's recorded not only here
in Mark chapter 10, but you'll find the same incident also in
the other synoptic Gospels. You'll find it in Matthew chapter
19 and in Luke chapter 18, some three times. It is mentioned
here in the New Testament. And the three-fold cord, of course,
is not easily broken, as we're told in Ecclesiastes. It's an
important incident that it should be recorded again and again. And when we come to consider
the young man that approaches the Lord Jesus, see how he comes
in verse 17. When Jesus was gone forth into
the way, we're told, there came one running and kneel to him
and ask him, good master what shall I do that I may inherit
eternal life. There's sincerity here in this
young man. There's certainly a measure of
anxiety, there's great earnestness. He comes with haste. He comes
running to the Lord Jesus and how he humbles himself before
Christ, he kneels down. Surely here we see one who is
coming to make a request, to beg something. He wants an answer
to his question. He wants to know what it is necessary
that a man do in order to inherit eternal life. And in a sense
the man is so very different to another who came to the Lord,
Nicodemus. Nicodemus came under cover of
darkness, remember, as we're told there at the beginning of
John chapter 3. Nicodemus doesn't come openly,
he comes by night, but this young man, he comes, he's unashamed.
He approaches the Lord Jesus in a very open manner. and we're
told, are we not, how the Lord looks upon him verse 21, then
Jesus beholding him loved him but I want us this morning to
to look a little more closely at this particular incident and
the way in which the Lord Jesus deals with this young man who
on the surface as I've sought to say we can find so much to
to commend him and there are two particular things that I
want to mention and these two things are vital things and yet
these are the very things that are lacking with regards to the
approach of this young man first of all there is the conviction
of sin and then secondly there is a right and proper confession
of the Lord Jesus Christ and these are the two things that
are wanting with regards to this young man. See how he comes to
the Lord Jesus here at the end of verse 17 and the particular
request that he makes, what shall I do, he says, that I may inherit
eternal life. Oh, he speaks here of works,
he speaks of doing. Now, In a sense, that's not unusual. Men, women, all of us by nature
are wedded to the idea of works. We're wedded to the covenant
of works. Even on the day of Pentecost, that gracious outpouring
of the Spirit. What did the multitude ask of
Peter and the apostles? What must we do to be saved?
Men always think there's something to be done. And that's very much
the case with this young man. As I said, the incident is not
only found here in Mark 10, we find it also in Matthew chapter
19. And there, verse 16, we read these words, that he said to
the Lord Jesus, What good thing, what good thing shall I do? or he wants to do
some work the reformer John Calvin says of the young man he dreams
of merit as he comes to the Lord Jesus he thinks there is something
meritorious to be done something that he's going to earn the kingdom
of God you see here there is something
then that we can find fault with this young man in the manner
of his coming to the Lord Jesus. And there is in this chapter
a contrast to be drawn because at the end of the chapter we
read of another, a blind man called Bartimaeus, whom the Lord
also has dealings with. And what a contrast between the
way in which Bartimaeus speaks and the way in which this young
man speaks. In verse 47, when Bartimaeus heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou
son of David, have mercy on me. The many charged him that he
should hold his peace, but he cried the more and a great deal,
thou son of David, have mercy on me. Oh, what a difference
between these two men, the blind man. and the rich man, the young
ruler. And so, not surprisingly, the
Lord Jesus himself speaks differently to each of these characters. He doesn't speak in the same
manner to Bartimaeus as he has spoken here to the rich young
ruler. Though the Lord's ministry, you
see, is always a discriminating ministry. He is that one, that
true prophet of the Lord. And remember the word of the
Lord to his servant Jeremiah, if they take forth the precious
from the vile, they shall be as my mouth. And the Lord Jesus
is that one who makes the separation between that that is precious
and that that is vile. Time and again there was a division
amongst the people because of him or because of his sayings
as we are told in John's Gospel. the Lord's ministry. It's a discriminating
ministry. This is why we take exception
to those who like to speak of a universal offer of the gospel
as if all are to be dressed as if they're in the same condition.
They're not. The faithful ministry of the
gospel is that that He set before us, of course, in Him who is
the Prince of all preachers. and the greatest of all the prophets
the Lord Jesus and how the Lord speaks so differently when he
speaks to Bartimaeus he speaks gospel words gracious words in
verse 51 the Lord says to Bartimaeus what wilt thou that I should
do unto thee? or the rich young ruler to come
and said what good thing must I do But here the Lord, you see,
speaking to Bartimaeus who was begging for mercy, what wilt
thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him,
Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him,
Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. Or as it's recorded
in the other synoptic Gospels, thy faith hath saved thee. Or
the Lord speaks to him so graciously, Gospel words. But how does the
Lord respond to the rich young ruler? He comes and he says, what shall I do that I may inherit
eternal life? And the Lord says, thou knowest
the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not
kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not, honour
thy father, and mother and he answered and said unto him master
all this have I observed from my youth. Oh the Lord speaks
to him you see so evidently here in terms of the law not in terms of the gospel but
in terms of the law there is a distinction to be observed
between the Lord's dealings with two individuals here in this
chapter. Now, the same contrast is to
be found also in the account as we find it in Luke's Gospel,
in Luke chapter 18. And there, at verse 18 following,
we read of the rich young ruler. And again, at verse 35 following,
we read of the blind man. But interestingly also in Luke
18, in the first part of that chapter, we have the Lord speaking
of those two men who go to the temple at the hour of prayer, the publican and the pharisee.
Remarkable contrasts are drawn in that chapter, you see. because
as we know with regards to that parable of the two men going
to the temple to pray it is the pharisee who begs for mercy who
goes to his house justified rather than the other who comes only
to recount before God all the good things that he has done
or there is such a contrasting consider this rich young ruler
in particular, as we have this record in Mark chapter 10, the
conviction of sin. Isn't this the great purpose
of the law of God? In Matthew's account, in Matthew
19, 17, the Lord says, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments. How plain the Lord is. You see
this man is dreaming of merits. He's thinking of things that
are to be done. And the Lord tells him straight. Directs him
to the law. They know as the commandments.
Well what is the commandments? Well we go back to the book of
Leviticus. What does God say with regards to the law? Ye shall
therefore keep my statutes and my commandments which if a man
do them, he shall live in them. I am the Lord. Are you going
to live by the commandments? I'll do the commandments, all
the commandments. And those words in Leviticus
18 are taken up by the Apostle. Romans chapter 10, Moses describes
the righteousness which is of the law that the man which doeth
those things shall live in them. Ah, but what of this Lord of
God? What of this Lord of God? Is it possible for a man to keep
the commandments of God? No, because it tells us quite
clearly, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified
in his sight. Do you remember what we said
just now concerning that Pharisee that the Lord speaks of at the
beginning of Luke 18 who goes to his house justified? He has
no works All he can do is sue for mercy. By the works of the
law, it is not possible for the sinner to be justified, accounted
righteous. Again, the Apostle Paul asks
the question in Galatians, Wherefore then serveth the law? And the
answer is, it was added because of transgressions. The law has to do with the transgressing,
the breaking of the law. The law is good if a man uses
it lawfully. It's not made for a righteous
man but for the sinner and the ungodly and the disobedient.
It's there to expose man for what he is, to show him his true
condition, his real standing before God. In that sense it's
that ministration of condemnation and that ministration of death. And this young man must understand
the true significance and the real ministry of the law of God. As many as are under the law
they are under the curse because it is written, cursed is everyone
who continues not in all things written in the book of the law
to do them all remember the language that we find in the epistle of
James where he tells us that if a man should keep the whole
law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all that's how
demanding it is One transgression, and it's all spoiled. And what is a transgression?
It's not just a doing. No, the law has to do even with
our thoughts. As the Lord Jesus again Himself
makes so clear in the Sermon on the Mount, to be angry on
just anger is murder. A wanton thought is adultery. Oh, if a man should keep the
whole law of God and yet just have one wicked thought, he's
undone, he's a sinner. In many things we offend all,
that's the truth. As the hymn writer says, in vain
we ask God's righteous law to justify us now since too convinced
and to condemn is all the law can do. That is the ministration
of the Lord of God. And here is this man, and he
comes to the Lord Jesus, and he wants to know what he should
do. He's thinking in terms of merit, he's thinking in terms
of his own good deeds. And so the Lord himself deals
with him in terms of the holy commandments, that Lord of God
which is good, those commandments which are holy, and good and
just and right, nothing wrong with the Lord of God or with
that ministry of the Lord. We know that what things soever
the Lord saith, it saith to them who are under the law, Paul says,
that every mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty
before God. And is it not interesting here
how the Lord when he directs him to the commandments, speaks
only in terms of what we call the second table. Thou knowest
the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not
kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud, not honour
thy father and mother. He doesn't say anything to the
Lord about the first table, those first four commandments that
speak of our relationship to God and the duties that we owe
to God. He speaks simply in terms of
that second table, our duties one to another, our duties to
our fellow men. And yet we file in those duties.
If we file in those duties towards our fellow men, how much more?
Or how much more in those things that we owe to God himself? And
yet, even the second table, you see, will expose to this man
the awful reality of his sins and how the Lord looks upon him here at verse 21 the rich ruler answers Christ in verse 20, Master,
all these have I observed from my youth, then Jesus beholding
him loved him. What are we to make of the Lord's
response here? Well, Dr. Gill makes the simple
observation that this is a natural love, a pitying love that the
Lord has when he looks upon this young man. Here we see something
again of the reality of the human nature of the Lord Jesus. And we feel something for this
young man who doesn't understand the proper significance of the
Lord of God. Christ then directs him to the
law, but then besides that great purpose of the law to expose the awfulness of our sins. Here
we see that there is also a particular application of the law. How the
Lord deals with him, you see, so faithfully, so carefully,
He probes, as it were. When that young man responds
and says to Christ concerning the commandments, commandments
recorded here in verse 19 and he says, all these have I observed
from my youth. The Lord says to him, verse 21,
one thing thou lackest. Oh, there's a particular application
coming here. One thing thou lackest, young
man, go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,
and they shall have treasure in heaven, and come take up the
cross, and follow me and what is the application?
well the Lord discerns that this young man loves riches there's
covetousness in the heart of this young man and remember concerning
the Lord Jesus no need to tell him what was in the hearts of
men because he knew the hearts of men and he sees into the heart of
this young man And so he begins to probe. He loves riches. And the Lord says he must have
all that he has and give to the poor and take up his cross. There
must be a denial of all those possessions, all those things
that he is coveting after. The love of money. says the apostle
is the root of all evil. That often misquoted verse of
scripture people say money is the root of all evil. He doesn't
say money is the root of all evil. Money is necessary, of
course, in order for us to live in a capitalist society. It's
useful if we're going to be making exchanges with people. It's not
money. It's the love of money. The love
of money is the root of all evil. And this man loves money. And
yet God says, Thou shalt not covet. Isn't that the tenth commandment? We're rid of that covetousness,
which is idolatry. Covetousness is idolatry. You
don't have to have a physical idol to be an idolater. If there's
covetousness in our hearts, a desire of something other than God,
something more than God, that's idolatry. Paul speaks of those
whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, who glory
in their shame, who mind earthly things. That's idolatry, minding
earthly things. And all of that, of course, has
to do with the heart of man. That's what Paul himself discovered
in Romans chapter 7. It was when the commandment said,
they shall not covet that he was brought under real conviction
of sin and saw himself for what he was, saw himself as one who
was a sinner and yet previously as a Pharisee he imagined he
was a righteous man. All this rich young man, how the Lord
is dealing with him and probing him just as he dealt with the
Apostle when Paul was sore when he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees
how the Lord dealt with him and he acknowledges that I have not
known sin but by the Lord I have not known lust he says except
the commandment says thou shalt not covet or that the Lord would
come and have such dealings with us. It's these particular dealings. It's when the Lord doesn't just
speak to us in general terms, but when there's that application
of the Word. When the Lord touches us in our
consciences with His Word, as we sit under the Word or as we're
reading the Word of God, is that what we desire that the spirits
might take that word and fix it in our consciences and prick
us in our hearts that was the experience again of that man
Saul who became poor and he was kicking against the pricks being
goaded in his conscience the Lord dealing with him and here
is the Lord dealing with this young man and yet at the end
it's sad Or the man himself was sad at the Lord's saying. He
went away grieved. Why? Because he had great riches. If we're going to know the Lord,
we must understand something of the real significance of the
Lord of God and the purpose of the Lord of God. It's administration
of condemnation, administration of death. It's meant to show
us what we are. The hymn writer says, nor can
he expect to be perfectly saved till he finds himself utterly
lost. Oh, we have to be utterly lost,
altogether undone. Look at what follows here. Verse 23, Jesus looked round
about and said unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have
riches enter into the kingdom of God. And the disciples were
astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again and
saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust
in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out
of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus,
looking upon them, said, With men it is impossible, but not
with God. For with God all things are possible. That's our comfort. All things
are possible. God is able to save you. God
is able to save me. God is able to save whoever God
will save. He is mighty to save, and He
saves to the uttermost. But there are those dealings.
The Lord has dealings with His people. And as I said, His ministry
is such a discriminating ministry. What was wanting here in this
young man, there was no real conviction of sin. He comes imagining
that he can do some meritorious thing whereby he will earn the
blessings of God, the salvation of God. But there's a second
thing. that is also wanting, and again
the Lord in his faithful dealings exposes this, besides the conviction
of sin, we must also know what it is to make a right confession
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so this young man comes and addresses the Lord Jesus.
And as I said at the outset, there's much that's commendable.
There's a certain earnestness, there's an urgency. When Christ
has gone forth into the way, there came one running and kneeled
to him and asked him, good master, what shall I do that I may inherit
eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why
callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that
is God. Now why does the Lord respond
in that way? You ever thought, why does the
Lord say such a thing to this young man? Has he not addressed
Christ in a proper fashion? Is there not recognition, reverence
even? He calls him good master. But
that expression is really nothing more than a mark of respect. and nothing more it's a mark
of respect when the Lord tells the parable of the talents in
Matthew 25 we read how the Lord of the servants comes and he
says to one of his servants good and faithful servant calls him
a good servant it's just a a mark of some respect for an
individual and that's all that we have with this with this young
man when he comes and addresses the Lord Jesus yes he's respectful
but something more than that is required and Christ reminds
him there is none good but one that is God and how do we see
the goodness of God? The Psalmist Oh, the psalmist
acknowledges that remarkable goodness of God. Psalm 119, Thou
art good and Thou doest good. Lovely statement, is it not?
This is the God that we come together to worship. He's a good
God. And how do we know He's a good God? Because He does good
things. And does He not do good things to us? Far better than
our sins deserve. But where do we see this real
goodness of God? Well, look at the language, again,
of the Psalmist, and there in verse 5 of Psalm 86. What an
encouraging word to poor and seeking souls. Psalm 86 verse
5, For thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous
in mercy unto all them that call upon them." Here is God's goodness. He's a God ready to forgive.
He's a God plenteous in mercy. But does this young man need
forgiveness? Doesn't this young man need anything
to call upon the plentiful mercy of God? know this young man really
is full of himself as he comes to the Lord Jesus
is he really seeking instruction from one who is God does he really accept the authority
of the Lord Jesus Christ as he comes in this manner how important it is you see to
to understand who this Jesus of Nazareth really is. And again we have the contrast
with the blind man. He cries out, Jesus thou son
of David have mercy on me. All he knows this is the son
of David. What does that mean? Why this is the promised one,
this is the Messiah. This is the Christ of God. This is the all-important thing.
What think ye of Christ, whose son is he? And remember the hymn
of John Newton, based on that saying of the Lord's, what think
you of Christ is the test to try both your state and your
scheme. You cannot be right in the rest
unless you think rightly of him. or to have those right thoughts
of the Lord Jesus Christ, to understand who this man is. When Peter makes that wonderful
confession at Caesarea Philippi, they want the Christ, the Son
of the Living God. That's the Messiah. The Christ
is the Son of the Living God. And that was what so offended
the Jews, why they sought to kill him, because he said that
God was his father, making himself equal with God. Is this young
man really acknowledging that the one standing before him is
the promised Christ? Again, consider the Lord's dealings
with another blind man. that man in John chapter 9 the
one that they cast out of the synagogue because he would give
the glory to Christ because he had been healed of his blindness
and he was a man born blind and what do we read there in John chapter 9 verse 35 following Jesus heard
that they had cast him out and when he had found him he said
unto him dost thou believe on the Son of God he answered and
said who is he Lord that I might believe on him and Jesus said
unto him thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh
with thee and he said Lord I believe and he worshipped him or dost
thou believe on the Son of God Did this young man, spoken of
here in Mark chapter 10, really believe on the Son of God? Was
he there to write a proper confession of the Lord Jesus? If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation. Oh, as this young
man is coming, is his trust really in the Lord Jesus? Is he one
who's going to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? Again,
the hymn says, thy whole dependence on me fix, nor entertain a thought
thy worthless schemes with mine to mix, but venture to be nought. Oh, is that? Is this young man
coming as one who is nothing? a zero, a cipher, this is how
we have to come to the Lord Jesus we have to be nothing and Christ
has to be everything or there's no real confession
of the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord says to him come take up
the cross and follow me but he doesn't he goes away great, because He
has great possessions. I am with those friends who would
sacrifice everything, and have ourselves been nothing
at all, because we want the Lord Jesus Christ to be everything. And what of this gospel where
it is taking up of the cross, is following of the Lord Jesus
Christ? You know it's a way of trouble. It's a way of trials,
tribulations, It's a fight of faith. It's a
daily conflict with sin and with Satan, with ourselves, with our
old natures. That's the way. It's a way of
trouble. And yet, strangely, it's also
that glorious way of triumph and victory. When the Lord says,
take up the cross, He also says, in the world you shall have tribulation,
but Lord, thank God for the but, sometimes in the Word of God.
But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Christ is the overcomer. And
if we know Him, He is the one through whom we will overcome.
We'll overcome all things. Overcome all our love of sin,
all our covetousness. Only as we're trusting in Him
who is the great overcomer. or the Lord then come to us today
and deal with us and deal with us just as he sees us and suit
his word to us and fit that word to our own particular case and
condition but all that that word might prove to be a fruitful
word and come to us the savour of life unto life otherwise as
with this young man it will only come the savour of death unto
death Or the Lord then be pleased to bless His Word, and do good
to our souls by it. Amen.