Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Spurgeon writes, “‘One thing you lack.’

What was the one thing that this young man lacked?

It was the full surrender of his heart to God in Christ.

He had not done that.

Our Savior gave him, therefore, a command which tested him.”

A Serious Question

And a ruler - This man is the leader of a synagogue or a member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling council).

Matthew tells us that he was young.

He is probably between 24 and 40.

To be a ruler of a synagogue he had to have been a very moral and religious man.

We find out in verse 23 that he is extremely rich.

Therefore, this young man had everything based upon the understanding of life at the time.

And a ruler - This man is the leader of a synagogue or a member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling council).

Matthew tells his readers that he was young.

He is probably between 24 and 40.

To be a ruler of a synagogue he had to have been a very moral and religious man.

We find out in verse 23 that he is extremely rich.

Therefore, this young man had everything based upon the understanding things at the time.

Asked him - Here’s a man who has everything and yet he is still lacking something.

I believe that he knows his lack.

He has done everything that he can do in his own strength and still does not have assurance that he possesses eternal life.

Well, he is in the right place, talking about the right thing, talking the the right person.

He is talking to the one who IS eternal life.

Good, Teacher - He knows the reputation of Jesus to be good.

We will look at this designation closer in just a moment.

He also knows Jesus as a teacher.

He is one who delivers doctrinal truth.

He is an instructor.

He is a rabbi.

What must I do to inherit eternal life? - This ruler has achieved much in the realm of religion, but he still asks a serious question.

Some have argued that this young man was not sincere in his questioning of Jesus and that he was not really a genuine seeker.

I believe that this question is genuine.

The first clue is in this text in verse 23.

The ruler is said to have become sad at Jesus’ demand.

If he was not genuine, he would not have showed disappointment at Jesus’ expectation.

The second is found in the parallel passage in Mark.

He runs up to Jesus and falls on his knees to ask the question.

These actions are not the ways of a person that is false in his pretenses.

Eternal life - He is speaking of being a part of God’s eternal kingdom.

He asks what must be done to receive salvation.

All he knows is a salvation or religion that is works oriented, so he asks what he should “do”.

He is asking, in short, what must I do to receive salvation.

We have to realize that all this man knows is a kind of salvation or religion that is works oriented.

Therefore, he asks what he should “do”.

It looks very good for the ruler here, but the story takes a surprising turn with Jesus’ response.

R.C.H. Lenski writes:

The picture that is thus drawn of the young ruler is really pathetic: so eager to do, so desirous of life eternal (while many young men are carried away by the world), so strongly attracted to Jesus, expecting so much of him—and yet so far from the right road to life eternal!

Eternal life - Here, he is speaking of the quality of life that comes with knowing God.

It looks very good for the ruler here, but the story takes a surprising turn with Jesus’ response.

R.C.H. Lenski writes:

The picture that is thus drawn of the young ruler is really pathetic: so eager to do, so desirous of life eternal (while many young men are carried away by the world), so strongly attracted to Jesus, expecting so much of him—and yet so far from the right road to life eternal!

The picture that is thus drawn of the young ruler is really pathetic: so eager to do, so desirous of life eternal (while many young men are carried away by the world), so strongly attracted to Jesus, expecting so much of him—and yet so far from the right road to life eternal!

A Surprising Response

Instead of finding terms acceptable to him, Jesus introduced terms absolutely unacceptable to him.

Instead of lowering any remaining barriers that might appear, He raised barriers that heretofore had not appeared.