Hello and welcome back to Cultivating Growth. I want to thank everyone for joining us again this week. This is our second episode discussing different conversations with Jesus that are recorded throughout for us throughout the gospel accounts. Last week we talked about Jesus's conversation with Nicodemus.

And this week we're gonna dive into Jesus's conversation with the rich young ruler. And so with that, let's get right to it.

Well, John, you made mention that last week we kind of began this series. Of conversations with Jesus and we talked about Nicodemus and his conversation with Jesus in, in John chapter three, and although certainly there are some similarities between that and Jesus' conversation with rich young ruler there, there are a couple of differences.

Mm-hmm. One being the story with Nicodemus is only given to us in the gospel of John and we made mention of that, but this story in of the rich young ruler is given to us on all the gospels except for John. Right. Right. You can read about in Matthew chapter 19, in Mark chapter 10 and Luke chapter 18 and, and also.

Another difference is, although this is definitely a conversation that takes place between Jesus and this young man, there seems to be some people around. Yeah. Because Jesus will, in essence at the end, kind of turn to do some teaching and we get some those and they, you know, kind of thrown around. So this is still a one-on-one conversation.

Mm-hmm. It is still in the midst of teaching, it seems that Jesus is doing, he receives a question. Mm-hmm. We'll talk about that question here in a minute. I'll tell you. It's a good one. It's a good question. That's right. Yeah. And, and he, he seems to stop whatever he was talking about to deal with this question, and, and he has a, a, a very personal interaction with this young man.

And, uh, it, it'll go in the way that it goes. We'll, we'll talk about that. And then he kind of. Picks up with his teaching to, you know, the people around him and he will use kind of the interaction that he has. Mm-hmm. Establish some truth specifically about riches and wealth. And so, uh, you know, we'll kind of get into, you know, the story itself, and we'll kind of start kind of where this interaction begins.

How it often does with Jesus is somebody comes to him and he has a question. Mm-hmm. And the question in Luke chapter 18, I'm reading from in, in verse 18, a, a certain ruler asked him, saying, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? So, good question or bad question. I'd say it's the most important question that anybody could ever ask.

Right? What for sure, what do I need to do to inherit eternal life? That's the question every single one of us should ask, uh, at different points in our life. I mean, that's what we're all after and it, it is a really. Fascinating question. Now there are a couple of different ways you can come to that question, and I think Jesus perhaps understands that this particular individual at this moment in time anyway, is a little bit more, uh, seeking to justify himself.

Yep. Then perhaps being genuinely curious about Jesus' answer to this question. And, and even today, I think sometimes we have to be careful of that, right? We like to be told that we're doing everything right and that we're doing a good job. And sometimes we can ask leading questions, looking for some of that praise from people.

And I think perhaps that's what's happening here, uh, because when Jesus tells him. Hey, you know, you need to keep the commandments, and he lists a few of 'em. You, you know what they are. You know, you're, you're a good Jew. You know what they are. You, you don't commit adultery, you don't murder, you don't steal.

You don't, don't do any of those things. And the guy's like, nailed it. You know? I, that couldn't have been, you couldn't have given me a better answer because I've done all of that since I was a kid. And so you get this indication pretty early on that he's looking to justify himself and kind of receive a pat on the back from Jesus.

That's what brings him to this question. But nonetheless, it's an extremely important question and Jesus is gonna take this opportunity to more deeply address that question and challenge this young man and really ask him to think about that question on a deeper level, certainly than he has. At this point, yeah.

Just kinda on the outset, and certainly I think we can get into this more a little bit next week when we talk about Jesus and the conversation he has with the woman at the well. Jesus never passes an op up, an opportunity to teach. Yeah. He, he just doesn't, he has this interaction with this young man and, and certainly Jesus knows his heart.

Um, he showcases that maybe a little bit here again next week, he'll really showcase Yeah. You know, his understanding. So he understands this man's heart and he knows where this conversation certainly is going to go. And, and I think you're right. He's, this young, young man is looking for some, a pat on the back.

He's looking for a justification. He's looking for a thumbs up from Jesus. He is looking for a, you're right on track, you know, from Jesus. And he will get something, you know, certainly a little bit different from that, but yet at the same time, it, it's still an opportunity to teach. Mm-hmm. Even after his interaction with these young man, Jesus is gonna take an, an opportunity to teach us.

So I think it's good for us, you know, to realize that we, we just simply can't afford to pass up. Yeah. Certainly hand delivered, you know, opportunities to teach Uhhuh e even if. You, you may, you know, question motives or you've got things going on, or you know you are in the middle of something else, or whatever the case may be.

Jesus never passes up an opportunity to teach. We saw that last week. Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night. Jesus was eating dinner or he was, you know, in bed or. About to go to sleep or asleep or, I mean, it was the, it was at nighttime. Yeah. And he doesn't pass up the opportunity to teach next week. We'll see.

He's just getting a drink of water. Yeah. But guess what? He doesn't pass up an opportunity to teach. And I think there's a lot to be learned from that. Yeah. There really is because as we'll see with this story, and as we'll see next week as well, you know, the, the reaction of the individual that he's. Is talking to is one thing, but others are gonna be impacted by the conversation that Jesus has.

As you mentioned early on, certainly with this particular conversation, it seems as if there are some other people around others that are listening in to what's. Being said here and, and so while Jesus was certainly speaking to this young man, he's also taking this opportunity as this most important question is being posed to him to speak more broadly to everyone else who may be hearing it as well.

And so the question of, you know, what do I need to do inherit to inherited eternal life. Jesus sees that as an opportunity, and I think you're to your point, we should see opportunities like that as well. If somebody comes to us with a. Question, a spiritually driven question, even if perhaps it's misguided, even if perhaps the motives aren't where they should be, if that opens a door for us, we need to be taking advantage of that because who knows what good can come from that.

If we get a chance to talk about Jesus, yeah, don't pass that opportunity up. And so even in the most of, most misguided of circumstances, if the, if the door is open to talk about our savior, we need to be doing that. And Jesus is gonna see this opportunity to talk about eternal life and to talk about possessions and to talk about our, our relationship to earthly things.

And he sees that as an opportunity to teach regardless of how this particular individual is gonna respond. It now gives him an opportunity to talk about it more broadly with everyone else. Yeah. He's teaching about sacrifice. He's gonna talk about the importance of following him. You know, it's really an interesting interaction that happens.

You made mention of it after this question, you know, Jesus, you know, kind of lifts off, you know, some of these commandments and he, he says there in verse 21 of Luke, chapter 18, you know, I've kept all these things for my youth. Mm-hmm. And, and you know, Jesus, you know, you know, you could kind of see him.

Probably, you know, kinda lining up for it a little bit. Yeah. He's like, great. Yeah, that's phenomenal. That is fantastic. You are one thing away. Mm-hmm. Right? There are still one thing that you lack. So all that you have give it to the poor, and the key component to that is the end of that. Sometimes we miss.

Yeah. Because it's so outrageous in a lot of ways, what Jesus says, sell all that you have and give it to the poor. Mm-hmm. But the key component is at the bottom of that. And come and follow me. Yep. And so the key is like the apostles themselves did. Am I willing to leave, give all, including myself mm-hmm.

To follow Jesus. And, and that's what Jesus is. He's testing that here. Yeah. Now he knows he is very rich. That is made mention of, you know, in the text, but he's, he's testing this, the one hold in this world that, that this man has. Is he willing to give that up for Jesus? He here wasn't willing to do that.

Yeah. But you know, it's really interesting where Jesus is like, well here's the one thing. You gotta give away all these things, but then come and follow me. And you know, it's sometimes we look at that passage and we're like, wait a minute, is Jesus saying that we all have to sell everything we have in order to be a follower of his and Jesus?

This is not a universal requirement for righteousness in some, in some way that Jesus is establishing here. Many of those that followed him did not give up everything that they had. He's asking him, are you willing to part with everything to follow me? Does that, are you willing to put your relationship with me as the Messiah ahead of everything else in your life?

Because if the answer to that question is yes, then if Jesus says, sell everything you have, then you sell everything you have. But if the answer to that question is, oh man, I really like some of these possessions and I'm Jesus. I want, I wanna follow you. Like, like I said, I'm, I'm willing to not steal and I'm willing to not commit adultery and I'll honor my father.

I'll do all of those things. But now you're asking something really big of me. And the point Jesus is making here is, yes, I am asking something really big of you. I am asking you. To put your relationship with me as the son of God above everything in your life. Are you willing to do it? That that's a tough question for this man to answer.

It's an important question, and it's one that all of us have to answer. Jesus isn't going to appear to us today and tell us to sell everything. We have to follow him. But he is going to test us. Are, are, are your earthly possessions? Are your earthly relationships? Are the things of this physical realm more important to you than following me?

Every single one of us is gonna have to answer those questions because there's gonna be times in our life we're gonna be called to sacrifice. Are we willing to do it? This is what this story should really make us consider is, what are we willing to sacrifice to follow Jesus? And the answer to that should be, there isn't anything that I'm not willing.

To sacrifice to follow him. And that really becomes the key component to his teaching. As you get kind of down into the text, we, we learned very quickly as Jesus, you know, lays us out for this young man. He's not willing to do that and he's saddened and he should be, he should be saddened because of that.

And he goes away sorrowful. But then you have Jesus taking the opportunity to teach and I, I always found Luke chapter 18, especially verses 24 and and 25 I is to be interesting and I think we miss sometimes one of the points that. He's making, and you've already alluded to it just in that last statement that you have, but he says there in Luke chapter 18, when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful.

He says this, how hard is it for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God? In our mind, we have, it's hard for the rich. To go to, to heaven. Right. That that's the way we have it. Right. What Jesus says, how hard is it for those who have riches? He, he doesn't say a little riches. Mm-hmm. Medium amount of riches.

Right. A lot of riches. But those who have riches, and I think you kind of answered that question, that it is those who have things that in this life are valued. Mm-hmm. You know, it, it, it is our possessions. It is our family and friends. It, it is, it is the, you know, the, the days that we have in front of us.

It is the hobbies that we enjoy doing, right? The pleasure that we have in this world. Are there things that are valued? In this life that we are unwilling to give up for Jesus. And, and that's what he's saying. Listen, if you're burdened down by earthly riches, earthly things that you value, it is, it is not gonna work for you.

Yeah, it's not gonna work for you. But if you think it's difficult to toss those things aside and to still operate. Give it a try. Yeah. Is ultimately what Jesus says because you know, he'll close with the idea of, you know, listen, doing things God's way, doing thing, my my way will always work out. Yeah. Well and you know, we can make that comparison to our lives today and you know, what about your job or what about your friends or what about.

Sports or you know, what about hobbies? All of those things that we could say, listen, are, are you willing to sacrifice those things and for your relationship with Jesus? Because those are the things that we're gonna be called to consider when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, because those things are gonna try to pull us away from our relationship with him.

And so what are we gonna do in those? Stances, are we gonna, we're gonna sacrifice something. Mm-hmm. Is it gonna be our time with Jesus or is it gonna be our time with those things or those people that, that's the challenge that's gonna face us and like this rich young ruler, uh, those are tough decisions to make.

And having to give those things up would've been a huge challenge for him. But he went away sorrowful because I think on some level he understood what this meant. Mm-hmm. And he understood what his tie to this world really looked like. And it, and it's not a pretty sight when we come face to face with our connection and our attachment to physical things.

And, and we wanna learn from this example and have a more healthy relationship with the world around us One. That prioritizes our relationship with Jesus above all. Yeah. So let's close with this kind of application question and then we'll close with the passage. We talked last week about Nicodemus, and at the beginning, the only way he came to Jesus is he, he was, he was answering some things, honestly.

He was looking at the thing in a very open kind of way. Mm-hmm. And that's what Jesus is asking. You know, for us, he wants us to be honest and in question surrounding things like this, we have to be honest with ourselves. Is there something in this world that is hindering my relationship with Jesus? And, and if we are honest enough to find a yes in wherever it is.

That next question, as the rich young ruler got, are you willing to give that away? And hopefully it's, yes, I'm willing to give that away because nothing should come between my and my relationship with Jesus and, and so Jesus will kind of close with this admonition. We're still in Luke chapter 18 as he is teaching about riches, and he's talking about these very difficult things.

He says there in verse 20, uh six, those who heard it, those who were around who, who then can be saved. And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

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