I was reading in Matthew 19 yesterday and got to the account of Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler. The young man came to Jesus and asked Him a deep question. “What good must I do to have eternal life.” [vs 16 HCSB]
Jesus immediately answered the young man’s question with another question, “Why do you ask Me about what is good?”
Then Jesus redirects the man’s thoughts toward God and gives him a command. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” [vs17 HCSB]
It was the Rich Young Ruler’s response that had me both laughing and thinking. He immediately asked Jesus, “Which ones?” [vs18 HCSB]
Isn’t that so like us. Jesus says, keep the commandments, and we ask, “Which ones?” We certainly do not want to have to keep any more than is necessary to be in good with God. So LORD, just show us the least we have to do to please You.
Now, of course, the Rich Young Ruler was seeking the answer to salvation, and as Christians, we know we are saved not by keeping the commandments but by the grace and mercy of God in the giving of His Precious Son Christ Jesus to die for us at Calvary. But Jesus, Himself, gave us commands … commands to love one another, commands to love even our enemies. He told us to pray and to bless, to be peacemakers, protectors of children, and lovers of all things holy. We do those things not to be saved, but because we are saved. They are an expression of our salvation experience.
Still at times we prefer like the Rich Young Rulers to pick and choose what to obey … we quietly say to Him, “Which ones?”
He whispers back, “All of them.”
