SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 19:16-30
A rich man asks Jesus what he must do to reach eternal life. Jesus said to obey the commandments. The man asked which commandments and Jesus answered, “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.”
The man says he has done that, but what does he lack? Jesus told him to sell all of his possessions, give the money to the poor, and then follow him to have treasure in heaven. The man went away sad as he wasn’t going to do this.
Jesus said it’s hard for a rich man to enter heaven. The disciples ask who then can enter heaven. Jesus said with God all things are possible. Peter asks Jesus what the disciples will receive. Jesus says they will sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel when he sits on his throne. Those who have left everything for Jesus will inherit eternal life and receive 100 times as much. But many who are first will be last and vice versa.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 20, Day 5: Matthew 19:16-30
13) Heaven cannot be earned. By pointing out what matters most — the treasures you build in heaven not the treasures you build in your own life are what matter.
14a) That it’s not about possessions — it’s about following Jesus first with your heart. He has to put God first and be willing to sacrifice everything for Jesus and God.
b) Money and his possessions
c) It’s clear-cut what you must do to get to heaven. The rules apply to everyone across the board. Everyone is equal in God’s eyes.
15a) You must be willing to give up everything you own to follow Jesus and enter God’s kingdom.
b) Everyone can be saved who leaves everything for him.
c) Those who have left everything for Jesus will inherit eternal life and receive 100 times as much. But many who are first will be last and vice versa.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 20, Day 5: Matthew 19:16-30
It’s quite simple to get to heaven but people complicate it — be willing to give everything up and put Jesus first in your heart to receive eternal life. Period.
Great read!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 20, Day 5: Matthew 19:16-30
Note you can’t earn eternal life as the rich man thinks — it is freely given.
All three gospels are clear that this man was rich, which is the point of the story. Luke says he was a ruler.
Jesus is called good by the man, but Jesus says the only good one is God. So if Jesus is good, then he is God. God requires perfect obedience, which only Jesus was able to keep.
Mark Mark 10:21 tells us that Jesus had compassion on the man because he could see his heart did not follow him 100%. He was concerned with earning heaven, not with accepting Jesus’s gift of grace and love.
Jesus lists 5 of the 10 Commandments found in Exodus 20:1-17. These are the easiest to follow and relate to how we should treat others.
The man knew something was lacking (sacrifice), but could not identify it. So many of us need someone else to tell us important things, too. An outside perspective can help.
The man thought he had to do something; all he had to do was accept Jesus’s doing — the cross.
The Meaning of The Rich Young Man
The message is clear:
- We are to put God first in everything and be willing to give up everything in order to do so. For the rich man, his riches were the obstacle to God. Jesus calls him to be his disciple (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; Mark 2:14); the man cannot get over his pile of riches.
- Note this command is not for everyone; it’s for this man whose riches were his hindrance to God, his idol. Many who are rich do God’s work with their money.
- Everyone’s hindrance to God is different. Yours is what you must give up.
Riches are a hold up for many because they make us happy in this life; we need to be happy in eternal life.
The camel analogy was immediately known to the disciples and those of that time as being obviously impossible.
Wealth was seen as God’s blessing upon you, so the disciples were shocked that Jesus was saying to give that up.
The rich still enter heaven since everything is possible with God. God can turn a person’s heart from riches to Him.
Again, Peter’s heart is in the right spot, but he bumbles over it. Yes, the disciples will have a special place in heaven, but doing things for God for the sole purpose of that right spot is not what God wants. The disciples helped build the church, too. (Ephesians 2:20). We’ll all have a home (Revelation 21:14).
Everyone who sacrifices for Jesus will be rewarded here and in heaven richly. This is different for everyone, from riches to contentment and happiness.
Rewards include:
- Blessings here in this life
- Future rewards in heaven
- Eternal life
We will be surprised by who is first in rewards in heaven, Jesus says.
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