And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
The verse records the young ruler's sincere and earnest answer as he sought eternal life, declaring he had kept the commandments Jesus named from his youth after Jesus taught that obedience to the Father's commandments is necessary for salvation. Christ knew his sincerity and was drawn to him in love, yet his obedience was outward, incomplete and self-deceived, not from a humble contrite heart giving supreme love to God. His claim concealed selfishness and want of love for God and neighbor, for his attachment to riches as his idol showed he had not loved his neighbor as himself. Jesus met the claim by pointing directly to the defect and calling him to self-denying discipleship, to sell all, give to the poor, take up the cross and follow Him, with promise of treasure in heaven. He valued his great possessions more than heavenly treasure, weighed Christ against the world and went away very sorrowful, showing that outward commandment-keeping is not enough unless obedience enters the life with self-surrender and all placed at His service.
Setting and Claim
The reply records the young ruler's sincere and earnest answer to Jesus as he asked how to inherit eternal life. It came after Jesus taught that obedience to the Father's commandments is necessary for salvation and for eternal life. The young man claimed he had kept the commandments from childhood, from his youth. His attachment to earthly wealth revealed a defect in his character and kept him from accepting Jesus' call to self-denial and discipleship. The choice set before him was to give up his possessions and give to the poor to follow Christ, or to keep his riches and lose eternal life.
He represents some people the Lord is calling to engage in His service. When told the commandments, he declares that he has kept all of them from his youth. The encounter belongs to Mark 10:17-22 with parallels in Matthew 19:16-22 and Luke 18:18-23. It comes immediately after Jesus blessed the children and declared of such is the kingdom of God. Children drawn to the Saviour through Christian workers who bind them to their hearts with wisdom and tact and give them courage and hope can be transformed in character by the grace of Christ to be fit for the kingdom of God.
Christ tested the ruler's sincerity when the ruler called Him good. He drew out what he meant by good, whether he realized he spoke to the Son of God, and what the true sentiment of his heart was. The ruler declared he had kept the commandments Jesus named from his youth. He still felt he lacked something, prizing his own righteousness but unsatisfied, wanting Jesus to meet an unmet need in his soul. He confidently claimed outward obedience from his youth, yet asked what he still lacked.
Heart Exposed by Christ
The answer in Mark 10:20 was sincere, for the ruler truly believed he had kept the commandments named to him from his youth, and Christ discerned that sincerity and was drawn to him. Yet the obedience claimed was outward, incomplete and self-deceived, not obedience from the heart. He had not recognized the deeper demand that God's law must guide every action, and that God's character expressed in His law kept as the source of every action brings a person into harmony with God. What he lacked was discernment of the need for heart devotion and Christian goodness, for a humble and contrite heart conscious that supreme love must be given to God and hiding its lack in the perfection of Christ, which Christ longed to create in him.
His claim concealed selfishness, for he lacked love for God and for other people, the principle that gives the commandments their spirit and life. His selfish attachment to riches proved failure to love his neighbor as himself, and loving self in this way was itself a transgression of the law. That failure could keep him from heaven, even while he professed to have kept all from his youth.
The claim looked righteous but revealed self-righteousness, the same spirit in which Judas came to Christ. Both appeared righteous outwardly while cultivating selfishness and covetousness, the plague-spot of the heart. Judas was also a thief who resisted truth, neglected his own soul, and strengthened evil traits by accusing and condemning others until hardened enough to sell his Lord for thirty pieces of silver.
His possessions, position, money and power subtly drew his affections from God and became his idol eclipsing the value of the eternal inheritance. His outward obedience left him close and covetous, tithing mint and rue but neglecting the weightier matters and lacking the true spirit of sacrifice acceptable to God. Keeping anything back from God weakened his moral strength and efficiency, and keeping the commandments in this way leaves the heart withering under meanness, watching others and holding a rigid course. When Jesus showed him the sacrifice required, he could not give up his earthly riches for his neighbor or for the heavenly inheritance.
Jesus loved him and saw that he could become a preacher of righteousness, yet met the claim by pointing directly to the defect in his character. He called him to self-denying, cross-bearing discipleship after His own example of leaving everything for the salvation of man: to sell all he had, give to the poor and do good with his means in blessing the widow and fatherless and suffering poor, take up the cross and follow, with promise of treasure in heaven. Selling what he has, giving to the poor, and following shows whether love and self-sacrifice govern the character, qualities that matter at the final judgment, and whether obedience enters the life to perfect Christian character. Giving in this way becomes a means of receiving the bread of life, for eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood means having Christ as the life-giving current within the soul.
Discipleship Choice Today
He valued his riches more than the heavenly treasure, so when he was told to give up his possessions and give to the poor in order to follow Christ, the demand chilled his desire and he went away sorrowful. Though he kept a lingering desire for the heavenly inheritance, he wanted both worlds at once, desiring to retain his wealth while also gaining eternal life. He struggled and weighed Christ against the world, and refused to have Him as his leader. He turned from the cross and the self-sacrificing life of the Redeemer back to this world, and went away very sorrowful and grieved because he had great possessions, sacrificing heaven with all its glory for the treasures of the world.
Accepting and obeying Christ's words was his only hope of salvation, for following Christ requires obedience and self-surrender, including giving up anything that would harm the whole being. Outward obedience is not enough unless it enters the life and shapes the character, as his refusal to give Christ all he had exposed an unwillingness to surrender himself and his possessions for God's work. Those who would be acknowledged as God's children must become Christ's co-workers and place all they are and have at His service.
A desire for eternal life with outward commandment-keeping is not enough when attachment to earthly wealth keeps a person from following the truth. The profession of obedience is proved by the test of sacrifice, which reveals whether love for riches is stronger than love for God and neighbor. When the way is pointed out and the cost is counted, those who will not sacrifice earthly riches and become rich in good works show by their works that they are unprepared for heaven and decide that heaven costs too much. The greater the treasures laid up on earth, the more difficult it is to realize that they are not owned but lent to be used for God's glory.
Many who profess to keep all God's commandments are doing the same, choosing earthly wealth and power over eternal life. It is a miserable exchange to renounce immortal life for the love of money and power, and those who make it stand in danger of losing heaven.
The verse records the young ruler's sincere and earnest answer as he sought eternal life, declaring he had kept the commandments Jesus named from his youth after Jesus taught that obedience to the Father's commandments is necessary for salvation.
Christ knew his sincerity and was drawn to him in love, yet his obedience was outward, incomplete and self-deceived, not from a humble contrite heart giving supreme love to God.
His claim concealed selfishness and want of love for God and neighbor, for his attachment to riches as his idol showed he had not loved his neighbor as himself.
Jesus met the claim by pointing directly to the defect and calling him to self-denying discipleship, to sell all, give to the poor, take up the cross and follow Him, with promise of treasure in heaven.
He valued his great possessions more than heavenly treasure, weighed Christ against the world and went away very sorrowful, showing that outward commandment-keeping is not enough unless obedience enters the life with self-surrender and all placed at His service.
Setting and Claim
The reply records the young ruler's sincere and earnest answer to Jesus as he asked how to inherit eternal life. It came after Jesus taught that obedience to the Father's commandments is necessary for salvation and for eternal life. The young man claimed he had kept the commandments from childhood, from his youth. His attachment to earthly wealth revealed a defect in his character and kept him from accepting Jesus' call to self-denial and discipleship. The choice set before him was to give up his possessions and give to the poor to follow Christ, or to keep his riches and lose eternal life.
He represents some people the Lord is calling to engage in His service. When told the commandments, he declares that he has kept all of them from his youth. The encounter belongs to Mark 10:17-22 with parallels in Matthew 19:16-22 and Luke 18:18-23. It comes immediately after Jesus blessed the children and declared of such is the kingdom of God. Children drawn to the Saviour through Christian workers who bind them to their hearts with wisdom and tact and give them courage and hope can be transformed in character by the grace of Christ to be fit for the kingdom of God.
Christ tested the ruler's sincerity when the ruler called Him good. He drew out what he meant by good, whether he realized he spoke to the Son of God, and what the true sentiment of his heart was. The ruler declared he had kept the commandments Jesus named from his youth. He still felt he lacked something, prizing his own righteousness but unsatisfied, wanting Jesus to meet an unmet need in his soul. He confidently claimed outward obedience from his youth, yet asked what he still lacked.
Heart Exposed by Christ
The answer in Mark 10:20 was sincere, for the ruler truly believed he had kept the commandments named to him from his youth, and Christ discerned that sincerity and was drawn to him. Yet the obedience claimed was outward, incomplete and self-deceived, not obedience from the heart. He had not recognized the deeper demand that God's law must guide every action, and that God's character expressed in His law kept as the source of every action brings a person into harmony with God. What he lacked was discernment of the need for heart devotion and Christian goodness, for a humble and contrite heart conscious that supreme love must be given to God and hiding its lack in the perfection of Christ, which Christ longed to create in him.
His claim concealed selfishness, for he lacked love for God and for other people, the principle that gives the commandments their spirit and life. His selfish attachment to riches proved failure to love his neighbor as himself, and loving self in this way was itself a transgression of the law. That failure could keep him from heaven, even while he professed to have kept all from his youth.
The claim looked righteous but revealed self-righteousness, the same spirit in which Judas came to Christ. Both appeared righteous outwardly while cultivating selfishness and covetousness, the plague-spot of the heart. Judas was also a thief who resisted truth, neglected his own soul, and strengthened evil traits by accusing and condemning others until hardened enough to sell his Lord for thirty pieces of silver.
His possessions, position, money and power subtly drew his affections from God and became his idol eclipsing the value of the eternal inheritance. His outward obedience left him close and covetous, tithing mint and rue but neglecting the weightier matters and lacking the true spirit of sacrifice acceptable to God. Keeping anything back from God weakened his moral strength and efficiency, and keeping the commandments in this way leaves the heart withering under meanness, watching others and holding a rigid course. When Jesus showed him the sacrifice required, he could not give up his earthly riches for his neighbor or for the heavenly inheritance.
Jesus loved him and saw that he could become a preacher of righteousness, yet met the claim by pointing directly to the defect in his character. He called him to self-denying, cross-bearing discipleship after His own example of leaving everything for the salvation of man: to sell all he had, give to the poor and do good with his means in blessing the widow and fatherless and suffering poor, take up the cross and follow, with promise of treasure in heaven. Selling what he has, giving to the poor, and following shows whether love and self-sacrifice govern the character, qualities that matter at the final judgment, and whether obedience enters the life to perfect Christian character. Giving in this way becomes a means of receiving the bread of life, for eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood means having Christ as the life-giving current within the soul.
Discipleship Choice Today
He valued his riches more than the heavenly treasure, so when he was told to give up his possessions and give to the poor in order to follow Christ, the demand chilled his desire and he went away sorrowful. Though he kept a lingering desire for the heavenly inheritance, he wanted both worlds at once, desiring to retain his wealth while also gaining eternal life. He struggled and weighed Christ against the world, and refused to have Him as his leader. He turned from the cross and the self-sacrificing life of the Redeemer back to this world, and went away very sorrowful and grieved because he had great possessions, sacrificing heaven with all its glory for the treasures of the world.
Accepting and obeying Christ's words was his only hope of salvation, for following Christ requires obedience and self-surrender, including giving up anything that would harm the whole being. Outward obedience is not enough unless it enters the life and shapes the character, as his refusal to give Christ all he had exposed an unwillingness to surrender himself and his possessions for God's work. Those who would be acknowledged as God's children must become Christ's co-workers and place all they are and have at His service.
A desire for eternal life with outward commandment-keeping is not enough when attachment to earthly wealth keeps a person from following the truth. The profession of obedience is proved by the test of sacrifice, which reveals whether love for riches is stronger than love for God and neighbor. When the way is pointed out and the cost is counted, those who will not sacrifice earthly riches and become rich in good works show by their works that they are unprepared for heaven and decide that heaven costs too much. The greater the treasures laid up on earth, the more difficult it is to realize that they are not owned but lent to be used for God's glory.
Many who profess to keep all God's commandments are doing the same, choosing earthly wealth and power over eternal life. It is a miserable exchange to renounce immortal life for the love of money and power, and those who make it stand in danger of losing heaven.