Mission Impossible

Introduction

We have a hard time keeping our focus, or do we? That young man or lady who really wants to impress a potential dating partner will pay careful attention to the small details in order to win the heart of the other person. Computer moguls like Bill Gates have spent much time clearly focused on doing what was necessary in order to succeed in business. Most of us are no different. We focus and concentrate very well on something which is important to us. Clearly defined goals allow us to stay focused.

Since 9:51, Luke has been writing about Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem. Along this road, Jesus has spent much of his time inviting others to go along with him. This is not a pleasure trip. He has told his disciples that what is to happen in Jerusalem will not be pleasant. There is going to be misery and shame. Every time someone expressed excitement about Jerusalem, Jesus dampened the mood by reminding his listeners that his disciples went to Jerusalem expecting to give up, expecting to win through defeat. He mentioned crosses, beatings, and death. Still he marched on. Jerusalem was within his sights. There was no turning back. All along the way he calls on people to follow him. He describes in some detail what it means to be kingdom people and calls on all who will to follow.

Such is the case in Luke 18. A rich young ruler comes to Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. He wants to be a kingdom person or at least he thinks he does. Jesus gives him a clear goal. He doesn’t pull any punches. He tells the ruler what it will take to have eternal life and the ruler is saddened by his words. If you have been in assembly listening to preaching for any length of time, you have heard the story of the rich young ruler. But most of the time you have heard it from Matthew and today you will hear it from Luke. Luke’s telling is a bit different and equally challenging as Matthew’s. Stay focused today. You will be challenged in your walk with God.

Luke’s Thinking

As often happens with the gospel accounts, we take each story and allow it to stand on its own. Usually that isn’t a problem. Each story in many ways is able to stand on its own. Luke is a master at not only telling a story but weaving each story with a series of other stories to make a point. We have tried to demonstrate that from time to time. Such is the case in chapter 18. At the end of chapter 17, Jesus advises his followers to be prepared for the kingdom coming unexpected—they are not to be caught off guard. So, beginning in chapter 18, God’s people will continually pray and they will pray with humility in verses 9-14. But then comes the blessing of the children and the rich young ruler story and we are hard pressed to know exactly how these fit together much less with what was said previously. But I don’t think Luke is just taking isolated incidences in Jesus’s walk to Jerusalem without trying to convince his readers of one main point—stay alert, be ready, follow Jesus.

So what is the connection between prayer and the blessing of the children and the rich young ruler? Luke 18:14 ends with a statement about humility. Verses 15-17 pick up on that theme with the bringing of children to Jesus for him to bless. Jesus announces that in order for one to be part of his kingdom (this is the main point of this section from 9:51 through 19:27) he must be like a little child. Readers are supposed to connect up with this idea of humility. Matthew does that in his gospel account in Matthew 19. But there is another idea in this blessing of the children episode and it is found in verse 15. People were bringing babies to Jesus. Babies can’t have humility. The idea is that people are bringing these children to Jesus. Parents want Jesus to touch their children.

There is the idea of single minded and completely focused on Jesus. The disciples do not according to Luke rebuke the children. They rebuke those who bring the children to Jesus. Parents clearly focused on Jesus are pushed away. Jesus calls the children to him and announces that the kingdom belongs to these. The connection then is being made with being prepared for the coming of the kingdom with being clearly focused on Jesus. The story of the rich young ruler, the blind beggar, and Zacchaeus are demonstrations of those who fail and succeed in maintaining their focus on Jesus. These stories are about those who try to become like children in order to be a part of the kingdom—one fails, two others succeed.

Let me show this connection briefly in the text and then we will move on to the story of the rich young ruler. In 18:17, Jesus says one cannot enter the kingdom without becoming childlike. In 18:24, Jesus speaks that the wealthy have a hard time entering the kingdom. Why? They have difficulty in becoming childlike, that is, single mindedly focused on Jesus. Then in 18:39 the blind man calls to Jesus. The people just as the disciples in regard to the children rebuke the blind man for trying to get Jesus’s attention. The blind man responds with a louder voice and even more determination to have Jesus see him. Single minded devotion to Jesus is the point in these stories including Zacchaeus. Let’s look at the rich young ruler who failed to become focused clearly on Jesus.

A Rich Man’s Request

This rich ruler comes to Jesus. Calling Jesus good, he asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus’s response in verse 19 is to speak to one point. By questioning the man’s words is not to rebuke it is to make the man realize that by calling Jesus “good” he has agreed to listen to him. This is not a backdoor way of saying that he is God, but rather a frontal attack to say to this rich ruler that he needs to listen to him because he has already recognize that Jesus is good and has something no other teacher has.

Jesus says to keep the commands regarding how one treats another. The ruler assures Jesus he has completely kept the commands. Jesus then attacks the one area in which the ruler’s self-assurance falls apart. Jesus basically says “how have you done in taking care of the poor? Sell what you have and give it to those who don’t have and then come and follow me.” The Bible tells us that the ruler was very sad because he had great wealth. Jesus looking at the man says that it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom. The disciples who believe that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing wonder aloud that if the rich can’t be save then who can. Jesus assures his followers that what is impossible for man, God does. Jesus reassures his followers that God notices when one gives up what he has in order to follow and such single minded devotion will be rewarded.

So what is Jesus saying? Does Jesus expect his followers to sell all in order to be his disciples? No. The story of Zacchaeus just a few short verses later demonstrates that a rich man who doesn’t give all away enters the kingdom. So what is the point? The rich man wasn’t clearly focused on Jesus. He came saying he wanted eternal life. He wanted the kingdom. Jesus attacks at the very heart of where his focus really was—his wealth. He couldn’t conceive of not having wealth. And Jesus couldn’t conceive of a rich man being part of the kingdom who wasn’t clearly focused on kingdom things. So am I saying that we need to become physically poor?

Listen to me. Luke wants his readers to understand something about following Jesus. It isn’t a matter of money. It isn’t about having sight as in the case of the blind man. It is about being focused on Jesus. Those who want to go with him to Jerusalem must stay focused on the matter at hand. There is going to be death and shame. This is not a triumphant procession—this is a procession of death. Will you stay focused? There are all kinds of things that distract and attract our attention. Money is just one thing. Anger, bitterness, conflict, having too much or having too little, comfort, security—on and on the list could go. The point of the rich young ruler story is that whatever it is that is keeping you from single mindedly focusing on Jesus, you need to put it away. The kingdom is far too important to be attracted or distracted by other things. If we lose sight of our goal, then it becomes possible to fail in our attempt to be like little children.

Our central focus point is Jesus. Nothing or no one must take his place. The young ruler walked away from Jesus because he couldn’t imagine that being part of the kingdom was worth his wealth. What he had was more important than Jesus. Do you have anything like that? If you do, you need to come back to Jesus. If you are not a Christian, then Jesus is not yet central in your life. Today can be the day that you become single mindedly devoted to Him.

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