The way of a rich man enters the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:16-30) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 The way of a rich man enters the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:16-30)

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce    Christian Arts Ministries

Matthew 19:16-30

Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good things must I do to get eternal life?” Why do you ask me about what is good?

 Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” Which one? The man inquired.

 Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,” and love your neighbor as yourself.”

“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

 Jesus replied, “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.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is heard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell 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.”

 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:16-26) 

Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?

 Jesus said to them, “ I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve tribes, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. (Matthew 19: 27-30)

Ø  Interpretation and insight 

Having eternal life as spoken of in Matthew differs from having eternal life as spoken of in John. Matthew is concerned with the kingdom, whereas John is concerned with life. In John, to have eternal life is to be save by God’s uncreated life that we may live by that life today and for eternity. But in Matthew to have eternal life is to participate in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens in this age by God’s eternal life and to share in the kingdom’s manifestation in the coming age, thereby enjoying God’s eternal life in a fuller way.

In verse 17 Jesus indicates that only God is good. This indicates not only that the young man asking the question was not good but also that the Lord Jesus is God, who is good. If He were not God, He too would not be good.

To enter into life means to enter into the kingdom of the heavens (v.23). The kingdom of the heavens is a realm of God’s eternal life. Hence, when we enter into it, we enter into God’s life. This differs from being saved. To be saved is to have God’s life enter into us to be our life, whereas to enter into the kingdom of the heavens is to enter into God’s life to enjoy the riches of God’s life. The former is to be redeemed and regenerated by the HOLY SPIRIT, whereby we receive God’s life; the latter is to live and walk by God’s life. One is a matter of life; the other is a matter of living.

 “Keep the commandments” (v.17), this is not the requirement for salvation; it is related to entering into the kingdom of the heavens. According to the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens, to enter into the kingdom of the heavens requires us to meet not only the standard of the old law but also the standard of the complemented new law given by the King (5:17-48). Salvation requires only faith, whereas the kingdom of the heavens requires the surpassing righteousness that issues from the keeping of the old law and the complemented law given by the heavenly King.

Verse 21 Even though the young man had observed the commandments of the old law, or so he assumed he still was not perfect, not up to the standard of the requirement of the complemented new law, for he was not willing to sell what he had and store up treasure in heaven, as the constitution of the kingdom required (6:19-21).

To follow the Lord Jesus is to love Him above all things (10:37-38). This is the supreme requirement for entering into the kingdom of the heavens. Loving material possessions above the Lord causes one to sorrow, but those who love Christ above all things accept with joy the loss of their possessions (Heb.10:34)

Verse 24 the Lord’s word here indicates the impossibility of entering into the kingdom of God by our natural life. Verse 23 uses kingdom of the heavens, but here kingdom of God is used. At this point the kingdom of the heavens had not come, but the kingdom of God was there. Hence, the Lord used the term kingdom of God.   

As most Christians do today, the disciples confused salvation with entering into the kingdom of the heaves. The Lord’s word to the young man concerned entering into the kingdom of the heavens (vv.23-24) but the disciples though that it referred to salvation. Their concept of salvation was natural and common. They did not grasp the Lord’s revelation concerning entering into the kingdom of the heavens.
             Verse 26 Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” By our human life it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but it is possible by God’s divine life, which is Christ Himself imparted into us so that we can live the kingdom life. By Christ, who empowers us to do all things (Phil.4:13) we can fulfill the requirements of the kingdom.

The reward of the kingdom, Jesus said, in verse 28, “ in the restoration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” this is the restoration in the coming kingdom age (Acts 3:21) after the Lord’s second coming. In the coming kingdom the overcomers will sit on thrones to reign over the earth (Rev.20:4). The first twelve apostles, including Peter, will judge the twelve tribes of Israel, and the other overcomers will rule over the nation.

Verse 29 to receive a hundred times as many houses, fields, and relatives is to be rewarded in this age (Mark10:30). This refers to our enjoyment today of brothers and sisters in the Lord, with their possessions. To inherit eternal life is to be rewarded in the coming age (Luke 18:29-30), in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens, with an enjoyment of the divine life that is fuller than the enjoyment in this age.