Jesus and the Rich Man

Keep in mind that the New Covenant did not come into existence until after Jesus death and Resurrection. When Jesus preached to His fellow Jews, He was under the Mosaic Law. You may not think so, but if Jesus preached the New Covenant to His fellow Jews prior to His death on the cross, Jesus would have failed to keep the Mosaic Covenant, which were in effect until Jesus death.

Some people imagine that the rich man of Matt 19:16-24 is indicative of rich people in general, and that this discourse between Jesus and the rich man somehow demonstrates that rich people are more sinful and evil than non-rich people, and/or their riches make it near impossible for them to get into Heaven. This is not at all the lesson Jesus is teaching.

Matt 19:16-22
And behold, one came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?"

And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."

He said to Him, "Which ones?"

And Jesus said, "You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?"

Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved; for he was one who owned much property." NAS

In the category of living a life of decency and goodness, This rich man of Matthew 19 is in the top one percentile of all people who ever been born on earth up to that time. His riches afford him easy opportunity to break the commandments in pursuit of Power, Wealth or Pleasure. Even more telling about this man's character is that he chooses to come to the light (Jesus). As it is written:

John 3:19-21
"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." NASU

But this rich man did not keep ALL the commandments set forth by Moses. Jesus drew out of him that he loved his material possessions more than God, a form of idolatry. The rich man walks away cause he could not bring himself to give up all his wealth. This single violation of the Mosaic Law made it impossible for the rich man to obtain eternal life under the Mosaic Law because he failed to keep the entire Mosaic Law - Every Jot and Title of it.

Jesus is not just addressing this rich man, He is also saying this to all the Jews:

Matt 19:23-24
"And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."" NAS

Some people stop here and draw the false conclusion that the rich are more sinful in God’s eyes and are less likely to have eternal life. This is not so. But when we read on, we get rather profound context. However-

When the Disciples heard Jesus say this, they did not respond, "well that's really bad news for rich people, good thing we are poor and not rich." Rather, they became worried about their own salvation as they mulled over Jesus words of how this very exceptional decent rich man will never enter the Kingdom of God under the then prevailing Mosaic Law. This is revealed by their response:

Matt 19:25
"When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?"" NAS

Jesus then assures them that they need not worry, that this rich man, and they, can be each saved and attain eternal life, note also that Jesus response addresses all men will not be saved by keeping the Mosaic Law, not just rich people:

Matt 19:26
Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." NAS

Thus Jesus makes it very clear that humans cannot do enough to save themselves by the keeping of the Mosaic Law. Jesus answered regarding the rich man's question by pointing out that he will never stop sinning enough or do enough good things to enter the kingdom of God and inherit eternal life. This is not the only time Jesus lets the Jewish people know that they will never be justified by their efforts to keep the Mosaic Law. He lets them know that if anyone has hatred in their heart that they are guilty of breaking the commandment prohibiting murder, and if anyone looks at a married woman with lust, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. The bible categorically states that none will be saved by their ability to keep the Mosaic Laws.

God knew this even when He gave Moses that Law, before the people had a chance to break that Law, that they would never keep The Law:

"Then YHWH said to Moses, "Behold, the time for you to die is near, call Yeshua, and present yourselves at the tent of meeting so that I may commission him". ... And YHWH said to Moses, "Behold,you are about to lie down with your fathers; and this people will arise and play the harlot with strange gods of the land, into the midst of which they are going, and will forsake me and break My covenant that I have made with them". Deut. 31:14 & 16.

Jesus reiterates this same message to all Jews, who rely on their keeping of the Mosaic Law to obtain eternal life, yet it is that very law that dashes their hopes of eternal life.

Jn 5:39-47
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. … Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" NASU

Well, if no one is capable of keeping the Mosaic Law, who then can be saved?

In this exchange with the rich man and the ensuing conversation with His disciples, Jesus hints at the fact that there is another way to enter God's Kingdom and obtain eternal life. It will turn out to be the only REAL way to be saved and have eternal life and life abundantly. But the apostle's do not know about that yet and, though semi-relieved by Jesus last words, they are still concerned about their future. Peter's speaks for their mutual worries on this issue of salvation:

Matt 19:27-30
"Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed you; what then will there be for us?"

And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life.” NAS

Jesus would later reveal the good news as to how all people, rich or poor, may have eternal life, good life with joy and peace, life abundantly:

John 3:14-18
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

To be saved and receive eternal life, LIFE ABUNDANTLY gets no easier than this. Just believe Jesus. We are saved by His faith.

John 6:37-40
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."

Our salvation can not be any easier than as described in John 6:37-40.

Matt 11:26-30
"Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Why Jesus’ Words Are In The New Covenant
http://www.kingdomwarriors.com/wordpress/?p=1102

by joliboy11 on 2011/9/16 6:46:36 wrote:

"Why Jesus’ Words Are In The New Covenant
http://www.kingdomwarriors.com/wordpress/?p=1102"

An on target Christian message. I left a note there to provide a little clarification. The 'Good News' Jesus hinted at prior to His death and Resurrection, Jesus openly revealed to His Apostles and disciples after His Resurrection, and they received the indwelling Holy Spirit, whom all Christians receive, by Whom our very nature is transformed to do the good God always desired us to do, God's work in us. We merely need to walk with Him and talk with Him daily, and actuate the changes He makes in us, that we may truly love one another and do the good He created us to do.

Thank yoliboy11,

For making us aware of this site.

Truly,
Elizabeth

Keep in mind that the New Covenant did not come into existence until after Jesus death and Resurrection. When Jesus preached to His fellow Jews, He was under the Mosaic Law. You may not think so, but if Jesus preached the New Covenant to His fellow Jews prior to His death on the cross, Jesus would have failed to keep the Mosaic Covenant, which were in effect until Jesus death.

Your opening premise, which I have quoted above, seems to be a faulty one.

First of all, it just doesn't follow that Jesus must have been breaking the Law by preaching New Covenant.

Second, While it is true that Jesus encouraged people to keep the law and at times He expounded upon the law, His overall purpose was preaching the gospel. Matthew says Jesus preached the gospel (Matthew 4:23). Jesus was annointed to preach the gospel. (Luke 4:16-21). Jesus was the first gospel preacher (Luke 16:16 Hebrews 2:3).

Third, Why would Jesus teach a covenant that He was about to abolish by His death? He was preparing the people for the New Covenant by teaching about it.

Why would the gospel writers, after The Lord Jesus' death and resurrection, work to include so much of what Jesus taught if they were just adding to the Old Testament at a time when the New Testament was being written?

How could Jesus have spoken "words of life" if he confined himself to "the ministry of death"? (John 6:34-39,68, 2Corinthians 3:7)?

Why would the Spirit bring to the apostles' remembrance the words that Jesus spoke if those words were not concerning the New Covenant?

In this exchange with the rich man and the ensuing conversation with His disciples, Jesus hints at the fact that there is another way to enter God's Kingdom and obtain eternal life. It will turn out to be the only REAL way to be saved and have eternal life and life abundantly. But the apostle's do not know about that yet and, though semi-relieved by Jesus last words, they are still concerned about their future. Peter's speaks for their mutual worries on this issue of salvation:

Perhaps I'm reading this wrong but this statement gives the impression that the Old Covenant was one way of being saved. There has always been and ever will be one way to be saved, by faith. It has never been by what we do. True, saving faith is obedient, but it is never doing that saves.

In Christ,

Ron

Excellent post InTheLight, Ron,

agree on every single point, Paul is clear about that his "my gospel" is identical to "the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ"

2 Thessalonians 1:7  And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

and it's always 'faith' that saves, not 'doing' - or as Jesus said:

For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? John 5:46

What was missing in order to believe Moses? Faith.

What is missing in order to believe Jesus? Faith.

by codek on 2011/9/16 15:59:12

"Elizabeth.

That website is full of false teaching. I had friends study the same DHT techniques taught by Curry Blake. Emmanuel is clearly a student of those teaching. He is very slippery because the teachings sounds so legit at first.

They essentially believe that since we are sons of God, we should have victory over every disease in our life and if we don't, we are not truly a christian.

I have went out on healing evangelism outreaches with these guys, none of these people are actually healed, they cannot produce one medical document saying they are healed, it's a fraud. At that moment, everyone says they are healed. It's a lot of tricky words also."

Thanks for pointing this out, Codek. I had a nephew and his wife who latched on to this 'True Christians through their faith will never get sick'. He wanted to be another Benny Hinn. Their beliefs did not serve them well. The 'prosperity' and 'never get sick' TV preachers give Christianity a black eye because they do not deliver on their promises, but they make themselves very wealthy.

Dear appolus and inthelight, I read your posts, and I even prepared a refutation of your ideas of what the Gospel actually is. I gave it some thought, and decided not to post what I wrote because it would better to see if we are all on the same page at what actually the Gospel of Jesus Christ actually is. Gospel meaning 'Good News'.

So I am asking you appolus, and you inthelight, to post what you actually believe is the Gospel of Jesus?

And let me know if you believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the New Covenant we have in Jesus?

If you say 'no' to the 2nd question, then how are the two related?

And,

This will help us to understand each other and to not talk past each other.

So I am asking you appolus, and you inthelight, to post what you actually believe is the Gospel of Jesus?

I'll let Paul answer your question...

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
(Romans 16:25-26)

The gospel is the revelation of the mystery long hidden but now manifest in Christ Jesus. I can't think of a single good reason why the Manifestation of the mystery Himself would perpetuate the mystery in His own preaching.

In Christ,

Ron

Is this the mystery?

Colossians 1:25-29 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; ((((((which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:))))) Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

In Christ and Christ In me; Phillip

You cannot put a sock in the water without the water being in the sock.

You cannot put us in Christ without Christ being in us.

I will state plainly that anyone who tries to put Christians back under the Mosaic Laws, or portions thereof, has rejected the 'free gift' of God, of being saved by the Blood of Jesus, the perfect Paschal Lamb, by whom whose blood all our our sins: past, present, and future, had been permanently forgiven. Jesus has set us free of the Law of sin and death, let no one put us back under the yoke of the Mosaic Laws

It is by the faith of Jesus we are saved, and through whom we received the indwelling Holy Spirit, 'God in me', by whom God we have daily fellowship with God, Whom works in each of us daily to transform our very nature as we walk and talk with Him daily, that we may naturally do the good He created us to do.

Gal 2:15-3:5

15 "We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED."

17 "But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

Galatians 3

3:1 Faith Brings Righteousness

You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain?

So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" NASU

Ro 8:28-39

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,

"FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NASU

As for me, I have the indwelling Holy Spirit, and I am not saved by works of the Law that I do. But I have received God's gift of eternal life through the finished work, and the faith, of Jesus. For what I can not do, God is doing in me through the work of indwelling the Holy Spirit. This is my faith, that I believe God and have accepted His gift of eternal life and fellowship, through His Only begotten Son's finished work on the cross, and acknowledging God's presence in me through the indwelling Holy Spirit, whom cleanses me from all unrighteousness, and leads me into ever increasing fellowship with God.

God bless, Elizabeth continue your Christian walk...
may you listen to this
http://www.ravensministry.com/audio/Austin_2009_QA1.mp3

Question and Answer by Zac Poonen
from ravenministry.com

remember God is with us til the end of age

"As for the money part of this teaching, the Scriptures make it plain, the love or the desire for wealth is the root of all evil, those who desire to be rich are run through with multiple troubles. There are and have always been two great worries for mankind, no matter where you are from. health and wealth. Whether its how much money you have or how many pigs you own or whatever the currency, men derive their security in the abundance of their possesions. Health, sickness and disease and death have terrfied mankind always. Witchdoctors and charlatans have prospered for thousands of years because of this. Some things never change. Yet, in Christ, whether rich or poor, sickness or health, we know that our Saviour never leaves us nor forsakes us. Christians can rejoice in the deepest dungeons or sit down to a feast and rejoice at the abundance the Lord has provided, but whatever the state, the genuine man or woman of God will be content. Peace and contentment, freedom from anxiety, these are the things that all men seek, and some have found in Christ. This is the Gospel of Christ. Why spend one minute being anxious, much rather consider the lillies of the field for they neither toil nor spin, do they brothers and sisters? yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed in such splendor as the grass of the field which is here today and gone tomorrow. We cannot add one inch to our height, therefore we simply trust in God who knows that we have needs."

good word!