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| INSIGHTS FROM SCRIPTURE: The man that interviews Jesus in this story is referred to as the “rich young ruler.” This name comes from three different accounts in the Bible. All three call him rich. Matthew described him as young, but Mark doesn’t say anything about his age. And Luke calls him a ruler—someone that is a member of the governing body of the synagogue. The use of the adjective “good” in Pharisaic Judaism means that he kept the laws in a manner that was prescribed in the traditions. When Jesus said that God alone is good, he is saying there is no place for religious pride. Jesus points the ruler to the commandments. Jesus starts with the last five commandments because he knew that the ruler would have known these since becoming a son of the Torah at the age of 12. Jesus knew what his answer would be. He also knew that his answer to the first five commandments would be the same, so he made one more request: “sell all you have, distribute it to the poor and follow me.” The ruler didn’t like these words because it would be difficult for him to become penniless and with no financial security. Jesus saw his response and stated that it is very difficult for a person to enter the kingdom of God—that in fact it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom. There has been some speculation by some Bible interpreters that the needles’ eye was a small gate in the wall that surrounded Jerusalem that a camel could be pushed through; or that “camel” is a mistake in the Greek text for a word that means “rope” or “cable.” Neither of these suggestions is very convincing. Jesus delighted in dramatic metaphors. He wasn’t afraid of extravagant exaggerations. Jesus meant what he said—that riches or any other temptation represent an obstacle too strong for mere human power. Continued... |
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