Smoodock's Blog

It is naturally assumed that the very next thing that occurred after Jesus blessed the children (Matthew 19:13-15), that a certain man (Matthew 19:16), a ruler (Luke 18:18), who was both young (Matthew 19:20) and rich (Luke 18:23) “came running” to Jesus, as he left Peraea and was “in the way” toward Jerusalem (Mark 10:17). However, this isn’t the case. Jesus was “in the way” but probably returning to Peraea, from where he would later return to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11). Nevertheless, knowing the identity of the “rich, young ruler”[1] puts Jesus near Jerusalem, where he had already celebrated the feast, and was now leaving Bethany for Peraea. It seems that, before he left Judea, Jesus visited Bethany, Martha’s home (cp. Luke 10:38), where presumably Jesus dined and spoke with Martha and her sister, Mary and her brother Lazarus. Skipping events and merging other matters with current thoughts without a clear break in the text was the manner in which the ancients wrote their narratives:

“For, though all parts must be independently perfected, when the first is complete the second will be brought into essential connection with it, and attached like one link of a chain to another; there must be no possibility of separating them; no mere bundle of parallel threads; the first is not simply to be next to the second, but part of it, their extremities intermingling” (emphasis mine).[2]

So, Jesus, journey from Peraea to Jerusalem (Matthew 19:15) had come and gone. It is implied that he celebrated the feast and dined with Martha, Mary and Lazarus at Bethany and was now returning to Peraea, where they would soon send for him to save Lazarus, who apparently had suddenly turned ill and eventually died. The rich young ruler who ran after him to ask what he must do to inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:16; cp. Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18) was Lazarus.[3]

All the Synoptics have the young ruler coming to Jesus after he had left Bethany to return to Peraea, and he addressed Jesus as “Good Master…” (Matthew 19:16). Matthew says the young ruler wished to know how he may have eternal life, while both Mark and Luke tell us he asked how he may inherit eternal life. In other words, he believed eternal life should come to him by inheritance! What remained was for him to do something good in order to please God.

In order to put the young man (Lazarus) in the correct frame of mind, Jesus challenged his calling him Good Master, when only God, in essence, is good (Psalm 73:1). I believe Jesus’ question was rhetorical, not waiting for an answer before he replied to Lazarus’ question. So, Lazarus was to consider what and who was good, while Jesus replied to his question. He told Lazarus, if he wished to enter into life, he needed to keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:17; cp. Deuteronomy 5:33; 8:1).

When the young man asked which commandments, Jesus replied with the Ten Commandments, repeating only those pertaining to mankind, his brethren (Matthew 19:18-19; cp. 1John 4:20).

The problem behind Jesus’ argument is that it is impossible for any man to continually obey the Lord. It is not that the Lord has placed the bar too high for mankind to reach. Instead, mankind has corrupted himself, even the best of us, so that we “will not” obey always (Joshua 24:19). The best we can do is to incline our hearts toward God and not rebel against him (Joshua 24:23). Thus, we are completely dependent upon the goodness of God to give us life.

The young man naïvely replied that he had kept all the commandments Jesus mentioned from the time he was but a boy (Matthew 19:20). Then, he asked: what do I yet lack? Mark tells us that, when Jesus heard the man’s reply, he looked at him and the text says Jesus “loved him” (Mark 10:21). Therefore, Jesus told him, if he desired to be perfect, meaning fully grown, mature, he needed to sell all he had and give the proceeds to the poor. Then, he could come and follow Jesus (Matthew 19:20-21). Nevertheless, when the young man heard this, he grew very sad, and turned and walked away grieving, because he had great possessions (Matthew 19:22). Later, he would repent, and give all his possessions to the Apostles to distribute to the poor, and they surnamed him Barnabas,[4] proving that with God “all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). 

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[1] See my earlier study in Luke’s Gospel narrative: “Identifying the Rich Young Ruler.”

[2] See Lucian of Samosata (cir. AD 120 to 180), The Way to Write History, 55.

[3] See my earlier study in the Gospel of Luke: “Identifying the Rich Young Ruler.” So, he who asked how he might have eternal life, died and was resurrected (cp. John 11:1-7; 38, 43-44).

[4] Ibid.