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When Jesus heard these things he said, ‘Yet one thing you lack. Everything that you have, sell, and distribute to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me.’

Luke 18:22

This sounds like two things! Why did Jesus say thean only lacked ‘one thing’? He lacked love for the Lord. With love, selling all and following Christ is a reasonable expectation. Without it, these things are incredibly difficult.

Many are easily ready to push through a religious formula, pray a prayer, or climb a ladder of good works. But complete abandonment of one’s own will to the Will of Almighty God, well that takes true love.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Truth. It isn’t easy, but it is right. I don’t always like it, but it is always what I need. It doesn’t seem fun initially, but my joy grows forever. You are so wise, and Your will can be trusted. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But he said, ‘I have followed all these since my youth.’

Luke 18:21

It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that this guy is overly self-righteous. But on the face of it, this may have been an honest answer. This man was very likely innocent of theft, adultery, and murder. If bearing false witness is specifically viewed as not lying about what someone else did, then he may have been ok on that score as well. And for the honor of his parents he very likely had done all that he had been taught was expected of him.

So was he good enough to go to heaven on the basis of keeping the law? No. The law sheds light on the guilt of ever person. Though this man may have been ‘pretty good’ all things considered, he was not sinless. This is why Jesus moves him on to the next step following the claim to have kept the law.

Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of praise for Holiness. Your are thrice Holy. Our petty attempts to be good are not of much value, but they can evidence our faith. We will live in Your way because we believe Christ is Your path to righteousness for us. Your glorious plan is our joy! Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false witness, honor your father and your mother.

Luke 18:20

Jesus is taking it a bit further, starting with the law. Jesus is not suggesting that the law was going to get this man to heaven. But He was guiding the man to the idea that perfect righteousness is needed to enter into eternal life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for spending time on us. You do not stand aloof and uninterested. You are actively involved in our lives and really care about our true needs. Thank You! You are amazing! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? No one is good, except for One, God.

Luke 18:19

Some point to this in order to deny that Jesus claimed to be God. However, there is no denial here. Jesus is, as was His practice, determining where this man was spiritually. He already knew of course, but this rich young ruler needed to make a public confession. Jesus was pushing him towards that.

Heavenly Father, what a joy it is to know You! I cannot begin to thank You or praise You enough for Your work in my life. I will spend my life seeking to know You more. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Now a particular ruler put a question to Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what do I do to inherit eternal life?’

Luke 18:18

This ruler asks one of the better questions ever put to Jesus. Though not completely clear at first, he is genuinely wanting to know the answer. And the ensuing conversation almost leads to his conversion.

Heavenly Father, thank You for another day to bring glory to You. There is nothing of greater value to my life than to understand Your role in it. You have made us, and Your creation is amazing! I am constantly in awe of my children and how You have made them. Life in Your will is full of joy. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child, will definitely not enter into it.

Luke 18:17

Jesus is of course not saying that older people cannot be saved. But, people form their basic views about the world at a young age. The heart develops just like the mind. Those who reject Christ are also influenced by their childhood.

Heavenly Father, thank You for saving us from ourselves. You alone know what is best for us. We will look to You for leadership. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But Jesus summoned them, saying, ‘Leave the children to come to me, and do not stop them, for of such is the kingdom of God.’

Luke 18:16

This was a mild rebuke. Basically Jesus is saying ‘You shouldn’t be over there stopping the kids, you should be seeking my blessings just like they are, and don’t stop them while you are at it!’

Jesus then expresses what He had said at other times, it is this genuine heart of seeking Him that is the pathway to the kingdom. These children and their parents recognized Christ as the source of blessing, even if they did not fully understand Him. Their understanding would grow if their heart was truly His.

Heavenly Father, You are Holy! There is nothing and no one that compares with You. You are Who You are, and there is nothing beyond You. You know the bounds of everything. Existence is in Your hand. You hold all of reality in Your hand, it is Yours. Your goodness is absolutely astounding. I would never have conceived of a God such as You. I will praise You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

People were also bringing infants to Him that He might touch them, but the disciples saw it and rebuked them.

Luke 18:15

These little children were brought by parents who were acting in faith. We do not know their exact motivations, but if nothing else they valued Jesus very highly to be doing this.

The disciples did often take matters into their own hands. They must have seen themselves as leaders under Christ, for so they were to some extent. But their need for continued training under the Master was sometimes very obvious.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this day to serve You. It is a joy, a privilege, and a pleasure, to be in Your service. To work alongside You in this great process of the gospel in this world is a blessing! I blush at the honor that it is to serve the One who made the very stars of heaven. You Alone are God, and I am happy to be Your servant. The message of the gospel is not only true, but lovely, pure, and good. I’m thankful to be Yours, not only because you are All-Powerful, but because You are Holy Above All. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

I tell you, this one, rather than the other, went down justified to his house. For the one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:14

Jesus says this sinner was justified. This is quite significant in that Jesus is upholding humility and repentance as the proper response to the law of God, versus the hubris of the self-righteous Pharisee.

Jesus does this elsewhere in the gospels. His meaning is not to minimize sin, but to explain the importance of our proper relationship to Almighty God. This man was aware of his guilt before God. The Pharisee on the other hand thought that God’s law had confirmed that he was better than others around him. The Pharisee compared himself to his fellow humans. The tax man compared himself to God’s Holy standard.

Heavenly Father, above all else your name is to be praised! You are, forever, good, just, holy, pure, and faithful. What more can we do but thank you and praise you for all of our lives? To be able to say that you are our God is so wonderful. We love you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

But the tax officer, standing far away, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but kept pounding his chest, saying, ‘God, make atonement for me, the sinner!’

Luke 18:13

This man, in spite of his profession, understood two things. For one, he saw the gravity of his own sin. And for the other, he knew that the Lord would have to do something to take away his sin.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making atonement for us! Without that we would have no hope in this world. We would be sinners without light. I will thank You forever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.