The rich young question

It’s mentioned in three of the Gospels. (Matt. 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19)
He approached Jesus because he was interested in his teaching. In normal fashion, Jesus answered the young ruler with a question. It’s in the question of Jesus that we find the essence of the Good News.  This Rich Young Ruler had addressed Jesus as “good”.  Jesus’s quick reply was to say “Why do you call ME good?  No one is good but God alone?  It is as powerful as it is subtle. What is the reason you would call Jesus good, asks Jesus? He’s asserting that since there is only One who is good, He is addressing Jesus as God. That’s not the wrong answer.  It would have been absolutely correct. Jesus was attempting to convince the young man that He was addressing not a good teacher, but a good God. That’s how God works.  He simply wants us to believe Him. The whole book of John is a narrative Gospel to convince the readers to believe that Jesus was the Christ.  It reminds me of Peter’s grand declaration in Matthew 16:16-17, to Jesus “You are the Christ! The Son of the Living God! The Rich Young Ruler chose his riches over a belief statement. What a tragedy!  In contrast, Jesus responded to Peter’s grand declaration that on his confession He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it! Praise God!

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