Most of us are probably familiar with the story of "The Rich Young Ruler" (as he has come to be called) narrated for us in the Gospel accounts (see Matt. 19:16-30; Mk. 10:17-26; and Lk. 18:18-27).The other day I heard one pastor say that the rich young man in the story walked away from Jesus straight into Hell! Actually, all my life I've heard preachers jump to this conclusion about The Rich Young Ruler. I never questioned that conclusion because, after all, the Bible says that the young man walked away from Jesus, right? But why does that have to be the end of the story? And how does that supposed conclusion illustrate Jesus' point that "with God all things are possible" (Mk. 10:27, KJV) - even a rich man getting saved, as hard as that may be! And truly it is difficult. Jesus says that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get saved!1
Actually, church tradition as well as even clues in the Bible itself support the conclusion that The Rich Young Ruler is none other than John Mark - the writer of the Gospel of Mark!2 Richard Wurmbrand (1909-2001), the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs ministry, writes:
The work of spreading the gospel [especially] where it is forbidden or hindered must be treated as an emergency.
The Greek word eutheos, translated in Luke 14:5 as "straightaway" [immediately], is the most characteristic word of Mark's Gospel. It is found more often in Mark than in all the other Gospels combined. The reason is as follows. Tradition identifies Mark as the rich man to whom Jesus said that in order to be perfect he should sell everything he had and give to the poor. It seemed to him at that time too big a price, and he left the place with sadness. Later he repented and fulfilled the commandment of the Lord, but there remained remorse in his heart for the time lost in disobedience. Therefore he repeats continually in his Gospel the word eutheos - straightaway.
What is good must be done straightaway - immediately. Only this moment is ours. The next moment might belong to death, even if we are young and in perfect health."3
Additionally, I'd like to draw attention to a couple of articles that are especially good on this topic. These articles give more details relating to the clues in the Bible supporting the conclusion that The Rich Young Ruler is John Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark. Please click on the following links to read the articles:
- The Place to Begin: Mark 1:1-8 by Ray Stedman (1974)
- John Mark: Screenwriter for Peter's Gospel by Chuck Missler (2001)
Just something to think about . . . John Mark: The Rich Young Ruler turned Gospel Writer! "With God all things are possible!"
ENDNOTES:
1 But the Lord our God is able! He "gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist" (Rom. 4:17, CSB). "Everything is possible with God" (Mk. 10:27, NLT)!
2 John Mark is mentioned by Luke in the book of Acts (Acts 12:12, 12:25, 13:5, 15:37), by the apostle Paul in some of his letters (Col. 4:10; Philemon 1:24; 2 Tim. 4:11), and also by Peter in his first epistle (see 1 Pet. 5:13).
2 John Mark is mentioned by Luke in the book of Acts (Acts 12:12, 12:25, 13:5, 15:37), by the apostle Paul in some of his letters (Col. 4:10; Philemon 1:24; 2 Tim. 4:11), and also by Peter in his first epistle (see 1 Pet. 5:13).
3 Wurmbrand, In the Face of Surrender (North Brunswick: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998), p. 233, italics his, first brackets added. Note: This book has since been updated and revised and is now titled The Overcomers.
11 comments:
The best explanation of what Jesus says to the The Rich Young Ruler that I have read is found in Larry Moyer's book Free and Clear: Understanding and Communicating God's Offer of Eternal Life (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1997). This book is written from the Free Grace perspective. In a chapter titled "Where Does the Lordship of Christ Fit In?" and in a section titled "THERE IS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN SALVATION AND DISCIPLESHIP" (p. 101), Moyer shares the following thoughts in footnote number 1 (see p. 262):
"When considering the nature of salvation, many are troubled by Mark 10:17-22. This passage relates the story of a wealthy and prominent ruler who questioned Christ: "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" Christ answered, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." At first glance, this passage would appear to teach that in order for a man such as this to enter heaven, his money as well as his life must belong to Christ.
Once again, the context must be carefully studied. The rich young ruler's question about what he must do to inherit eternal life reflected the very common Jewish thought that eternal life belonged to the future age and was not a present reality. Furthermore, the ruler's use of the word inherit reflects the Jewish understanding that in order to obtain this future eternal life, one must meet certain conditions.
For further study on the Jewish study of inheritance, I would suggest the following resources: Arthur Marmorstein, Studies in Jewish Law (London: Oxford University Press, 1952) and Roy A. Stewart, Rabbinic Theology (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1961).
Notice again what he asked: "What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" As He frequently did, Jesus answered a question with a question: "Why do you call Me good?" Jesus realized that the man was using the word good too lightly. On the one hand, he too quickly attached the word to Christ without realizing to whom he was talking. On the other hand, he did not realize deeply enough his own lack of goodness. So Jesus dealt with both areas. He first told the young ruler, "No one is good but One, that is, God." Foremost in Jesus' mind was that the man recognize that if Jesus were good, then He must also be God. Because Christ claimed to be equal with the Father (John 14:11), if He were not God, He was the farthest thing from good—a liar.
With that classification, Jesus now set out to show the man his own lack of goodness by how far short he fell of God's holy standard. Romans 3:20 explains that "by the law is the knowledge of sin." In order to show the young man his sin, Christ gave him six commandments that dealt with his relationships with his fellow man. Jesus said, "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother'" (v. 19). As the man reviewed his life, he proudly announced, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." That may well be one of the most self-righteous statements found in the Bible. For someone to claim that he has never failed in honoring his parents and has never had a lie come from his lips shows an appalling absence of honest self-examination. The young man obviously had a problem with pride.
[Continued below...]
It is crucial to understand what happened at this point. Jesus made clear in His ministry that one receives eternal life simply by faith (John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47). For this reason, He could say to the multitudes just prior to talking with the wealthy ruler, "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Mark 10:15). Jesus knew the young ruler lacked faith. At the same time, He knew the man was not prepared to receive what he needed to know. The love for riches that would keep him from following Christ if he were a Christian was the same love for riches that prevented him from coming to Christ. Therefore, in order to attract his attention and show him his real problem, Jesus gave the young ruler a demanding call to discipleship: "Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me'" (v. 21). By use of the word treasure, Christ showed He had gone beyond the man's original question to explain how reward or treasure is received in heaven. The young man probably knew he might have to give up some things, but to be told to give up everything accomplished exactly what Jesus wanted: it arrested his attention. The young man was so grieved to hear this that he walked away (v. 22).
Reflecting on what happened, Christ put His finger on the man's real problem as He told His disciples, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!" (v. 24). The most widely used critical editions of the Greek New Testament (and the English translations based on them) omit the phrase "for those who trust in riches" mainly on the authority of two old Greek manuscripts (Aleph and B). But the phrase is found in the large majority of the surviving Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. The inclusion of the phrase has good support, and evidence indicates that the words were part of the original text of Mark. [Furthermore, Joseph Dillow notes elsewhere that it also "fits very well with the context." See Dillow, The Reign of the Servant Kings, p. 66.] The man, distracted by his wealth, was trusting in his riches as a basis for meritorious entrance into the kingdom of God. He desired riches to be an indication of divine favor—a very prominent Jewish standard. Christ added, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (v. 25). The camel was the largest animal they knew. The eye of the needle was the smallest opening. So the point was clear: it is as difficult for a man who trust in riches to enter into heaven as it is to put the biggest animal you know through the smallest opening you know!
One can understand the dismay of the disciples at this point. If rich men cannot make it to heaven, how are we poor men going to get in? For that reason, "They were astonished beyond measure, saying among themselves, 'Who then can be saved?'" (v. 26). Instead of leaving them in despair, however, Jesus offered them the hope they needed: "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible" (v. 27). Although we cannot save ourselves, He, indeed, can save us.
When understood in context, the paragraph becomes a beautiful illustration of how heaven is freely given and is a miracle of God's grace. One who is distracted by and trusts in wealth as a means of salvation is as hopeless of obtaining eternal life as a camel is of going through the eye of a needle. Only God [can] cause someone to see their need of Christ and extend to them the gift of eternal life."
Also see the article by Zane C. Hodges titled: "The Rich Young Ruler" (excerpted from chapter 5 of Hodges' book Grace In Eclipse).
For more information see my blog post titled: "Why did Jesus Preach the Law to the Rich Young Ruler?"
Thanks for your article. I find, though, only 6 uses of g2112 in Luke and 11 in Matthew. Am I missing something?
Hi Abulukas,
Thanks for the question. I assume that by "g2112" you are referring to the Strong's Greek Lexicon number for the Greek word eutheos ("immediately").
According to the Blue Letter Bible website (see this page: www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2112/kjv/tr/0-1/), there are:
15 occurrences of the word eutheos in the Gospel of Matthew,
40 occurrences of eutheos in Mark,
8 occurrences of eutheos in Luke, and
4 in John.
The only other times that eutheos is used in the New Testament are:
9x in Acts,
1x in Galatians,
1x in James,
1x in 3 John, and
1x in Revelation.
I find it quite interesting.
From what I understand, John Mark (the writer of the Gospel of Mark) was a disciple of the apostle Peter. And Mark's Gospel is basically Peter's account of Christ's life. This is according to church tradition; Eusebius gives more details about it in his book Ecclesiastical History. We know that Peter was a man of action, impetuous at times (think of him jumping out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus, or Peter taking his sword and slicing off Malchus's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane, see John 18:10). This carried through into his Gospel (written by Mark), and one way it did is through his use of the word eutheos, "immediately".
Hope this helps.
God bless
Thank you!
Thank you very much. You really made my day 🎈
Thanks for your article and the display of the deep knowledge of the word of God in you. I want to have access to books that are highly educative on Christ, the apostles and the church but I am limited both financially and geographically, please is there any site that you can recommend for me? Thanks God bless you..
I recommend that you take a look at the Free Grace Library page on my blog. It contains a wealth of information all free of charge, and I specifically created it so that people can have access to it from anywhere in the world! Also see Dr. Charlie Bing's website, GraceLife Ministries. Both websites conveniently allow you translate from English into other languages with the click of a button. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. God bless you!
I recently heard a good devotional on the radio by Max Lucado on "The Rich Young Ruler" that I think is helpful to understand what Jesus is saying to him.
The link to Max Lucado's devotional on The Rich Young Ruler is here:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/maxlucado.com/listen/the-rich-young-ruler/%3famp
I will also put a link to it in the Free Grace Library page on my blog. In the Free Grace Library, see under the heading: Devotionals.
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