Luke 18, Part Two

The rich young ruler (vs. 18-30)--This story is also found in Matthew and Mark, and, since Luke really adds nothing substantial to those earlier accounts, I will reproduce here what I wrote in Matt. 19:

"This story actually continues into chapter 20, as we shall see. A young man, rich, and a ruler (according to Luke, though he doesn’t say a “ruler” of what; probably a synagogue) asks Jesus what he had to do to have eternal life (v. 16). What a great question. More people ought to be asking it. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments of the law he was living under (Moses). The young man responded that he had done that; “What do I still lack?” (v. 20). Jesus, “beholding him, loved him,” (Mark 10:21), and then told him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me" (Matt. 19:21). The young man went away sorrowfully because he had great wealth; he loved his money more than he loved his God. Jesus then said, “I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 23) This astonished the disciples: “Who then can be saved?” (v. 25). They were operating under the Jewish assumption that the rich were the blessed of God; they must be the righteous because Jehovah had dealt so bountifully with them. It’s the poor who must be out of favor with God. So if the rich can’t be saved, who can? Jesus doesn’t answer the question directly; they’ll understand eventually. Peter then asks a rather self-serving question: “See, we have left all and followed you. Therefore what shall we have?” (v. 27). Jesus gives him two answers: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (v. 29). And the apostles actually will have a special place (v. 28). So, indeed, if we leave all and follow Jesus, we will be well taken care of by the Lord. But…”many who are first will be last, and the last first” (v. 30). Jesus’ second answer to Peter’s question is found in chapter 20, and we’ll look at it in that chapter summary."

Luke doesn't record the follow-up information of Matthew 20, so here is a link to that passage if the reader wishes to get the entire teaching.  Matthew 20:1-16

Christ's coming passion (vs. 31-34)--Jesus told His disciples repeatedly that He would be crucified and resurrected. "But they understood none of these things" (v. 34). So foreign to their thinking was the idea of a "crucified" Messiah that they simply could not comprehend what Jesus was saying. We have here a great example of the power of propaganda and false teaching. The Jews of the first century (and even today) have been taught that their Messiah would be an earthly conqueror, not a suffering Savior. What Jesus was speaking was something His apostles had never heard before or even considered. To how many today is the truth wholly incomprehensible, even if they were raised within a "Christian" environment, simply because they have been instructed in error their entire lives? But Jesus said that His coming death, etc., were things that were "written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man" (v. 31). The Jews wholly misunderstood and misinterpreted their own book. It is a danger we must earnestly guard against today.

Blind Bartimaeus (vs. 35-43)--Interestingly, each of the three gospel writers who record this event approach it somewhat differently. Matthew tells us that there were actually two blind men (Matt. 20:29-34). Marks mentions only one of them (Mark 10:46-52), but tells us that his name was Bartimaeus. Luke also writes of only one blind beggar but doesn't tell his name. Just because certain details are omitted by other writers doesn't make the passages contradictory; the purpose of the writer is what's important, and, by inspiration, each of the three evangelists chose what features he considered necessary and proper. The end result was the same. Jesus worked a great miracle, and "all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God" (v. 43). The multitudes were still with Christ, even though He is very near His time of death. It was the religious leaders who crucified Him, and they did it illegally, and at night, because of His popularity among the masses.