| Church School Lesson: What More Do I Have To Do? |
"What More Do I Have To Do?"
February 16, 2025
Background: Matthew 19:16-30; Print: Matthew 19:16-30;
Key Verse: Matthew 19:24; Devotional: 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Matthew 19:16-30 (ESV)
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Matthew Chapter 19 (Commentary)
19:16-19 A man who wanted to earn a standing with God came to Jesus, viewing him merely as a good teacher, and asked, What good must I do to have eternal life? (19:16). But Jesus wanted to clarify things. He asked, Why do you ask me about what is good? . . . There is only one who is good (19:17). In other words, to be good Jesus would have to be God. And since he is God incarnate, he has the authority to answer the man’s question.
If he wanted to enter into life, Jesus told him to keep the commandments of God (19:17-19). God’s laws represent his perfect, holy standard. If a person can perfectly keep the commandments, he will indeed merit eternal life. The problem is that we are all sinners unable to meet the standards of a righteous God (see Rom 3:23). God gave us his laws, in fact, to show us we couldn’t keep them and to drive us to the Savior.
19:20-22 The man naively claimed to have kept them all (19:20). So Jesus pushed a little further and told him to sell his belongings, give to the poor, and follow him (19:21). At that point, the young man realized he didn’t meet God’s standard of perfection. In essence, Jesus had told him, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (19:19), but the man had many possessions and was unwilling to part with them for the sake of a neighbor in need, thus revealing that he was indeed a sinner. And rather than acknowledge his sinfulness and come to Christ for salvation, he went away (19:22).
19:23-24 When the rich young man departed, Jesus observed, It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (19:23). Why? The rich often trust in and are attached to their wealth. People who focus on storing up riches in this world easily allow this world to distract them from thoughts of the world to come. As Jesus said, we should collect “treasures in heaven,” for they cannot be destroyed, stolen, or lost (6:20). Spiritual wealth is eternal, so be rich toward God. Disciples are not to pursue the things that unbelievers treasure. Doing so will keep them from getting their full rewards.
19:25-27 The disciples were shocked, asking, Then who can be saved? (19:25). Jesus reminded them that the impossible is possible for God (19:26). He is able to overrule harmful attachments in our lives when we place our faith in him. Peter, ever the bold disciple, reminded Jesus that they had left everything to follow him (19:27). Peter himself had set aside his perhaps prosperous fishing business (see 4:18-20). So what will there be for us? (19:27)—that is, “What’s the payoff for our commitment to you?”
19:28-29 Jesus assured his disciples that in the renewal of all things—that is, during his millennial reign—they would hold positions of authority, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (19:28). Moreover, this is true of everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for Jesus’s sake. Thus, all Christians who truly identify with Christ and forsake worldly gain to obtain heavenly gain through serving him, will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life (19:29). To “inherit eternal life” is not only to enter eternal life but also to receive its benefits.
19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first means there will be a great reversal in the kingdom. Many who are viewed as successful in this world will be paupers there, while many of the paupers in this world will be granted greater authority in the kingdom. So don’t let earthly success or worldly gain prevent you from sacrificing as necessary to serve the Lord in light of the rewards to be received in the world to come.