Mark 10: The Rich Young Ruler

Mark 10:17-31
The Rich Young Ruler

Big points: Money can’t get you into heaven. Good works can’t get you into heaven. Salvation is impossible unless God saves us. We ALL need to be saved. There are often idols in our lives that keep us from Jesus, but one day those idols will be worth nothing.

In this story, a young man comes to Jesus with some very important questions that we should all consider. What are the questions the man asks Jesus?

The Bible calls this man “The Rich Young Man”, or, “The Rich Young Ruler”. The man is a ruler of a synagogue, and he is very successful. He has made a lot of money at being a “good and religious” person. Can money or religion get a person into heaven?

In verse 18, Jesus says that no one is good. He is saying that no one is good enough to save themselves from their own sin. In verse 27, He says it is IMPOSSIBLE to save yourself. But in both verse 18 and verse 27, He also gives us the hope of how we can be saved. What is that hope?

The man replies to Jesus’ answers and questions by saying that he is good, and has kept all of The Commandments. Read James 2:10. The man tells Jesus that he has obeyed all of The Commandments. Do you think he really had? Talk about the impossibility of keeping The Law perfectly.

Some people think that just because they come from a Christian family, they are automatically Christians. This man told Jesus that he had been good from the time he was young. Does everyone really need Jesus to save him or her? Why can’t we just do good and then Jesus will accept our good works and we can be saved?

In the Second Commandment, we were warned about having gods and idols that were more important to us than Jesus. This man has chosen to worship something other than Jesus. What is it?

So, we see that idols don’t have to be little, carved statues. An idol is anything you love or hold onto more than Jesus. Do you have idols in your own life that maybe stand in the way of obedience to Christ? What are they? What can you do about it?

In verses, 29-31 Jesus says that no matter what we give up in this life, Jesus is better, and the life to come will be greater. Take some time to pray and ask God to give you the faith you need to live this life, in this world, worshipping and loving Jesus above all things.

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