“As Jesus was starting out on His way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to Him, knelt down, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call Me good’ Jesus asked. ‘Only God is truly good.’” (Mark 10:17-18 NLT)
This is the story of the rich man who wanted to justify himself by acknowledging “factual” things, but avoiding what was separating him from the Lord. There is reason given in the text to believe the young man recognized Jesus’ deity, that Jesus truly was God in human form; he also said he knew the Commandments and kept them, which is questionable, but his bondage to his wealth was completely hidden from him. How like so many of us today who come to church every Sunday, without a clue we are miles from the God we supposedly love and serve.
Is that judgmental? More an observation than a judgment. We’re to be “fruit inspectors,” primarily of ourselves, but when someone who professes faith in Jesus is clearly not living like Jesus, it becomes apparent that something isn’t right. Should we simply ignore it and go about our business? Perhaps, it depends on how closely we’re walking with the Lord and to them. If the Lord says to ignore it, we ignore it; otherwise, we do whatever He directs us to do.
Jesus obviously had insights into this man’s heart that others who knew him didn’t have. On the outside he was the kind of man every Pastor would want on his Board and in leadership. He has money, influence, lives a decent life, has so much going for him, Jesus just isn’t his first love. A person isn’t good because of what they do or don’t do, they’re good because of who owns their heart.
In his book Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote: “You cannot make men good by law: and without good men you cannot have a good society.” If that’s true in society, and I believe it is, how much truer is it in the Church. I’ve seen firsthand how “good” people worm their way into leadership of a small church, only to commandeer the direction the Pastor believes the Lord was leading them to go. For that reason, and many more, I believe hell will be full of very good people whose god was money, power, or some other ungodly source.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in an address at Western Michigan University in the 60’s, after acknowledging that law cannot make someone good, said: “But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated…It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless…It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also. So, there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees.”
So, what does make a person good? Jesus said in Matthew 12:33-37: “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
Do you love Jesus? Does His Spirit live in your heart? How do you know? What’s coming out of your mouth? How are you investing your time and money? Are you consistently praying for and speaking with the lost about salvation and hope in Jesus? Have you established a meaningful and ongoing relationship with a Christ-centered, Bible teaching, Gospel proclaiming Church? Are you serving in and through that church? Our goodness can only be reflected in and through our commitment to the King and to His Kingdom.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 