The Rich Young Ruler

There is a familiar story to many that appears in the text of Matthew 19:16-30. A young man comes to Jesus calling Him Good Teacher asking what he needed to do to "have eternal life?" A young man asking a good question and asking the right person.

I have heard this story preached many times and heard it spoken about in several bible studies. Some obvious lessons come forcefully from the example of this text. We see the need for a total devotion to God. Jesus said you cannot serve two masters and this young man was trying to do just that. Indeed this situation shows us exactly what Jesus meant back in the Sermon On the Mount, for this young man had to choose between the two and when the choice was made, the one he loved more was revealed.

The story shows us that Jesus really means for us to place Him first before everything else. It also reveals the need to rid our lives of things that may keep us from a total devotion unto Christ. In these two thoughts or teachings have been the vast majority of messages I have heard preached from the text. They are good and needed lessons for obviously we need to hear them and understand them. However, there are a couple more things I think are just as important to see in the text.

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