In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells a story about a rich young ruler who comes to Him asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. In this story, Jesus lays out some harsh truths for the young man, and in the end, he walks away sad.
Today, I’m diving into the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16-30.
The Holy Spirit revealed three valuable lessons from the text.
And these lessons can help us better understand the relationship between money, religion, and God.
Let’s get into it.
Please Note: The following post is an edited version of The Tithing Hoax podcast transcript.
Table of Contents
- Listen to Podcast
- A Rich Man Seeks Heaven
- When Money Doesn’t Satisfy Your Soul
- Idolatry Leads to Disobedience
- Relationship Is Better Than Religion
- Summary
- Break Free From the Tithe Deception
Listen to Podcast
A Rich Man Seeks Heaven
The story begins with…
A rich man approaching Yeshua (aka Jesus the Christ) wanted to know how he could receive everlasting life.
Yeshua tells him to sell all his possessions, give them to the poor, and follow him (Matthew 19:22)
The young man didn’t want to do that. So, he walks away (Matthew 19:22).
And later in the passage, Yeshua tells his disciples it’s hard for a rich person to get into heaven (Matthew 19: 23).
Then Yeshua says, “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 (Matthew 19: 25).
These verses have been misinterpreted as rich people can’t go to heaven.
But is that true?
No.
And here’s why…
Notice Yeshua didn’t say a rich person couldn’t get into God’s kingdom. But he does say it’s harder.
So, the question is this:
Why is it harder?
Well, there are three key insights the Holy Spirit revealed to me.
When Money Doesn’t Satisfy Your Soul
One, the rich man, wasn’t fulfilled.
He had all the riches he needed (or wanted). But “something” was missing. That’s why he asked about everlasting life.
The rich man realized money could buy many things, but it can’t buy peace, joy…or eternal life in God’s Kingdom.
Money is sufficient for maintaining our physical well-being, but it can’t satisfy the needs of our souls.
Society tells us we’ll be happy when we have the trappings of success, such as expensive homes, luxury cars, and millions of dollars. And often, that’s not the case.
We can have all that…and still be miserable.
And Yeshua saw the young man was in that state of being…which brings me to the second insight:
Idolatry Leads to Disobedience
The young man had an unhealthy relationship with his material possessions. His wealth was his idol god.
How do we know?
Because he wouldn’t sell his possessions as Yeshua instructed.
And there’s a lesson in that for us.
Sometimes the LORD tells us to walk away from a person, place, or thing…especially if it’s unhealthy, toxic, or dysfunctional.
It could be a job…a relationship…or a city.
And we don’t understand why God wants us to walk away.
We say:
• Lord, you told me to leave my good-paying job, but how will I support myself?
• Father, you told me to leave this long-term relationship. What if I never meet anyone else?
• God, you want me to move across the country, away from my friends and family. How can I survive in a new city when I don’t know anyone?
We ask these questions because we don’t understand why the LORD would have us walk away from something we cherish.
But here’s the simple reason why…
It’s because he has something better waiting for us.
When we can’t see beyond what we have now, we don’t obey Father Yah’s instructions.
Why?
We lack faith.
We don’t trust God to replace whatever he asked up to give up.
And that’s the dilemma the rich man faced.
He was so focused on what he was “losing” (all his possessions) that he couldn’t see what he would gain.
Let me tell you this…
Father Yah will not leave you empty-handed.
In verse 29, Yeshua says:
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life.
NLT
Yeshua is saying his followers will get more in return than what they give up. He’s referring to spiritual…AND material gain.
As long as we live the way the Most High wants us to, we can enter His kingdom AND enjoy kingdom prosperity on earth.
And that brings me to the 3rd insight.
Relationship Is Better Than Religion
The rich young ruler didn’t have an intimate relationship with the Most High.
Yes, he followed the commandments of the Mosaic Law (Matthew 19:20), but he didn’t have a spiritual connection with Father Yah.
You see, the rich man followed the Law. But he wasn’t following Christ.
He had religion. But he didn’t have a relationship.
That’s a powerful lesson for believers…today.
Many folks attend church every week, attend Bible study, sing in the choir, or pay tithes and offerings, believing that makes them a “good Christian.”
In other words, they confuse religious activities with having a relationship with God.
But religious works don’t guarantee entrance into God’s kingdom.
Again the rich young ruler followed the Law. But he wasn’t following Christ.
And that’s what’s happening in the church today. Many believers follow religious doctrines, traditions, and practices thinking it will get them into heaven. But it won’t.
Why?
Religious works don’t guarantee entrance into God’s kingdom.
R. RENEE
Because they aren’t following Christ.
Summary
So, let me wrap this up.
Did Yahshua condemn wealth in Matthew 19: 16-30 in the story about the rich young ruler? No.
Is he saying rich people can’t enter the Kingdom of God? No.
So what are the key takeaways from the passage about the rich man seeking everlasting life?
One, material possessions can’t bring us eternal life. We can have all the money in the world…and lack peace, love, and joy.
Two, Father Yah asks us to walk away from a person, place, or thing because he has something better for us.
Finally, entering God’s kingdom begins (and ends) with us following Christ and having an intimate relationship with Father Yah.
We can’t get into heaven relying on religious works…that won’t cut it.
Break Free From the Tithe Deception
Discover the truth about tithes the church doesn’t want you to know. Go here.
