This is a passage that troubled me when I was younger. It didn’t seem to fit what I had been told about being saved, nor did it seem to fit what I had been reading elsewhere in the Bible. Jesus gets asked a pretty standard question and gives, what to modern evangelicalism looks like a very non-standard answer.
In Acts 16 when the Philippian jailer falls on his knees before Paul and Silas and says, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” The answer he is given is “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” But when this man comes up to Jesus in a very respectful way and says “Good master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus gives what looks to be the opposite answer. In fact, at first it looks as if Jesus is not going to answer him at all, but just give him the run-around instead. Then Jesus tells him to keep the law. When the man says he has, Jesus makes it even harder and tells him to sell everything he has, give it to the poor, and come follow him. It’s astounding. In thus doing, Jesus effectively runs off the most promising prospect for a disciple he has had to date. The man walks away sorrowfully for he had great possessions.
It’s a shocking story and the disciples seem just as shocked as I was when I first read it. “Who then can be saved,” they ask. And we’re left wondering the same thing.
Below you will find the sermon I preached from this passage. Just click the link and a new window will open up in your browser taking you to the page where you will find the audio recording for the sermon. Hopefully it will answer your questions about what at first glance seems to be a troubling passage. God bless.
Click here:
Mark 10:17-27 - What Must I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
