Story of the Rich Young Man: Analyzing Jesus' Response Essay

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Jesus' Response: The Story of the Rich Young Man

The Story of the Rich Young Man

A story is told in Matthew 19:16-22 of a rich young man who approached Jesus seeking to find out what he would have to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answers that in order to inherit eternal life, one would have to be a good neighbor, which means keeping the commandments that govern how people relate with others (Sizer para 2). The young man is quick to point out that he had done that since he was a child. Jesus then asks him to give his entire wealth to the poor, after which he would be accorded treasure in heaven. On hearing that, the young man turns away and goes home, sad (Sizer para 2).

So, what does Jesus' response mean for us today? Well, Jesus attempts to demonstrate that in order to inherit eternal life, individuals have to live not only moral lives, but also godly lives. They have to relate perfectly with others and with God as well. The rich man acknowledges that he had kept the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth commandments, all of which govern how Christians ought to relate with others; however, he had conspicuously failed to keep the First Commandment, which barred him from having gods other than the Mighty God, and making (and worshipping) idols of any kind. In this case, the rich man's wealth was his idol -- he considered it more important than serving God. As such, he could not inherit the Kingdom of God because in as much as he was moral and thought he had a perfect relationship with his fellow men, he did not have a perfect relationship with God, and he, therefore, was not godly.

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I believe Jesus would have responded exactly the same way if there was a repeat of the rich man case today. Like was the case 2000 years ago, people today still fear death and wish to live eternally. As a matter of fact, those with the financial ability will at times spend huge chunks of resources seeking out the best healthcare facilities, and the best doctors in the world, just so they could extend their lives by as much as possible (Voice of Jesus). However, as Jesus taught in the case of the rich man, these ideologies are wrong; the only way….....

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