Matthew 19:26-30 tells the story of a wealthy young man who approached Jesus with a question: “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” This was not a question about how to go to heaven when he died, it was about how to enter into an ‘eternal kind of life’ here and now. A qualitative experience rather than a quantitative commodity. He had a sense that Jesus had something he was missing, and he wanted to get it.
We often think the young man was misguided to think he could do a “good thing” and get eternal life. Isn’t it “by grace, not works,” after all? But, perhaps surprisingly to us, Jesus answered him fairly straightforwardly: “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“All these I have kept,” the man replied. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
It’s interesting to me that Jesus didn’t try to correct his assumption that there was a “good thing” he needed to do to get eternal life. He didn’t say anything like what evangelicals would expect: “Accept me into your heart,” or “Admit you’re a sinner and you need a savior,” or “Say this prayer and your sins will be forgiven.”
No, Jesus simply tells him the “good thing” he needs to do if he really wants to really start living: Sell your possessions and follow me. The “good thing” this young man needed to do was follow Jesus, but his possessions were holding him back. The young man’s wealth was his master, and so to begin following Jesus as his new master, he had to get rid of the old one. “Ditch the wealth and follow me,” Jesus said, “and I’ll teach you how to live abundantly in God’s kingdom.” Best. Internship Opportunity. Ever.
Sadly, the young man turned Jesus down, but don’t miss the fact that, in the end, Jesus did tell him what “good thing” he had to do to start living life in God’s kingdom. It’s the same “good thing” all of us must do: follow Jesus as a disciple. There is simply no other way to “get eternal life.”
How do we do this? The same way Jesus tells people to do it in the Gospels. We have to:
- Die. Give up my quest to get what I want. This is what the cross means: the end of my old life. “Whoever does not carry their cross cannot follow me” (Luke 14:27).
- Prioritize discipleship. Following Jesus must become the most important pursuit of my life. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
- Put his teaching into practice. I must actually do what Jesus said, not just agree with him. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).
That’s the “good thing” we do that leads to eternal life. And while the cost can seem steep, the payoff is immeasurably greater. Simply put: discipleship to Jesus is the best opportunity you’ll ever get as a human being. And it’s definitely a “good thing” that you do.
Great post! It's difficult for us to understand that eternal life has already begun. Life in the Kingdom, as a disciple, is eternal life. It isn't something that will happen some day when we die, but right now as we choose to operate in the Kingdom. That's good, real good.
Jesus did set out to show this rich young man that he was lacking something. This might have been the first time he had ever felt inferior in his own works. He admittingly was a goody two-shoes rule follower who didn't think he'd done anything wrong in his life. His sadness was needed in order to show him his real need–Jesus. The idea of dying to himself was tragic. He desired God's power, but not God himself. This is where I, we, struggle as well: desiring God above all else. When we desire to be with God, #1, #2, and #3 above happen naturally in our lives and we experience eternal life right now!
Great reflections, Ryan. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I think it's really difficult to make following Jesus the most important pursuit of my life 100% of the time. If I can't do it consistently, all the time, does that mean I'm going to hell?
I think an interesting thing that Jesus did was to give the rich young man a choice- he didn't force him to do anything, but gave him the choice to change what he followed. While on the field, we have run into the opposition from the ones we are trying to reach as well as those family and friends we leave behind because they think we are forcing people to follow our religion. We simply offer the same choice that Jesus gave the rich man. Jesus gives us so many great tools from his life! Great story, and great topic again!
Right! Jesus didn't try to manipulate anyone – just offered an opportunity.
Dying is so hard and so overlooked in most presentations of the gospel today. I was the grandson of a pastor, grew up in the church, went on mission trips, and yet somehow I missed the death part. I've been thinking alot lately about how this could happen..Why did I think that being born again would keep me from dying, when death is actually central to the process?
Such great (difficult!) questions there…
I once heard Dallas Willard say that Jesus went to the cross, not so we wouldn't have to, but so that we could join him there. Dying to self, or "taking up your cross" is essentially what Paul was saying when he said, "to live IS Christ…"
I don't want to argue, but I would like some kind of explanation or bibliography that I could consult that would help me understand how a person parses the phrase “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” to exclude the issue of life after death. Can anyone help me understand this approach?
That's a great question, Brian. I'd start with Dallas Willard's book The Divine Conspiracy, and then check out N.T. Wright's Surprised By Hope.
I'm not saying that "eternal life" excludes a life after death, I'm saying that it's not the main point… the main point is learning to live an "eternal kind of life," and then whatever happens after death will just take care of itself, because it will simply be a continuation of the life in God's kingdom that I began before death.
But those two books I mention above are great places to start to understand "eternal life" in a different way than "what happens after I die."
Great post Ben. Just what I needed to start the day
Aaron
Glad it was helpful, Aaron!
"eternal kind of life"
I absolutely love that phrase. I've never heard this passage interpreted this way before. Beautiful! Plus, Jesus' invitation is infinitely more challenging than just saying the Sinner's Prayer and holding a set of intellectual beliefs in my head about the Christian God.
Peace, Brian
I have to admit I stole that phrase from Dallas Willard – that's how he explains "eternal life" in The Divine Conspiracy – that it has to do with a certain quality of life, not just an endless quantity of it.
That's the true Gospel. Amen, Ben. (and ouch). It's a level playing field, isn't it? We all are confronted with the cross and whether to bow to its lordship in our lives. day by day by day…