Mark 10:17-31 The Rich Young Man (Keith Howard)

The story of the rich young man appears in all three gospels – Matthew 19:16-30 and Luke 18:18-28. The passage is familiar in part because it contains famous phrases like “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle” and “go sell what you have and give the money to the poor.”

Like many gospel stories, this one begins with a question: “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Eternal life here means life with the One who has eternal being; the reference is not about quantity but quality.

The salutation “Good Teacher,” and the answer of Jesus – “Why do you call me good?” is not about humility but is a device common to students/teachers of Torah. The implication is that the question does not need a new (good) answer from Jesus but can be adequately answered to by reference to the old Torah teachings. Jesus then refers to the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth commandments of the Decalogue (10 Commandments).

There are plenty of sidetracks one can follow in this text: the role and place of wealth in the life of a disciple; the relationship between faith and reward or between virtue and wealth. Does discipleship always seem to involve a “giving up” of something?  The mashup of sayings of Jesus in this passage can be confusing, not only linguistically but morally. If, as seems to be the case on the surface, one becomes a disciple because of great rewards “down the road” (or “up in the sky”) then, in what ways, does the pursuit of discipleship for this motive seem any more virtuous than the naked pursuit of material gain?

This passage overflows with extremes. As Charles Campbell notes (Feasting on the Word), “The text contains extreme demands (sell everything, give to the poor, and follow me), extreme judgement (it is impossible for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God), and extreme promises (with God all things are possible). These extreme assertions are held together with no attempt to lessen the tensions.”

Part of the response to these extremes lies in the matter of the nature of relationships and I think this will be the line pursued in the Sunday sermon (or maybe not).  J

Questions to Ponder

1. Is the question “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” the question you would ask Jesus if you had one opportunity? What is the question to which you covet a Jesus answer?

2. The Jesus sayings about riches and wealth have most often been interpreted (some would say ‘made palatable’) to mean “the love of money.” In other words, it is not money or wealth but making it the focus of life that blocks us from the life of which Jesus speaks. What stops you from having the life or being the person for which you yearn?

3. Rewards seem to play a significant role in the conversation between the young man and Jesus. To what degree do rewards function as motivation for you? What types of reward carry the most power? Do they function as booster rockets to the life you want or anchors that create drag?