Matthew 19:18
Why would Jesus give this man the idea that keeping such commandments would bring him to eternal life? Well, this is quite simple. Jesus knew that this man had not kept these commandments. He knew the man’s thoughts. To think a mean thought, or to be lustful, or to covet, or to tell the whitest of lies; any one of these things would be a breaking of the law.
But, Jesus wanted this man to come face to face with his own righteousness. He wanted him to make a statement of how good he felt he could be. He wanted him to try to establish his own goodness after Jesus had clearly stated that only Almighty God is good. He was trying to get the man to think. He was drawing him to the truth.
Indeed, the very commandments that Jesus selected were chosen just for this reason. Jesus knew that this man would never admit to having broken even one of these. No self-respecting Jew of that day would dream of being guilty in any of these areas. The man’s answer was expected by all present.
Bible Reading: John 1:1-2:25
Scripture Memory: 1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love. You bring us face to face with the truth even though we ignore it many times. You are so just, and yet so gracious, that way. May we always be privileged to have Your truth before us. It is a joy to our hearts! Your love is so worth knowing. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.
Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with a mass in her liver and a broken pelvis. Pray for a man in the hospital who is not well. Pray for a man who had surgery and is in critical condition.
Journal Entry #14040