Rich Young Ruler

I’ve received different insights over the years from the story told in 3 of the gospels traditionally called “The Rich Young Ruler” (Matt. 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23). On a sidenote, this last time looking at it I realized no where does the text actually say that he was young but that “a ruler” came to Jesus and said that he wanted to inherit more in his life, this thing called “eternal” life and that he had kept all the commands Jesus mentioned since his youth. So he may be better titled as the “Rich Ruler”. Not that this matters a whole lot but…

Lately I’ve been challenged differently again from this story. I’m realizing that this person came wanting Jesus to “add to” his life something great. Jesus however was offering a whole new way of life that would make all the things in this ruler’s life (that he currently held as great) insignificant in comparison. I don’t think that it was just the riches of his life that was the hard thing to give up, it would also be the status, the influence, the “greatness”. And to let that go and sell all that to follow the one who seemed to be influential and popular when truthfully the jury was still out on Him. Too much of a risk as sad as it is to walk away from still too much of a risk.

Relating to this I was recently listening to something that Peter Rollins was sharing with a group of people. He was saying that none of us are able to say, “I remember the day I was born.” We actually don’t remember the experience of birth but it is birth that enables us to be able to experience. We don’t see light itself but it is light that enables us to be able to see. We don’t have 100 things in life and then we add God and we now have 101 things. No, God changes the way we see life and experience life.

Jesus is offering this to the rich ruler.

I have at times experienced God in a way that it has changed my life and the way I see my life. It has ruined my “taste” for other (what I would think were) great things. These experiences of Him lead me to necessary changes in my life not as a “moral cleanup” but as “this is the way I see life”.

So whether I am desiring to plant a church or influence others I am brought back to this place of “Am I trying to add Jesus to the greatness of me, my wisdom, my learning, or is that in fact keeping away from the the whole other experience, this ‘eternal’ experience.” Paul said that all his learning, all his striving for holiness and personal perfection was like garbage in comparison of knowing Christ. It actually kept him away from this “knowing”. And more importantly this word “knowing” is also synonymous with the word “deeply experiencing” or “in close contact”. Like in one of my previous posts, it is the disciple John’s ability to lean against Jesus during the meal because he desired to.