Here Jesus is approached
with what we can regard as a basic Kingdom question. What must I do to inherit
eternal life? What must I do to enter the Kingdom? What must I do to get
myself on God’s way?
The man who asks the
question begins with an appropriate recognition of Jesus, addressing him as good
teacher. Indeed, even before that, we can note the way in which he arrives.
He runs up, indicating that he is in a hurry and that he does not want to miss
Jesus. Then, he kneels before Jesus, surely a recognition that Jesus is someone
special.
As so often, Jesus responds
to a question with a question, only on this occasion he adds in a comment. Also,
Jesus’ question is about the way in which the man has addressed him, rather
than being an immediate response to the topic that has been raised. Why do
you call me good? Jesus asks his question, adding the important theological
point that, no one is good but God alone.
The statement connects with
the ‘Shema’, the Jewish creed that confesses one God. The Shema, frequently
prayed by Jews, (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) begins with the statement the Lord is
our God, the Lord alone, and proceeds to make a link with keeping the
commandments, which are summarised in terms of a right relationship with God.
This link makes this
discussions interestingly important. As Kim Huat Tan (Mark) notes – “this
heightens the status of the discussion, and suggests the following: if only God
is good as the Shema requires, by calling Jesus good is the young man putting
him on that level?”
Jesus identifies the
commandments as the standard. They are what is required. However, as Tan points
out – “the commandments Jesus cites exhibit a peculiar order. He begins with
the sixth to the ninth commandments. He then follows with “do not defraud”
before moving back to the fifth commandment. What is interesting is the command
of “do not defraud”. This is not found in the Ten Commandments, unless we think
of it as a loose application of the tenth commandment. If it is not, we may
wonder why the tenth commandment is left out, along with those which relate
principally to God (commandments one to four).”
The man replies
unhesitatingly that he has kept the commandments, and that he has always done
so. Jesus suggests that he then just lacks one thing, though actually he asks three
things. He asks him to sell his possessions. He asks him to give the proceeds
to the poor. Then, having done that, he asks him to come and follow him. For
this man, in order to be a disciple, he needs to get rid of his wealth. Is this
how Jesus brings in the tenth commandment, and identifies it as the one that is
being broken?
It is important that we are
told that Jesus loved this man. It is a reminder that God loves us no matter
how we behave. But the story ends on a sad note as the man in question finds
himself unable to do what is asked, and goes away. The tenth commandment covers
the issue of ‘wanting more stuff’, what is sometimes described as ‘coveting’.
The problem for this man, as Tan describes it, is that – “his loyalty is not
really to the commandments but to his own opulent welfare. For him, obeying God’s
commandments may be done as long as one’s preferred lifestyle is not
compromised.” I wonder what things, for us, get in the way of following
Jesus and being his disciples.
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