Jump Start # 1190

Mark 10:18 “And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”

  Our look at the questions of Jesus continues. I found in my library recently an old book entitled, “The Questions of Jesus.” Another one was entitled, “Twelve Questions Jesus Asked.” And then there was “One Hundred Questions Jesus Asked.” That’s a lot of questions for a three year period that He taught.

One of the marvelous things that Jesus’ questions accomplished was getting people to think. I guess it’s pretty easy for you and I to just walk through a day without too much reflection, observation and deep thinking. We use our brains for our jobs. But beyond that, a typical day doesn’t really tax us mentally. There is a lot of surface thinking and silly talking that fills our time. The Psalmist was blessed to meditate upon God’s word day and night. We don’t do much meditating. That word brings images of sitting crossed legged on a mat with our palms pointing upward and humming to some Eastern music. None of that was involved with the Psalmist’s words. He thought. He reflected. He considered. He dropped the net spiritually and mentally. Causal thinking has led to some arguments and positions that really do not hold water. When a person puts their mind to it they see inconsistencies and problems with those shallow positions.

Our verse is one of those occasions when Jesus made someone think. Luke tells us that this man was a ruler. He had a question for Jesus. He wanted to know what was required for eternal life. Great question. We ought to be asking that question. Before he asked the question, he sent a nice compliment towards Jesus. He called Him, “Good teacher.” Teacher, or rabbi, was the most common term people used to address Jesus. You’ll find “teacher” used more times than Jesus. Good teacher—Jesus was. Jesus was a great teacher.

Before Jesus touched the question, He had a question for the man. He said, “Why do you call Me good?’ No one is good, except God alone.” Goodness as used by Jesus, is more than being nice and kind. We talk about a good dog, or a good worker, or a good friend. We use the word good often. Jesus had more in mind. To Jesus, goodness implied moral character. To be good was to be sinless. It was a special word. God alone is good, meaning that God alone is without sin. God alone is wholly good. Each of us have a past that is not good. We all have sinned. There are dark spots in our history. God doesn’t have any of those.

There is more to this. Only God is good. This man called Jesus ’good teacher.’ Jesus didn’t correct him by saying, “I’m not good,” nor, “I’m not all that good.” Jesus didn’t tell this man, “Do not call me good.” You call me good. Only God is good. Why do you call me good? What Jesus was driving at is a deep thought. This man wasn’t thinking very deeply. Jesus wanted this man to realize that you are talking to God. God is good. You call me good. I am good. I am God. Now, had he realized that, his question may have been different. His tone, his attitude, his motive may all have changed had he realized that he had an audience with God. Moses talked to God through a burning bush. Isaiah saw God in a vision. But here, face to face, this man had a conversation with God. Amazing. That thought makes me shutter. I have no idea what I would say, if I could even say anything. I think I would just stare.

Jesus answered his question. He told him to keep the commandments. Jesus names six. They come from the Ten Commandments. Five of the six were negatives. The man claimed that he kept those, from his youth he has been keeping them. Then the text adds, “Jesus felt a love for him. “ One thing more. Sell all and give it to the poor. Jesus knew. It’s easy to avoid the negatives. It’s hard to do the doing verses. Jesus knew his heart. Materialism was this man’s god. Stuff was keeping him from knowing God. Sure he kept the commandments, but his stuff was keeping him from being a true disciple. The stuff would keep him out of Heaven. Sell it. It’s not worth your soul. Get rid of the cancer in your heart. Mark tells us that “his face fell.” What a powerful expression. His face fell. Suddenly, instantly, the smiles turned to frowns. He walked away grieved. He couldn’t do it. Jesus was asking too much. He went home to his fine house and all his nice stuff, but there remained an emptiness in his soul. He had hoped for a different answer. He wanted Jesus to take him and all his stuff. He hope that he was good enough the way he was.

Jesus knew. That’s why he said what He did. Had He handed him a soft answer, this man would continue to be deceived. He thought he was there. He wasn’t. He had a long way to go.

This is how the Bible is living and active. This is how the Bible is able to divide the soul and the spirit. This is how the Bible pierces our hearts. When Peter preached, the audience was “cut to the heart.” It was nearly a fatal blow. It made them stop in their tracks. Those thoughts made them interrupt Peter and ask, “What shall we do?” When the living word connects with an honest and good heart, change takes place. We are cut. We are stunned. We see. It leads us to apologizing. It leads us to changing our ways. It leads us to obeying Jesus.

God’s word will make us uncomfortable. It will make us feel guilty. Maybe that’s why some want nothing to do with the Bible. Mark Twain once said what bothered him was not what the Bible didn’t say, but what it did say. Those uneasy, guilty feelings will cause you to break your pride, will and stubbornness and come to Christ on His terms, or it will lead you to walk away from God.

This ruler who came to Jesus with a question, thought he had everything worked out. He was expecting a compliment. Instead, he went home dejected and defeated. Jesus didn’t say what he wanted. Jesus made him think. He probably hadn’t thought that way before. Now he knew. If anyone was going to change, it had  to be him. Jesus wasn’t changing.

We walk in the same steps as this ruler when we come to the Bible and find the truth is not what we wanted to hear. We don’t like what the Bible says, so we walk away. Frustrated, we find excuses. We hide behind the notion, “That’s your interpretation.” Some consider the Bible like modern art. It’s full of impressions and each person gets a different idea from it. That’s a bunch of nonsense. The only folks that believe that are those who do not like what the Bible says. So they change the message instead of changing their ways. Jesus said you can know the truth and the truth will make you free. The Bible isn’t modern art. There aren’t dozens of ideas and ways to walk and please God. Dejected and defeated, we can either do what Jesus says, or we can walk home alone.

The rule walked home alone. How about you. Jesus makes you think. He makes you think deeply. Your brain may hurt, but that’s good. He’ll make you see yourself in ways that may make you uncomfortable. He wants you to be like Him. He wants you to change. He wants you to be holy and righteous. That word has a way of getting to us. It’s living. It doesn’t go away. It will haunt you until you finally realize that Jesus is right.

Why do you call me good? Why?

Roger