The Rich Young Ruler - What Matters Most

"Good teacher," the young man asked eagerly, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" What an important question! This young ruler was thinking about what really matters - not just this life, but eternal life! He wanted to make sure he would go to heaven!

Jesus answered, "Why do you call me good? No one is good - except God alone." Jesus was making the young man think! Was the young man recognizing that Jesus was God? Then Jesus said, "You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

The young ruler's face brightened! "Teacher," he declared confidently, "all these I have kept since I was a boy!" He had tried his whole life to be good and follow God's rules! He was probably thinking, "I've done everything right! Surely I've earned eternal life!"

Jesus looked at him, and the Bible says Jesus loved him! Jesus could see this young man's sincere heart, his earnest desire to do what was right. But Jesus also could see what was holding him back from truly following God. Jesus said to him, "You still lack one thing. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me!"

When the young man heard this, his face fell! He became very sad and walked away sorrowful, because he had great wealth. He couldn't do what Jesus asked! His money and possessions were too important to him! He wanted eternal life, but not if it meant giving up his wealth! The young man made a tragic choice - he chose temporary riches over eternal treasure!

Jesus looked around at His disciples with sadness and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at His words! In their culture, people thought that being rich meant God was blessing you! But Jesus repeated, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

A camel going through the eye of a needle? That's impossible! The disciples were even more amazed! They asked each other, "Who then can be saved?" If rich people - who seemed to have God's blessing - couldn't be saved, then who could? Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God!" Salvation isn't something we earn by being good or by having money - it's a gift from God that only He can give!

Peter spoke up: "We have left everything to follow you!" Peter and the other disciples had given up their jobs, their homes, their comfortable lives to follow Jesus! They had done what the rich young ruler couldn't do!

Jesus assured them: "Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - along with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first!"

Jesus was teaching important truths! When we give up things for Jesus, we gain so much more! We gain a family of believers, we gain treasures in heaven, and we gain eternal life! The sacrifices we make for Jesus are worth it!

The story of the rich young ruler teaches us powerful lessons! First, being good isn't enough to get us to heaven! The young man had kept all the commandments since he was a boy, but that wasn't enough! We can't earn our way to heaven by being good - salvation is a gift from God that we receive through faith in Jesus!

Second, Jesus knows what's holding us back from fully following Him! For the rich young ruler, it was his wealth. For someone else, it might be popularity, or comfort, or a relationship, or a dream, or anything that we love more than Jesus! Jesus asks us to put Him first - above everything else in our lives!

Third, we can't hold on to the things of this world and follow Jesus at the same time! The young ruler wanted both - he wanted eternal life AND his wealth! But Jesus said we must choose! We can't serve both God and money! Fourth, following Jesus might cost us something! But whatever we give up for Jesus is nothing compared to what we gain! Eternal life with God is worth more than all the riches in the world!

Fifth, what the world values and what God values are often opposite! The world says, "Get rich! Be successful! Put yourself first!" But Jesus says, "The last will be first! Lose your life to find it! Store up treasures in heaven!" Finally, salvation is impossible for us to achieve on our own - but with God, all things are possible! We can't save ourselves, but God can save us when we put our faith in Jesus!

The sad thing about this story is that the rich young ruler walked away from Jesus! He came so close to following the Savior, but his love for money was too strong! He chose temporary wealth over eternal treasure! What a tragic mistake! We don't know if he ever came back to Jesus, but we hope he did!

What about you? Is there anything in your life that you're holding on to more tightly than Jesus? Is there anything you're not willing to give up to follow Him? Maybe it's not money - maybe it's pride, or popularity, or comfort, or a relationship, or a sinful habit, or control over your life! Jesus is asking you the same question He asked the rich young ruler: "Will you give it up and follow me?"

Remember - whatever you give up for Jesus, you'll gain far more in return! Following Jesus is worth everything! Don't make the same mistake as the rich young ruler! Don't walk away sad because you're holding on to things that won't last! Choose Jesus! Choose eternal life! Choose treasures in heaven! Nothing in this world is worth more than knowing and following Jesus! What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your soul? Choose wisely! Choose Jesus!

Big idea: God is always with us and loves us very much!