Ak-kord 5: Kein Trachten nach Reichtum, sondern Hingabe für den Herrn und andere Joanna Richardson
Ak-kord 5: Kein Trachten nach Reichtum, sondern Hingabe für den Herrn und andere Joanna Richardson
Scripture Reading – Matthew 19:16-26 ESV
The Rich Young Man
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the
commandments.”
18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You
shall not bear false witness,
19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Similar Accounts.
• Matthew 19:16-26
• Mark 10:17-27 – 17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before
him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
• Luke 18:18-27 –
The Encounter and The Approach
Today, we’re going to look at a man who had a very important encounter with Jesus.
Matthew describes the man as both young and wealthy, Luke adds that he is also a ruler
(Luke 18:18).
This man asked Jesus a question that’s probably one of the most crucial questions
anyone could ever ask.
Imagine if you had the chance to meet Jesus in person and could ask Him just one
question—what would you choose to ask?
Well, this man didn’t waste any time.
He pushed his way through the crowd,Mark 10 says he came running.
He came kneeling.
approached Jesus with eagerness,
He sought out the right person
and greeted Him with respect,
asked the most important question.
calling Him “Good Teacher.” Then he asked, “What must I do to inherit or gain eternal
life?”
That’s a thoughtful question.
His heart was sincere, showing no hesitation or embarrassment in seeking the answer.
He felt his need for eternal life very deeply.
Many people may know they lack it but don’t feel driven to seek it.
But this young man was different. He was desperate and came to Jesus with a genuine
sense of urgency.
He’s not inquiring about what Jesus or God needs to do for him to get into the Kingdom.
Instead, he wants to know what actions he, as an individual, must take.
Though we commonly refer to him as the “rich young man,” his question is relevant to
each one of us.
He is asking the ultimate question that pertains to all of us in our spiritual journey with
Christ.
Jesus´ Initial Response:
Jesus doesn’t immediately answer the man’s question but instead questions him back:
“Why do you call me good? Only God is truly good.”
Here, Jesus is subtly challenging the young man’s understanding.In today’s world, we often believe that people are basically good, even though we may
not be perfect.
We hear a lot about human goodness in our culture.
However, the Bible tells us something different in (Romans 3:10-12) “There is no one
righteous, not even one; there is no one who does good” .
Jesus’ statement might seem harsh, but it highlights a crucial point:
We often judge ourselves by comparing ourselves to others rather than by a higher
standard.
We might feel good about ourselves if we compare ourselves to someone who behaves
worse, but that’s not the standard God uses.
God’s standard is His own perfect character.
One of the French theologian John Calvin once said that when we look around and
compare ourselves to others, we tend to overestimate our goodness.
But when we focus on God’s perfect nature,
we realize how far we fall short.
Seeing ourselves in the light of God’s holiness should lead us to humility and
repentance.
Jesus isn’t denying His perfection here.
He’s pointing out that the young man doesn’t fully understand who he is talking to.
Jesus is not just a good teacher;
Jesus is God incarnate, sinless and perfect.
And so, Jesus is challenging the man’s assumption of goodness,
because Jesus understands that the man who wants to go to heaven is relying on his
own perceived goodness to get there, that becomes clear in the conversation that
follows.
´´Jesus said – If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
The 10 commandments can be grouped as follows,
The first four are – devotion to God
The remaining six have to do with doings or duties to each other or relationships with
people.It is possible Jesus was able to see into the man´s heart and identify the one thing he
valued most and the first two commandments that he was failing to keep.
The lack and self-deception
…. the young man said “All these I have kept,”. “What do I still lack?”
Matthew 19:20
NIV
He was utterly lacking a sense of his own sinfulness.
His desire for salvation was based on a felt need.
Salvation is for those who understand they’ve been living in rebellion against a holy God
and desire to live for His glory.
We do not inherit eternal life through works. It is a gift.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Jesus didn’t offer the rich young ruler relief from his felt needs.
Instead, He provided an answer designed to confront the man with his sin and his need
for forgiveness.
The core message is that true commitment to Christ requires
acknowledging, recognizing and turning away from one’s sinfulness not just seeking
relief from personal struggles or desires for peace and happiness.
The Call to True Discipleship
21 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.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Matthew 19:21-22
Submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ
Jesus´ instruction to the young man gets to the heart of his problem- riches.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21
Following Jesus involves prioritizing the values and mission of God’s kingdom above
personal possessions.
The young man goes away sad for the cost of the discipleship is too high.
It is here when Jesus points to the real issue, the young man’s self-reliance and his
lack of devotion to God.
While riches in and of themselves are not evil we still have to be on our guard to ensure
that Christ is first in our hearts, first in our decisions.
So why does Jesus specifically command this young man to sell everything?
Jesus’ command to the young man was not a universal rule for all Christians but a
personalized challenge.
It addressed the man’s specific issue: his attachment to his wealth
and his belief in his own righteousness.
Jesus used this command to reveal the depth of the man’s heart
and the barriers preventing him from fully following Christ.
Jesus didn’t make this demand to push the man away or to make salvation harder than
necessary.
Mark 10:21 clearly states that Jesus loved him.
Jesus knew that, despite the man’s love for God, money was still his top priority.
Jesus asked him to choose between wealth and following Him because God cannot
accept anything that rivals His place in our hearts.
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other,
or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both
God and money.
Matthew 6:24
If Jesus looked into our hearts, would He find similar obstacles?
What are you holding onto?
Where do you find your security?
Is commitment to following Jesus our number one thing?Many things in this world hinder people from fully committing to God; wealth is
just one of them.
For some, it’s a relationship or a career.
Whatever person, place, or thing one allows to have priority and influence in their life
above God – will keep them from being a faithful disciple of Christ.
It’s not what you say that matters most;
it’s what you do because it reveals what you believe.
If you see money, a relationship, a career, or anything else as a means to obtain the
value and the meaning you desire in life, it shows that this world and what people think
about you is what’s most important to you than what God calls you to be!
Jesus to his disciples: Matthew 19:23-27 / Mark 10:23-27
In Jesus’ time, many Jews believed that wealth was a sign of God’s favor and that being
rich made it easier to be righteous.
Jewish writings suggested that giving alms—charitable donations—was more valuable
than accumulating gold, and that it could atone for sins and deliver one from
condemnation.
Essentially, they thought that the more money you had, the more you could give, and
the more you gave, the higher your status in the kingdom of God.
However, Jesus challenged this belief by stating that the rich would actually find it
harder to enter the kingdom of God.
This was a radical and shocking statement because it contradicted the common
assumption that wealth was a direct path to salvation.
They were amazed and they asked this question, “Who then can be saved?
I mean if rich people can’t be saved, who can be saved?
Who can be saved, poor people?
Poor people can’t give away alms so they can’t buy forgiveness.
Poor people can’t even buy sacrifices that are very significant.
I mean if rich people can’t be saved, who can be saved?”
On our own, salvation is completely out of reach.
This idea shatters any concept of earning our way to heaven through good deeds or
religious practices.
It’s not just difficult—it’s impossible.But isn’t it great that it doesn’t end there?
I’m so thankful for that last line, aren’t you?
“But with God”——“all things are possible.” Yes, even rich people can be saved.
It might seem tough, even tougher for them than for others, but with God, anything is
possible. That’s amazing, and it’s truly good news.
But with God, all things are possible.
Even God can overcome that, and only God can overcome the love of money,
selfishness, the earth-bound mentality.
Only God can change the heart;
and He can change any heart.
Old roads lead to deeper truths. Early church – sharing and building up the
Kingdom of God!
In the book of Acts, we see some early Christians selling their possessions to share with
those in need (Acts 2:45), but there’s no evidence that it was a requirement for
everyone.
People like Philip, Mnason, and Mary, the mother of John Mark, had homes where they
hosted prayer meetings and offered hospitality, indicating that not all Christians sold all
their possessions.
Paul, in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, instructs wealthy Christians to use their resources for good
and to be generous.
JESUS – OUR TREASURE
Jesus is our greatest treasure. Jesus offers Himself to us, saying, “Let go of everything
else and choose Me.” But the young rich man couldn’t do it. He walked away from Jesus
and chose his wealth instead. He wanted the power, pleasure, and status that money
could bring—things that made him feel good. In the end, he chose these over Jesus and
walked away from Him.
Trusting Jesus means seeing Him as your ultimate treasure, Lord, and guide, rather
than relying on money. It’s about valuing Him above all else and recognizing Him as the
true source of worth and security. The real issue was that he couldn’t see Jesus as his
treasure.
We can learn something from the disciples of Jesus Christ – They were willing to commit
to a lifestyle of learning Him/ Jesus.1 Timothy 6:6-10
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish
and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for
money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Call to Action
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:24
Jesus said in Luke14:33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up
everything you own.
How easy it is for material gain to become our “one thing” – and what a serious impact it
can have on our eternal salvation.
With a tight grip, we cling to our possessions, collecting more and more to feel happy,
comfortable, or secure.
But God wants us to let go of anything we’re holding onto,
for we cannot serve Him or help those who need it most if we are focused on pursuing
or possessing temporary fortunes.
Is our commitment to following Jesus our “one thing”?
Or are we putting our trust in good deeds, wealth, or accomplishments?
Your best life is lived not holding onto whatever you think is going to bring you
happiness or hands that are filled with other things
but giving up those things so that your hands are empty……
A person who is not willing to turn from his sin, his possessions, his false religion, or his
selfishness will find he cannot turn in faith to Christ.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: ´Every Christian is confronted by the cost of the cross –
that we all must experience the sufferings of Christ, first by abandoning the attachments
of this world…….. and second by dying to our old way of life……´´Are we willing to examine honestly the one thing standing in the way and boldly lay it at
the feet of the cross that we may more faithfully follow Jesus?
Are we committed to the gospel so much that we would risk comfort
wealth,
social standing,
freedom,
and physical well-being
as Jesus ´ disciples, Paul and other countless other Christians have done?
Reflection: Choosing Jesus Over Wealth
Imagine a bird flying freely in the sky, unburdened by anything, gliding effortlessly
through the air. Now, picture a bird with its feet tangled in a net of shiny objects—coins,
jewelry, trinkets—struggling to take off, weighed down and unable to soar.
Reflection:
Just like the bird tangled in the net, we often find ourselves weighed down by our pursuit
of material wealth and possessions. We believe these things will bring us happiness
and security, but instead, they keep us grounded and unable to fully experience the
freedom and joy that comes from following Jesus.God calls us to let go of our earthly treasures so we can soar freely in His love and
purpose. When we release our grip on temporary things, we open our hands to receive
the eternal blessings He has for us.
Luke 14:33 – “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you
own.”
