========================
Verses 17-31 The Rich and the
========================
17As Jesus started on his
way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he
asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18“Why do
you call me good?” Jesus answered.
“No one is good—except God alone.
19You know the commandments:
‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you
shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and
mother.’”
20“Teacher,” he declared,
“all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21Jesus looked at him and
loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22At this
the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Jesus looked around and
said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the
24The disciples were amazed
at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the
25It is easier for a camel to
go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the
26The disciples were even
more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27Jesus looked at them and
said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible
with God.”
28Then Peter spoke up, “We
have left everything to follow you!”
29“Truly I tell you,” Jesus
replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father
or children or fields for me and the gospel
30will fail to receive a
hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers,
children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal
life.
31But many who are first will
be last, and the last first.”
----------------------------------------
Concerning Jesus’
conversation with the rich man,
----------------------------------------
1)
What happened as
Jesus started on his way?
o
A man ran up to
Jesus and fell on his knees before Jesus.
2)
Did Jesus just
finish placing his hands on little children and blessing them?
o
Yes.
3)
What did the man
run up to Jesus for?
o
The man was eager
to speak with Jesus before he walked away.
4)
Why did the man
fall on his knees before Jesus?
o
The man was
showing
§
Reverence to
Jesus as a teacher.
§
How highly he
valued Jesus’ advice.
5)
What did the man
ask Jesus?
o
“Good teacher,”
he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
6)
What might be the
reason the man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life?
o
He might have
just heard Jesus talk about entering the
7)
How important was
the question the man asked Jesus?
o
He asked Jesus
the most important question anyone could ever ask concerning the eternal
welfare of man.
8)
How did Jesus
challenge the way the man addressed him?
o
“Why do you call
me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
9)
Was Jesus denying
that he is good or that he is God in his reply in verse 18 and why?
o
No, because Jesus
was simply challenging the man’s unwitting notion of him calling him good.
10)
Did the man know
that no one is good except God alone before Jesus said it and why?
o
No, because
otherwise he would not have called Jesus good.
11)
Did the man know
that Jesus is God and therefore call Jesus good and why?
o
No, because he
considered Jesus to be a teacher.
12)
Why did the man
call Jesus good?
o
The man was
§
Not calling Jesus
good because he considered Jesus to be God.
§
Only addressing
Jesus in an endearing way.
§
Expecting Jesus to
return the favor and speak favorably of him as we shall see.
13)
How did Jesus
answer the man’s question about inheriting eternal life?
o
Jesus answered,
“You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit
adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall
not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
14)
What do the six
commandments out of the Ten Commandments that Jesus quoted have in common with
one another?
o
These six
commandments have to do with how we relate to other people.
15)
What do five out
of the six commandments that Jesus quoted advocate?
o
Five out of the
six commandments that Jesus quoted advocate shunning evil.
16)
Did Jesus quote
any of the Ten Commandments that have to do with how we relate to God?
o
No.
17)
What did the man
say in reply?
o
“Teacher,” he
declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
18)
Judging from the
man’s reply in verse 20, what might be the reason for his eagerly starting the
conversation with Jesus before he walked away?
o
He thought that
he had received the
19)
Did the man have
a good upbringing and why?
o
Yes, because he
had a good track record shunning evil and honoring his parents.
20)
Did the man seem
to anticipate the questions Jesus would ask him and why?
o
Yes, because in
Judaism a person needs to obey the commandments to be in good standing with
God.
21)
What appeared to
be the man’s motive in approaching Jesus judging from his reply in verse 20?
o
He approached
Jesus wanting to be commended and affirmed.
22)
What did Jesus
say in reply?
o
Jesus looked at
him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have
and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow
me.”
23)
What could be the
reason for the description that Jesus loved the man?
o
It could be
because the man
§
Had diligently
kept the commandments since he was a boy.
§
Desired to aim
for perfection.
24)
What was Jesus’
assessment of the man on the other hand?
o
The man still
lacked one thing regardless of his diligent observance of the commandments.
25)
What expectation
did the man have of Jesus that was not met?
o
He was expecting
Jesus to speak favorably of him but Jesus did not.
26)
What were the two
areas Jesus pointed out where the man needed to act on in order to bridge the
gap between him and eternal life?
o
Jesus pointed out
that he needed to revolutionize the way he related to
§
Others.
§
Jesus as God.
27)
Why can we put
Jesus in the context of God in the man’s relation to him?
o
It is because the
man needed to follow Jesus in order to inherit eternal life.
28)
How should the
man revolutionize the way he related to others according to Jesus in verse 21?
o
He should sell
everything he had and give to the poor.
29)
How should the
man revolutionize the way he related to Jesus as God?
o
He should follow
Jesus.
30)
What did Jesus
suggest when he used the word ‘go’ in his advice for the man?
o
Jesus suggested
that the man should promptly act on the advice for him to sell everything he
had and give to the poor and not drag his feet.
o
It would indicate
eagerness and gladness of heart to obey on his part.
31)
What did Jesus
say the man would have accomplished in selling everything he had and giving to
the poor?
o
He would have
laid up treasures in heaven.
32)
What did Jesus
suggest when he used the word ‘come’ in his advice for the man?
o
Jesus suggested
that the man should promptly act on the advice for him to follow Jesus and not
drag his feet.
o
It would indicate
eagerness and gladness of heart to obey on the man’s part.
33)
Who were the
disciples that were called by Jesus to follow him in the gospel of Mark?
o
Peter and Andrew,
James and John, and Levi.
34)
Did Peter and
Andrew, James and John, and Levi follow Jesus promptly when Jesus called them?
o
Yes.
35)
Should the man
follow Jesus promptly the way the other disciples did?
o
Yes.
36)
Did laying up
treasures in heaven hold significance for the man and why?
o
Yes, because he
was concerned about inheriting eternal life when his earthly life was over,
laying up treasures in heaven supposedly was important for him.
37)
Did the man think
that he highly esteemed inheriting eternal life and why?
o
Yes, because he
diligently kept the commandments, shunned evil and honored his parents since he
was a boy as the means to inheriting eternal life.
38)
How did the word
‘go’ as in ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor’ indicate a
totally new direction in life for the man in handling wealth?
o
Storing up things
on earth now gives way to laying up treasures in heaven.
39)
How did the word
‘come’ as in ‘Come, follow me’ indicate a totally new direction in life for the
man in relating to Jesus as God?
o
Following the
dictate of his desires now gives way to following Jesus as God.
40)
Did Jesus give
the man a strong and emphatic command to obey and why?
o
Yes, because
§
Instead of
telling the man: ‘Sell everything and give to the poor’ Jesus told him: ‘Go,
sell everything and give to the poor’.
§
Instead of
telling the man: ‘Follow me’ Jesus told him: ‘Come, follow me’.
41)
Did Jesus suggest
to the man a greater measure of relating to others and to God and why?
o
Yes, because
§
The man needed to
not only shun evil against others but also do good to
them.
§
He needed to keep
not only commands in the Ten Commandments that related to God but also Jesus’
command for him to follow Jesus as God.
42)
What commandment
would the man be fulfilling when he fully heeded Jesus’ advice?
o
He would be
fulfilling the most
important commandments as recorded in Mark 12:28-31.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Mark 12:28-31 that
says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
28One of the teachers of the
law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good
answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord
our God, the Lord is one.
30Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind and with all your strength.’
31The second is this: ‘Love
your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
43)
How did the man
respond to Jesus’ advice for him to keep the most important commandments?
o
At this the man’s
face fell. He went away sad, because he
had great wealth.
44)
Why did the man
go away sad?
o
He was expecting
commendation and affirmation from Jesus but instead got the exact opposite.
o
Furthermore the
eternal life that he thought he had was out of his reach because he was not
willing to
§
Sell everything
he had and give to the poor.
§
Follow Jesus.
45)
What was the
irony in the rich man’s going away?
o
He was not
willing to give up what was temporary in order to inherit eternal life that he
supposedly was after.
46)
What was eternal
life to the rich man in reality in going away?
o
Eternal life was
to the rich man just another feather on his cap that he could do without.
47)
What happened to
other people who fell at Jesus’ feet asking for help?
o
Other people who
fell at Jesus’ feet asking for help
§
Got the help they
needed.
§
Got to know Jesus
better.
48)
Did the rich man
who fell on his knees before Jesus get the help he needed and get to know Jesus
better and why?
o
The rich man
received from Jesus the advice he needed for inheriting eternal life but was
not willing to follow through with it.
o
Though he called
Jesus good, he did not get to know Jesus as God because he refused to heed
Jesus’ advice for him to follow Jesus.
49)
What is the
reason for the difference in outcome of coming to Jesus between other people
who fell at Jesus’ feet and the rich man?
o
Other people came
to Jesus
§
With a clear and
genuine plea for help.
§
Without hiding
their motive in approaching Jesus.
§
With trust in
Jesus.
o
The rich man came
to Jesus
§
With the pretense
for showing off his self-righteousness.
§
With his motive
in approaching Jesus hidden.
§
With trust in
himself.
50)
What did Jesus
say to his disciples concerning the rich entering the
o
Jesus looked
around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the
51)
What did Jesus
depict as the full means for the rich to enter the
o
Jesus depicted as
follows the full means for the rich to enter the
§
Sell everything
and give to the poor.
§
Follow Jesus.
52)
What was the disciples’
reaction at Jesus’ words?
o
The disciples
were amazed at Jesus’ words.
53)
What did Jesus
say next?
o
Jesus said again,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the
54)
Why did Jesus
address his disciples as children?
o
Jesus said
previously that anyone who would not receive the
o
By addressing his
disciples as children Jesus implied that they were in the
55)
What metaphor did
Jesus use to emphasize how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the
o
It is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
56)
What was the
disciples’ reaction to Jesus’ words?
o
They were even
more amazed.
57)
What did the
disciples say to each other?
o
They said to each
other, “Who then can be saved?”
58)
What was the
reason for the disciples’ question of who could be saved?
o
In the Jewish
culture in Jesus’ days the rich was considered to be blessed by God.
o
It follows that
if it is hard for the rich to enter to
59)
What questions
had the disciples asked Jesus ever since Jesus made his first prediction in
chapter 8 of what was going to happen to him as the Christ?
o
Why do the
teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?
o
Why couldn’t we
drive out the deaf and mute spirit?
o
What is the
consequence for remarriage after divorce since God is against divorce?
o
Who then can be
saved?
60)
What is the
question that the disciples should have asked Jesus but did not?
o
They should have
asked Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead.
61)
How did the
questions the disciples had asked Jesus and the question they did not
respectively contribute to their becoming like Jesus?
o
Getting the
answers to the questions they had asked Jesus did not help them become like
Jesus no matter how worthy the questions were and how helpful the answers had
been.
o
Getting the
answer to the question they did not ask Jesus would help them become like
Jesus.
62)
How did knowing
what Jesus meant by rising from the dead help the disciples become like Jesus?
o
They would be
informed of the bright side of following the self-giving Christ.
o
They would thus
be incentivized and enabled to follow the self-giving
Christ as self-giving disciples.
o
Disciples become
like Jesus when they become self-giving disciples following the self-giving
Christ.
63)
Why did Jesus not
simply unload what he meant by rising from the dead on the disciples to make
them become like him?
o
The disciples had
been fiercely fighting Jesus off on the idea of following a self-giving Christ.
o
Simply unloading
what he meant by rising from the dead on the disciples was not going to help
them become like Jesus.
64)
What is the goal
of discipleship?
o
The goal of
discipleship is for the disciple to become like the teacher.
65)
What is the
consequence concerning the goal of discipleship for the disciples not to ask
Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead?
o
It hindered them
from reaching the goal of discipleship of becoming like Jesus.
66)
Why do we want to
become like Jesus?
o
Because Jesus,
even though he is God, has
§
Become a human
being like us in each and every way except that he is without sin.
§
Identified with
us so completely that he even bore our sins on the cross such that he has
become completely like us without any reservation.
§
Thus loved us
with the greatest love since not even your spouse wants to become completely
like you, but Jesus has become completely like us.
o
Because we, who
as disciples are going to spend eternity with Jesus,
§
Respond to Jesus’
love for us by becoming like him.
§
Have struggled
for love’s sake to become a tiny bit like Jesus.
§
Find the
transformed life of becoming like Jesus worth living regardless of the
difficulties it would bring.
§
Long to
consummate our love with Jesus by becoming completely like him when he comes
again to bring us to eternal life.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud 1 John 3:2 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
2Dear
friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made
known. But we know that when
Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
+++++++++++++++++++++
67)
What was Jesus’
reply to the disciples’ question of who could be saved?
o
Jesus looked at
them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are
possible with God.”
68)
Why did Jesus say
that salvation was impossible with man?
o
It is impossible
for a man to be saved by his own effort.
69)
Why did Jesus say
that salvation was possible with God?
o
It was because
man can be saved by faith alone in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.
70)
Was it then
necessary for the rich man to sell everything he had and give to the poor
before he could follow Jesus into the
o
No, because he
could follow Jesus into the
71)
Why then did
Jesus tell the rich man that he needed to sell everything he had and give to
the poor in order to follow Jesus into the
o
It was because
the rich man wanted to enter the
72)
Why did Jesus,
being the good God, purposely turn the rich man away who had worked so hard his
whole life for inheriting eternal life?
o
The good God,
being good, grants eternal life without demanding any merit for his grace to
those who would acknowledge their inability in saving themselves and therefore
fully trust in his mercy.
o
Childlike faith
in Jesus that even a child could have is the most equitable way for entering
the
o
Since God makes
it possible for everyone to be saved through faith, God is good.
o
The rich man did
not come to Jesus for the sake of finding out how to inherit eternal life, but
for showing off his self-righteousness.
Jesus was simply rejecting his self-righteousness in turning him away.
73)
Why is it
necessary to understand the goodness of God for entering the
o
Without
understanding the goodness of God we would rely on our own merits and therefore
fail to enter the
74)
What role does
selling everything and giving to the poor play in following Jesus?
o
Selling
everything and giving to the poor is an expression of faith after one has
followed Jesus by faith into the
o
Different people
can choose to exercise different levels of faith in giving to the poor, which
does not determine whether one enters the
75)
What did Jesus
intend for the disciples to do when he said that all things are possible with
God?
o
Jesus intended
for the disciples to look to God for what is impossible with man.
76)
What did Peter
say to Jesus?
o
Peter spoke up,
“We have left everything to follow you!”
77)
What did Peter
mean by ‘we’?
o
By ‘we’ he meant
the twelve disciples.
78)
Why did Peter
speak up at this juncture?
o
He spoke up to
show the disciples’ solidarity with Jesus when the rich man chose not to follow
him.
79)
Why were the
disciples able to leave everything to follow Jesus but the rich man was not?
o
The disciples
were able to leave everything to follow Jesus because the realization of their
national hope and personal aspiration held sway over them. So they left everything to chase after their
dream.
o
The rich man was
not able to leave everything to follow Jesus because unlike the disciples he
had no dream worth pursuing in his life.
So wealth held sway over him and he was trapped by his wealth.
80)
But was it not
how much one had to walk away from that determined whether the disciples and
the rich man were able to leave everything to follow Jesus?
o
No, because
§
If the
realization of their national hope and personal aspiration did not hold sway
over them, the disciples would not be willing to leave everything to follow
Jesus either, no matter how little they had.
§
If the
realization of his national hope and personal aspiration held sway over him,
the rich man would be willing to leave everything to follow Jesus, no matter
how much he had.
§
It was one’s
dream, not one’s possession in this life that was the determining factor of
following Jesus for these two parties.
81)
What was Jesus’
strategy for picking disciples?
o
Jesus picked
those to be his disciples who were willing to leave everything to chase after
their dreams and then aligned their dreams with the objective of the
82)
What did Jesus
say in reply?
o
“I tell you the
truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or
mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to
receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters,
mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to
come, eternal life. But many who are
first will be last, and the last first.”
83)
With what level
of certainty did Jesus make his reply?
o
With the
certainty of truth.
84)
What was the list
of sacrifices Jesus mentioned that a disciple makes for him and for the gospel?
o
Leaving home,
brothers, sisters, mother, father, children and fields.
85)
What did Jesus
say the person who makes the sacrifices will receive as reward in this present
age?
o
A hundred times
as much: Home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children and fields - and with them, persecutions.
86)
How should we
understand the list of rewards in this present age in verse 30?
o
They are rewards
in the spiritual sense in the household of God corresponding to the list of
sacrifices made with the natural family and material possession.
87)
What do we make
of the persecutions that accompany the list of rewards in this present age?
o
Blessings and
persecutions are inseparable twins in this present age for those who make
sacrifices for Jesus and for the gospel.
88)
What will those
receive in the age to come who make sacrifices for
Jesus in this present age?
o
Eternal life.
89)
What did Jesus
mean when he said, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”?
o
Many who are
§
First in this present
age like the rich man will become last in the age to come.
§
Last in this present
age like the disciples will be first in the age to come.
90)
What makes it
worth waiting in this present age for the reversal of fortune in the age to
come?
o
Being last only
lasts a short lifetime.
o
Being first will
last for eternity to come, forever and forever, without end.
91)
Was the rich
man’s coming to Jesus meaningful in itself and why?
o
No, because he
came to Jesus with the calculation of seeking commendation and affirmation,
thus fouling up his coming to Jesus.
92)
Why was the rich
man unable to enter the
o
He was unable to
enter the
§
Innocence for
calculation.
§
Trust for
self-sufficiency.
93)
What is the
contrast of the outcome of coming to Jesus between the little children and the
rich man?
o
The little
children came to Jesus with no expectation of any gain for themselves
and yet went away with the
o
The rich man came
to Jesus with the expectation of being told that the
94)
What is Jesus’
promise of inheriting eternal life for those who enter into the eternal
discipleship continuum of getting to know Jesus?
o
John 8:19 means
that knowing Jesus is knowing God the Father.
o
John 17:3 means
that knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ is eternal life.
o
John 8:19 and
John 17:3 together mean that knowing Jesus is eternal life.
o
Those who enter
into the eternal discipleship continuum of getting to know Jesus are on their
way to inheriting eternal life.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud John 8:19 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
19Then they asked him, “Where
is your father?” “You do not know me or
my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
+++++++++++++++++++++
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud John 17:3 that says,
+++++++++++++++++++++
3Now this is eternal life:
that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
+++++++++++++++++++++
95)
What was the
parallel between the Pharisees and the rich man in their respective encounter
with Jesus?
o
A question was
asked as bait by
§
The Pharisees to
test Jesus.
§
The rich man to
show off his self-righteousness.
o
An answer was
given to
§
The Pharisees who
went away with a rebuke of being hardhearted.
§
The rich man who
went away with a defeating challenge.
o
Not being Jesus’
disciple(s) and therefore not being given the insider information, the
consequence was borne by
§
The Pharisees of
adultery if they were remarried to a different spouse after divorce.
§
The rich man of
not entering the
----------------------------------------
· Ask for a volunteer to summarize.
· Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the
summary.
========================
Verses 17-31 The Rich and the
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