Luke 18:18-23
Introduction
We are all familiar with this account. The person who started the conversation is called the Rich Young Ruler. All three of the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, record this dialogue.
Let’s begin with that very first verse in the passage from Luke.
“A ruler asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ (Luke 18:18, HCSB).
It seems that Jesus didn’t need some kind of special circumstance or occasion to have a conversation with someone about spiritual matters. He was consistent in His mission. He wanted to have conversations with eternal significance.
Much like visiting a physician, the rich young ruler needed the right advice. Having a conversation of eternal significance seems to be the goal of this rich young ruler. Much like visiting a physician, the rich young ruler needed to follow Jesus’s advice. As we all know, Jesus’s advice was to follow Him. Much like some patients, the ruler did not follow Jesus’s advice.
Today, many people are asking the same question as the rich young ruler. I would say that coming to Jesus is the right answer to the question. Jesus is the only one who has the right answer. The reason is that Jesus is the only one who is worthy to be followed. I believe we can see that in this passage.
So, what can we see from this conversation with the rich young ruler?
Next Week: The doctor’s visit
Mark Riser - Apologist 