Out of Order!
Reflective Reading: Matthew 19
The Bible is an intricately woven literary masterpiece! There is no doubt that the Scriptures were authored by God Himself. With that introduction, let’s see what God has to teach us in Matthew 19. In this chapter, a rich young ruler approaches Jesus, asking a question of great importance:
“Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”
Jesus responds:
“Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.”
It doesn’t seem like the rich young man caught what Jesus was saying to him. If there was none good but God, then Jesus was saying that either He was God or He was a sinner like this man. I would call this missed opportunity number 1. He was talking to God himself and didn’t realize it.
Another missed opportunity takes place when Jesus tells him what is needed for eternal life—“keep the commandments.” Notice how the rich young man responds?
“Which ones?”
Sounds a little defensive to me.
Most likely the young man is referring to the 613 commandments that were compiled from Genesis through Deuteronomy. These 613 commands are believed to consist of 365 negative commandments and 248 positive commands. Of these 613 commands, there was debate over which ones were most important to gain entrance into eternal life. Did they need to keep all of them?
Commandment 196 for example prohibits the cooking of meat and milk together (Ex. 34:26). That wouldn’t seem to bar someone from eternal life if broken. And besides, they could always sacrifice an animal to cover that sin. Commandment 205 prohibits slaughtering an animal and its offspring on the same day (Lev. 22:8). Commandment 207 prohibits taking a mother bird from her children (Deut. 22:6). There was even a command not to wear a mixture of wool and linen (Deut. 22:10,11).
Think about it. These are just a few of the commands. Can you imagine having to live according to 613 laws every day of your life?! You would be self-focused and filled with anxiety.
This brings us to the young man’s question. Which of the commandments are required to enter into eternal life? Jesus’ answer is strategic. He is going to quote from the ten commandments and not even allude to the 613. Not only that, he omits the first four commands that relate to our relationship to God, and focuses only on five of the six that relate to our responsibilities toward man.
If you know the ten commandments by heart, then you know that they are listed in this order:
1. Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart.
2. Thou shalt not have any graven images.
3. Thou shalt not take the LORD God’s name in vain.
4. Thou shalt keep the Sabbath.
5. Thou shalt honor thy father and mother.
6. Thou shalt not murder.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shall not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
10. Thou shalt not covet.
Notice that Jesus does not list them chronologically. Take a look at how He lists them in Matthew:
6. Thou shalt not murder.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shall not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
5. Thou shalt honor your father and mother.
* Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Ah! Refreshingly interesting. Jesus is so creative in his answer. The five commandments that Jesus lists are very possible to keep in one’s lifetime, if one lives by the letter of the law. It is possible to live a life where you have never murdered anyone, never committed adultery, never stolen, or never falsely accused someone of doing something they didn’t do. It is possible to honor your parents all the days of your life. It is possible to keep these five commands! It is very difficult however, to keep the other five, and especially difficult, if not impossible, to keep the new one, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
By removing the tenth command, “Thou shalt not covet” and replacing it with a positive command, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” Jesus was making a huge statement; a statement so big that you would have to be spiritually blind to miss it.
Jesus purposely placed the fifth commandment (honor father and mother) out of order, left out the tenth commandment (Thou shalt not covet) and added a new commandment (love your neighbor as yourself) to draw attention to what the young man lacked AND what the young man needed “to do.” Do you remember what the young man first asked Jesus?
“Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”
Jesus could have said, “Thou shalt not covet,” but he leaves that command out and replaces it with “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Why? Because that is what he needed to do! To use his God-given resources and wealth for others, not himself. Certainly, I’m not saying that he could have bought his way into eternal life. Jesus was trying to help him see that his covetousness was preventing him from following the God of heaven. Notice the young man’s prideful response:
“All these (commands) I have kept from my youth up!”
He kept the five easiest commands! Now, let’s see what he’s made of when Jesus tells him what he needs “to do” next:
“If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”
Just like Peter, James, and John, he was given the same invitation, “Come, follow me!” The problem is that you can’t follow Jesus if you are following after other things.
You are either all in or you are out! Just two chapters prior in Matthew 16, Jesus said,
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
Notice how the young man responded.
“He went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
Great possessions are only a small slice of the many obstacles that hinder people from forsaking all and following Jesus. The way to eternal life however is the same—
“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
Are we holding on to anything too tightly that restricts us from following Jesus with everything we’ve got? Those who hold nothing back are guaranteed “Treasures in Heaven.”
This truth is conveyed most beautifully in Paul’s letter to young Timothy:
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading and Listening:
Silver Cup, Illustrated (Ages 6+)
Case of the Missing Stamp book (New!)
Charlie’s Choice book/audio drama (Ages 9+)
Seven Days Left book/audiobook (Ages 9+)
Winter’s Folly (Ages 9+)
That Printer of Udell’s book/audiobook (Ages 12+)
