I went on a trip to Johor Bahru, Malaysia with the Young Adult Ministry at my church over the last weekend. During the sermon session, my pastor preached the story about the rich man who approached Jesus, seeking guidance on how to attain eternal life. In this story, A wealthy young man approached Jesus, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus first told him to follow the commandments, which the young man claimed he had kept all his life. Jesus then said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The young man became very sad and went away sorrowful because he had great wealth and was unwilling to give it up. According to my pastor, the interaction between Jesus and the rich man highlights a critical flaw in the man’s character: his deep-seated love for wealth. The pastor emphasized that the rich man’s reluctance to sell his possessions and give to the poor reveals a significant fallibility – his attachment to material wealth over spiritual devotion.
However, this viewpoint can be contrasted with another interpretation I learned from my former pastor, rooted in the Lutheran theology of distinction between Law and Gospel. According to this perspective, the real issue at hand is not merely the rich man’s love for money but rather his reliance on his ability to achieve righteousness by adhering to the commandments. When Jesus tells the man to sell everything and give to the poor, it serves as a revelation of the man’s inability to fulfill the Law perfectly and his need for divine grace.
If the story is primarily about the love of money, then virtually all Christians would fail the test, as few could truly sell all their possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. This Law and Gospel interpretation, therefore, highlights the broader and more profound theological point: the impossibility of achieving salvation through human efforts alone. The Law, as represented by Jesus’ command, reveals human shortcomings and the need for the Gospel, which offers salvation through faith in Christ.
This interpretation aligns with the disciples’ reaction, who, upon hearing Jesus’ words, asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus’ response, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” reinforces the message that salvation is not attainable by human efforts but through God’s grace.
While the Law and Gospel distinction provides a valuable lens through which to understand this parable, it is important not to take this perspective too far. For instance, some may argue that Jesus’ commands to love God and neighbor should be viewed solely as Law, thereby stripping these teachings of their moral and edifying impact. This extreme application could also diminish the transformative power of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, which offer profound moral guidance and inspiration.
I've observed that Christians often tend to be judgmental towards certain characters in the Bible due to their perceived flaws. For example, in the story of the rich young man, many focus on his love of wealth as the key issue that is deserving of criticism, sometimes overlooking his sincere effort to keep the commandments. It's almost as if this one flaw disqualifies him entirely from inheriting eternal life, despite his evident commitment to following God's laws.
Perhaps a holistic way to look at it is that keeping the commandments can be seen as the basic standard for a good Christian life. However, those who aspire to a higher spiritual calling may be challenged to go further, such as selling all they have and giving to the poor, as Jesus suggested. This additional step signifies a deeper level of sacrifice and trust in God, which not everyone may be ready or called to undertake. Moreover, even not-so-good Christians or those who have strayed, like the prodigal child, can be saved through God's grace. This underscores the doctrine of Law and Gospel, where the Law reveals our shortcomings, but the Gospel offers salvation through faith, emphasizing that our flaws do not disqualify us from eternal life. By considering both aspects, we gain a more balanced understanding of the characters and the messages in these biblical stories.
In conclusion, the Law and Gospel perspective offers a sensible and useful framework for interpreting the parable of the rich man. It underscores the necessity of divine grace and the futility of attempting to achieve righteousness through our own efforts. However, it is crucial to balance this understanding with the recognition that Jesus’ teachings also provide essential moral guidance that can edify and transform our lives.
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