What difference have you made in the life of others?

Matthew 19:16-22

Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Good master, what must I do to have eternal life?” “When you call me good you are calling me God,” Jesus replied, “for God alone is truly good. But to answer your question, you can get to heaven if you keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied, “Don’t kill, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself!” “I’ve always obeyed every one of them,” the youth replied. “What else must I do?” Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sadly, for he was very rich.

Food for thought!

A very sincere young man came to Jesus to inquire about the means of living forever! This man was interested in spiritual things and come face to face with the Lord Jesus. He, however, made some of the same mistakes that we make when we come to Jesus. Let’s notice the mistakes the rich young ruler made. He made a wrong question. He asks, "What must I do?" He is thinking in terms of actions, of works, of doing. He is thinking of piling up a credit balance-sheet with God by doing a series of things. He clearly knows nothing of a religion of grace. So Jesus tries to lead him on to a correct view.

Jesus answers him in his own terms. He tells him to keep the commandments, do what God tells you. This answer of Jesus is too general. So the man wants to know the details. "What in particular?" he says. Thereupon Jesus cites five of the ten commandments. Now there are two important things about the commandments which Jesus cited.
First, they are all commandments which deal, not with our duty to God, but with our duty to men. They are the commandments which govern our personal relationships, and our attitude to our fellow-men. Jesus left out all the commandments that deal with God. Second, Jesus cites one commandment, as it were, out of order. He cites the command to honour parents last, when in point of fact it ought to come first.

It is clear that Jesus wishes to lay special stress on that commandment. Why? May it not be that this young man had grown rich and successful in his career, and had then forgotten his parents, who may have been very poor? He may well have risen in the world, and had been half-ashamed of the folks in the home where he grew up.

Second, do you notice that all the commandments that Jesus cited, except the last one, are in the negative? "Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie." And do you notice the man's response, "I've done all that. What's left?" In other words, all the man had done was NOT TO murder, NOT TO commit adultery, NOT TO steal, NOT TO lie. Just as many of us do. We think that because we don't kill, don't commit adultery or steal, we are ok. Morality is not only not doing evil; it is also doing good. And this is what was still missing in this man's morality, just as it does in much of ours.

"If you want to be perfect," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor." GO and GIVE. For the first time, this man is told TO DO GOOD. He is told that it is not sufficient to avoid hurting others, it is as well important to do good to them.

The question Jesus is putting to this man and to you and me is, with all the riches you have justly accumulated, with all the talents you have, with all the money you have and with all the goods you have, what good have you done to others in life? Have you made any body rich from your riches? What difference have you made in the life of others?