The Rich Young Ruler
It is good to see you all tonight. If you have your Bibles, we are going to be in Matthew chapter 19, so go ahead and turn there. We have been cranking through Matthew one painful message at a time, it seems. If you happen to be a first-time guest with us this week, the previous three weeks have covered some tough territory. Three weeks ago, we addressed the issue of care and correction from Matthew 18, walking through the idea that the highest expression of biblical love is not turning a blind eye when someone has a spiritual blind spot, but loving them well enough to gently point it out. After that, Mike gave a great message on forgiveness—the truth that when we understand how deeply we have been vertically forgiven by God, horizontal forgiveness with others becomes possible.
Then last week, we talked about marriage, divorce, and remarriage. There is simply no way to teach that text in our culture without recognizing how difficult and tender that subject is for so many people. We walked through creation, fall, redemption, and re-creation: God’s original design, the impact of sin on that design, and how we as the people of God respond to the gospel as He redeems us.
Right at the end of that heavy conversation, in Matthew 19:13–14, little children are brought to Jesus. After a series of weighty moments, here come the kids to lighten the mood. But the disciples rebuke them, thinking Jesus is engaged in serious adult business. Jesus stops them immediately and says, “Leave those children alone. Do not hinder them from coming to Me, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:13-14 (NASB)
Then [some] children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’
That phrase—the kingdom of heaven—sets up everything we are looking at tonight. Jesus is about to explain what it looks like to live in response to a kingdom that belongs to those who come without pretense, regardless of position, prestige, or status, simply delighting to be in the presence of their Savior.
In verse 15, Jesus lays His hands on the children and departs. Geographically, we know from verse 1 that Jesus left Galilee and entered the region across the Jordan near Jerusalem. In Matthew 20:17, He will set His sights directly on Jerusalem, crossing into the city just days away from His death. In this in-between space, Jesus gives us strategic, divinely placed teaching to help us understand the heart of the Father and the profound equality of His kingdom.
Tonight, we are going to look at three connected sections: the story of the rich young ruler, the disciples’ question about their reward, and the parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matthew 20.
The Religion of Good Works
It all begins with an interaction with a young man in verse 16.
Matthew 19:16 (NASB)
And someone came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?’
Now, for those of you who know the gospel, that is a revealing question: “What good thing shall I do to obtain eternal life?” Eternal life is a biblical reality stretching back to Daniel 12 and throughout Scripture. We are eternal beings who will either spend eternity in the presence of God or separated from Him in hell based on what we do with Jesus Christ—not based on our good deeds.
This man’s question tips his hand. He is a typical religious man who believes that if you just try hard enough and perform well enough, you can qualify for heaven. Some of you grew up with that exact mindset. It is an exhausting way to live, trying to hit a moving target of being “good enough” without ever knowing where the line is. The good news of the gospel is that good works do not produce salvation; salvation produces good works in and through us. You do not have to try out for the team. You freely receive what Jesus has done, and good works flow out of that transformed life.
Jesus responds with a clarifying question.
Matthew 19:17-19 (NASB)
And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is [only] One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ [Then] he said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
Jesus asks, “Why are you asking Me about what is good?” He is probing the man’s heart: Do you actually know who you are talking to? Jesus reminds him that only God is truly good, and then says, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Here is the issue: the commandments were never given to save us. They were given to reveal our sin. When your child feels warm, you put a thermometer in their mouth. The thermometer reveals the fever, but it cannot cure it. God’s law acts like a thermometer, exposing the spiritual sickness already present inside our hearts. In Jewish tradition, there were 613 commandments. Jesus essentially says, “If you want to earn your way in, just obey all the commandments perfectly, all day, every day.”
The young man, trying to narrow down the list—perhaps hoping to pass on a curve—asks, “Which ones?” Jesus gives him a sampling: five of the Ten Commandments, plus Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Leviticus 19:18 (NASB)
’You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.
Notice the young man’s reply.
Matthew 19:20 (NASB)
The young man said to Him, ‘All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?’
In Luke’s Gospel, the man adds that he has kept all these things “from my youth.” He claims lifelong, moral perfection. Whether he actually believed he had kept them or not, notice what he says next: “What am I still lacking?” Even with all his outward morality, he knows something is deeply broken inside. His checklist has not brought him peace.
Looking Underneath the Table
Jesus responds to the emptiness under the surface.
Matthew 19:21 (NASB)
Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go [and] sell your possessions and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’
When Jesus says, “If you wish to be complete,” He uses the word teleios, meaning mature, whole, or without defect. He tells him, “Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Jesus looks right underneath this man’s table. We often talk just enough about what is on top of the table so that no one looks underneath. On top of the table, this man is a respectable, moral, religious leader. But Jesus goes straight for what is underneath, exposing two massive idols in his heart.
Matthew 19:22 (NASB)
But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
The first idol is wealth and possessions. The man walks away grieving because he owned much property. In Luke 14, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship, saying that whoever does not carry his own cross and prioritize Christ above father, mother, wife, children, and even his own life cannot be His disciple.
Luke 14:26-27 (NASB)
’If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. ’Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Jesus does not demand that every single believer liquidate every asset to follow Him, but He demands that we be willing to surrender everything. He must be our greatest treasure. The issue with wealth is always ownership. Do you believe you own what you have, or do you recognize that God owns it all? God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He entrusts a portion of His resources to us. The question is: do you own your possessions, or do your possessions own you?
There is nothing inherently evil about having wealth. Scripture does not say money is the root of all evil; 1 Timothy 6:10 says the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. In that same chapter, Paul instructs those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NASB)
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. [Instruct them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
When an important thing becomes an ultimate thing, it becomes an idol. This man’s possessions had become ultimate.
The second idol, which is more subtle, is status and influence. He is the rich, young ruler. He has wealth, youth, and political prestige. Jesus does not merely tell him to sell his goods; He says, “Give them to the poor.” In that first-century culture, there was a strict social hierarchy ranging from priests and royals down to merchants, the poor, and slaves. Giving everything to the poor meant an immediate status exchange: they would have what he had, and he would have what they had. Jesus asked him to lay down his prestige, become nothing in the eyes of the world, and find his identity solely in Christ. The man simply could not do it.
Matthew 19:23-24 (NASB)
And Jesus said to His disciples, ’Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ‘Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’
Jesus uses an intentionally absurd image: it is easier for a massive camel to squeeze through the eye of a sewing needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. When you have worked hard to accumulate wealth, comfort, and status, it is incredibly difficult to hold them with an open hand.
Paul understood this surrender when he wrote in Philippians 3:
Philippians 3:7-9 (NASB)
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith,
Paul recognized that anything he once counted as gain was complete loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord.
Grace vs. Merit
When the disciples hear this, they are completely astonished.
Matthew 19:25-26 (NASB)
When the disciples heard [this], they were very astonished and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ And looking at [them] Jesus said to them, ‘With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’
The disciples ask, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looks at them and says, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Salvation is humanly impossible. We cannot earn it, buy it, or perform our way into it. God saves us entirely by His mercy.
Then Peter speaks up.
Matthew 19:27 (NASB)
Then Peter said to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?’
You have to love Peter’s honesty. He says, “Look, we left everything and followed You. What will there be for us?” Since the rich young ruler walked away, Peter wants to know where the disciples stand.
Jesus graciously affirms that they will indeed be rewarded.
Matthew 19:28-29 (NASB)
And Jesus said to them, ’Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ’And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.
Jesus tells them that in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, they will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Everyone who has sacrificed family, homes, or lands for His name’s sake will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. But then Jesus delivers a vital correction in verse 30:
Matthew 19:30 (NASB)
’But many [who are] first will be last; and [the] last, first.
“Many who are first will be last; and the last, first.” Jesus tells them, “Do not let this get twisted. The kingdom of God does not operate on worldly rank, entitlement, or comparison. In My kingdom, the values of this world are turned upside down.”
The Generosity of the King
To drive this truth home, Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 20 that is unique to Matthew’s Gospel.
Matthew 20:1-7 (NASB)
’For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ’When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. ’And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place; and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And [so] they went. ’Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. ’And about the eleventh [hour] he went out and found others standing [around]; and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ ’They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
A landowner goes out at 6:00 AM to hire day laborers for his vineyard, agreeing to pay them a denarius, a standard daily wage. At 9:00 AM (the third hour), he sees men standing idle in the marketplace, hires them, and promises to pay them “whatever is right.” He does the same at noon and at 3:00 PM.
Then, at 5:00 PM—the eleventh hour, with only one hour left of daylight—he goes back and finds others still standing there. Nobody hires day laborers at 5:00 PM; an hour of work barely covers anything. These men were the overlooked, the unhired, the desperate. Yet the landowner sends them into the vineyard too.
Matthew 20:8-12 (NASB)
’When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last [group] to the first.’ ’When those [hired] about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius. ’When those [hired] first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. ’When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, saying, ‘These last men have worked [only] one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’
When evening comes, the owner tells his foreman to pay the workers, starting with the last hired and finishing with the first. The workers hired at 5:00 PM step up, and each receives a full denarius—a whole day’s wage for one hour of work.
The workers who started at 6:00 AM see this and think, Jackpot. If those guys got a full day’s wage for one hour, imagine what we are about to get. But when they step up, they each receive a single denarius. They immediately grumble against the landowner, complaining that those who worked one hour were made equal to those who bore the burden and scorching heat of the day. They shout, “That is not fair!”
Matthew 20:13-16 (NASB)
’But he answered and said to one of them, ’Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ’Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’ ‘So the last shall be first, and the first last.’
The owner replies, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?”
Those early-morning workers were completely satisfied with their wage until they looked around at what someone else received. Comparison instantly killed their contentment. Had they not seen the other workers’ pay, they would have walked home thankful for an honest day’s wage. But the moment they compared, their hearts grew bitter, and they entirely missed the generous heart of the landowner.
Jesus concludes with the exact same principle from chapter 19: “So the last shall be first, and the first last.”
Contentment in Christ
The lessons here are vital for us. In the kingdom of God, there is no preferential treatment based on human achievement, background, wealth, or tenure. We all come to the Father through the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. Whether you have walked with Christ for fifty years or came to Him in the final hour of your life, we all receive the same boundless grace of God.
We love to talk about fairness, but we do not actually want fairness from God. If God were fair with us, we would receive death, because the wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:23 (NASB)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God does not give us what we deserve; He gives us what Jesus earned. He gives us mercy, life, and abundant grace.
Like those laborers, we do fine until we start looking around at everyone else. We see what someone else has—their talent, their wealth, their opportunities, their blessings—and we ask, Why them, Lord? Why not me? Comparison is rooted in the flesh. It demands our rights and forgets the extravagant grace we have already received.
Did the grumbling workers ever understand the owner’s generosity? Did the older brother in the story of the prodigal son ever celebrate his brother’s return? Did Jonah ever let go of his bitterness outside Nineveh? We are not told. The question is: do we get it?
Do we understand that Jesus is our portion, our treasure, and our sufficiency? Compared to knowing Christ, everything else in this world is rubbish. Let us put down the scales of comparison, open our hands, and rejoice in the scandalous generosity of our King.
Closing Prayer
Father, I pray that we would truly get this. I pray that these truths would not just sit in our heads, but sink deep into our hearts. Help us remember that we are fully loved, fully accepted, and complete in Jesus Christ. There is no good work we could ever perform to earn eternal life. The standard is absolute perfection, and only Jesus lived that perfect life.
Thank You, Lord, that Christ was crushed and wounded for our transgressions, that He died in our place, and that through faith alone in Him alone, we receive His righteousness as a free, unearned gift.
Forgive us for comparing ourselves to others. Strip away our pride, our sense of entitlement, and our desire for worldly status. Teach us to gladly take the lowest seat, thankful simply to be in Your house and part of Your family. Keep our eyes fixed entirely on Jesus, our greatest treasure. In His precious name we pray, Amen.