Goshen Baptist Church

Deserve or Serve

INTRODUCTION I I’ve coached in two very different contexts. One time I coached for Upward, which was a church-sponsored sports program. My goal coaching here was to allow everyone to learn the game and for everyone to have equal play time. I also coached for the private highschool where I taught. Our goal was to build honor—to do so best by winning games. I coached 5th-8th grade boys. I had some 5th grade boys who were really good and started for me. And I had one 8th grade boy who was clumsy and sat the bench for a lot of games. And every coach knows this tension. Do you reward the ones who deserve to play— the skilled, the strong, the ones who help you win? Or do you make room for the ones who can’t offer much in return? Because deep down, we all understand how the world usually works: You earn your place. You prove your value. You deserve your spot. And if you don’t… you sit on the bench. N We want to be in the game. In our hearts, we want the honor, we want the glory. And quite frankly, we often get to the point were we think we deserve to be in the game and not sit on the bench. Whatever that “game” may be: Maybe that game is our vocation where we think we deserve to be respected for our accomplishments Or home where we think we deserve to relax and have our way Or church where we think we deserve to be uplifted Or our relationships where we think we deserve to be valued. Or with God where we think we deserve to be blessed. Sin twists our hearts so much that we think the only bench we should be warming is a throne—a throne from which we command everyone and everything else to do our bidding. T The disciples think they deserve a throne too. But Jesus addresses that deserving attitude and reveals the kingdom attitude that should take its place. A kingdom attitude that he exemplified by giving his life. R Matt. 20:17-34 O THRUST: In the kingdom of God, willingness to suffer and sacrifice to serve others is valuable; whereas ambition to gain honor and authority is to be rejected. ACCESS FORETOLD Matthew 20:17–19 ESV 17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” REVELATION In v. 17 you see Jesus going up to Jerusalem. This “going up” has to do with elevation because Jerusalem is at a higher elevation. He takes his disciples aside. Aside from what? Well, they are in great crowds who are all making a pilgrimage from Galilee to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus begins his aside to his disciples, it must seem serious being taken away from the crowds. And he beings, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem.” This statement should be one that’s full of hope. They are making a spiritual pilgrimage. They are going to the temple, the very place where God dwells. They are going to celebrate one of the most sacred times: Passover—with God’s people. While normally such a phrase “we are going up to Jerusalem” would be a cause for jubilee, Jesus is preparing his disciples for a darker hour. This is the third time that Jesus tells them about his death. And this time, he gets more specific. He opens up with the Son of Man being delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. This was probably shocking to the disciples. The previous passage, Jesus connects this Son of Man figure with being on a throne. The Son of Man figure in Dan. 7 is only known being presented to the Ancient of Days and being a ruler. But now, Jesus is saying this figure who is supposed to be presented before God himself to be exalted is instead going to be handed over to the chief priests and scribes to be killed. But the Son of Man who is exalted in Dan. 7 is also the Anointed One who “will be cut off and have nothing” in Dan. 9:26. Though the chief priests and scribes condemn Jesus to death, they do not have the authority to carry out that sentence; and so, he must be, “delivered over to the Gentiles”—that is, the governing Roman authorities. There Jesus spells out precisely what will happen: mocked, flogged, and crucified. Each stage is important. First, Jesus would be mocked. It’s easy for us to think of mockery as if it were nothing. We don’t care of the opinions of others. Matthew [https://ref.ly/logosres/LLS$3AEBTC61MT;art=MT.3.3.6.2;off=2526]Exegesis But Jesus lived in an “honor and shame” culture, in which many would rather die than lose their honor, and the shame of public humiliation was a fate far worse than death Flogging was the brutal whipping that would take place before the crucifixion. Some victims did not even survive the whipping. Jesus specifies that crucifixion is the specific form of death. No one could survive crucifixion, and Jesus does not intend on surviving it. He plainly says that he will die and tells exactly how he will die. But he also tells when he will specifically rise from the dead it is predicted “on the third day.” Matthew [https://ref.ly/logosres/LLS$3AWS_4EE921C75F7E4D31ABB2FEDA06E3E499;art=R15.3.6;off=1693]6. Jesus Predicts His Crucifixion and Resurrection (20:17–19) Τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ is dat. of point in time: “on the third day.” Since the ancients calculated time inclusively, this referred to any part of a first day, an entire day, and any part of a 3rd day A figure known only so far for exaltation will be humiliated * key RELEVANCE Will the Son of Man be exalted? Yes. He will rise from the dead. However, is he exalting himself? No. He is willingly laying his life down and entrusting himself to God. One of the most striking details in what Jesus says to his disciples is that the very figure known for his exaltation, his throne, here’s Daniel 7:14 “14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” This exalted figure—Jesus himself—is willingly laying his very life down. What’s valued in the kingdom? We might here Jesus trying to get across to his disciples. What’s valuable in the kingdom is not self-exaltation, but self-sacrifice. We instinctively admire self-sacrifice. When someone lays down comfort, reputation, even life itself for the good of others, something in us says, That is right. That is beautiful. That is noble. Yet if this world is only matter, survival, and personal preference—if there is no God, no real good beyond what we choose—then self-sacrifice is not noble at all. It is irrational. Why give your life away if survival is the highest value? Why suffer for others if pleasure is the only good? As C. S. Lewis argued in The Abolition of Man, once you remove objective moral reality, you remove the very foundation that makes courage, honor, and sacrifice meaningful. But we do not live in a meaningless world. We live in God’s world. And because this is God’s world, self-giving love is not foolish—it is the deepest truth in the universe. Which means when Jesus walks toward suffering instead of away from it, He is not losing. He is revealing what is truly valuable in the kingdom of God. BRIDGE Luke’s account tells us the disciples had no clue what Jesus was talking about. Matthew narrates that fact with a story and gets to the heart of the matter. Because while Jesus would like to have this attitude of self-sacrifice in his followers; his followers have a major hurtle to overcome: the attitude of deserving the throne. ACCESS DENIED Matthew 20:20–28 ESV 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” REVELATION At the beginning of v. 20, that small little word “Then” connects this story to the previous one. Matthew is telling us with the word ‘then’ that whatever that the point of the last portion (vv. 17-19) will be completed by this portion. So this is bigger than just the fact that Jesus is going to die, that is true, but Matthew is doing something with that fact by including this story. Jesus just finishes explaining his humiliating death, and the mother of James and John approaches him as someone who wants to make a request from a king. She prostrates herself before him perhaps saying something like, “I beseech thee, my king.” Jesus is willing to hear this request. The mother asks that her sons would have exalted positions in his kingdom (21). Notice in v. 20 she is “with her sons” and in v. 21 she basically points to them by saying, “these two sons of mine.” There is emphasis on the fact that her sons are with her. Jesus responds in v. 22. Jesus says, “You do not know what you what you are asking.” Here there is a shift that is not recognizable in modern English because we no longer have a separate word for a plural “you.” It’s reflected in the King James by, “Ye know not what ye ask.” We might say in Southern, “Y’all don’t know what y’all are asking.” And it’s that second plural that we should focus in on. “Y’all are asking”. . . I thought only the mother asked. But it seems that Jesus understands this request is not simply from a doting mother. It seems as though the mother has been put up to making the request by her sons. Striking. One commentator speculates about this: Matthew [https://ref.ly/logosres/LLS$3AEBTC61MT;art=MT.3.3.7.2;off=702]Exegesis The sons probably remembered that a little earlier, on this pilgrimage from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus had blessed children who were brought to him by their parents (19:13–15). Perhaps they thought that Jesus would not be able to resist this mother’s plea either. These disciples are making the request, and perhaps even using their mother as a tactic to ensure the request is granted. But Jesus denies this request, but does so gently. He asks if James and John are able to drink from the cup which he will drink. Jesus is asking if they will be able to share in the lot that Jesus is destined for. What is that cup? The context explains that it is Jesus’s excruciating and humiliating death. His suffering. His loss of both his honor and his life. The disciples’ response prove that don’t know what they are talking about. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke [https://ref.ly/logosres/LLS$3AEBC08;art=MATT.2.6.1.6;off=4351]6. Suffering and Service (20:20–28) It is often ignorance that seeks leadership, power, and glory: the brothers do not know what they are asking. To ask to reign with Jesus is to ask to suffer with him The disciples do not understand this and say that they are indeed able. But Jesus gives a prediction (v. 23): that they will drink from the cup of suffering—and indeed they do. James is beheaded. John is supposedly boiled alive in a vat of oil before being exiled. The other disciples become indignant in v. 24, perhaps because they did not get to make the request first. Each of the disciples feel as though they are the ones who deserve to be first. They all have a deserving spirit. And it is revealed in their indignance. Matthew [https://ref.ly/logosres/LLS$3AEBTC61MT;art=MT.3.3.7.1;off=606]Context The tragic irony is that at the very moment when Jesus faces humiliation, his disciples seek their own exaltation V. 25 brings us to the heart of this entire unit. Jesus calls all these deserving disciples to himself and tells them to no longer focus on what they think they deserve, but instead to serve. Its not about what we deserve, it about how we serve. This shifts the focus off of self and on to others. He compares that get off the bench and onto the throne deserving type attitude to the Gentile rulers—basically calling this a pagan attitude. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Look again at the second half of v. 26:Matthew 20:20–28 ESV But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” RELEVANCE Notice how Jesus sees his own death in v. 28. Jesus is not some misunderstood political or religious revolutionary. He did not see his death as some martyrdom to convince others to further his cause. Jesus saw his own death as a service. A service that did something in particular: a ransom. Matthew works hard to drill this point into his readers. Jesus predicts his own death three times. I think we can take that for granted in Christian circles that center on the death of Christ. But there are many who want to minimize or contradict that fact. Some preachers, even in our own day, would have us think that the cross of Christ is merely a lesson to admire. They say, “Jesus died to show us love. He died to inspire us. He died to stand with the poor and the oppressed.” And yes, the cross does these things. But listen closely: if that’s all it accomplished, then the Savior’s death has no power. It becomes a story to ponder, a moral to admire, but it saves no person, delivers no soul, and pays no debt. But did you hear what he said? (v. 28)Matthew 20:20–28 ESV the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Ransom! Not suggestion. Not example. Not mere inspiration. Ransom. Jesus came to pay the price, to lay down His life, to stand in our place, to bear the weight of our guilt and sin. His blood poured out is what washes all our sin, all our shame, all our guilt, all our brokenness. His death is a ransom. Don’t be swindled by the so-called Christians who deny this ransom! You might admire Christ, you might follow His example, you might delight in His teaching—but until you trust in the death of Christ, you have come close to touching the fountain of grace. The cross is not complete for you until you lay your own sin upon Him and believe that He died in your stead. That is ransom. Do you trust Him today? Will you rest in the sufficiency of His sacrifice, not your striving, not your merit, not your worthiness? Come, lean wholly on Jesus. Let His death be your ransom, your peace, your hope. For here is the truth of the kingdom: the King gives Himself, that you might live eternally; and in that gift, you find glory beyond all honor, service beyond all reward, and rest for every weary soul. How many times have we thought we were deserving of more—more honor, more respect, more attention, more love, more power, more pleasure, more more more. And we set up our own little makeshift thrones and command everyone around, even God, to do give us what we think we deserve. Today is the day we pick up the axe and tear down the throne we built for ourselves and cling to that old rugged cross. Trade that chair for a cross. BRIDGE ACCESS GRANTED Matthew 20:29–34 ESV 29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. REVELATION Jesus continues on his way to Jerusalem. There is a high expectation that Jesus will be enthroned in Jerusalem. And now this crowd is following him—not as devoted disciples, but as populist opportunists. They aren’t going to die for Jesus, but they sure would like to see him on the throne rather than Herod or Pilate. Then set in foil against this crowd, there sits two blind men. Pan handlers set themselves at places where opportunity to get money would take place. We no nothing of the background of these blind men, but they way the crowd responds to them makes it seem as though the crowd might consider them as deplorables—not worth anyone’s time. Like the mother of James and John, these blind men make a request of Jesus. A request like one to a king—formal just as the mother made a request. Notice the content of what they say in v. 30— “Son of David” is a messianic title recognizing Jesus as the son of David and rightful king of the Jews. But when they cry, “Lord, have mercy on us” they are using a phrase that is almost always used of God. In fact, who else but God can truly have mercy on us? Only people who recognize they need help can truly ask for it. And only people who recognize themselves as poor and needy spiritually can ask for mercy. And that’s exactly what they ask for. The crowds though demand that they be quiet. Jesus is a king on his way to be placed on his throne, he has not time—it seems the crowd assumes—to deal with deplorable blind men. Yet there we see Matthew’s emphasis at the beginning of v. 32, “And stopping.” The way royalty traveled back then is the way we might think of the president traveling today—a caravan of vehicles, police escort, no stopping at red lights, and the like. In the Roman Empire, it was so that if the emperor planned a visit to a city, some cities would pave a new straight road through the city for the emperor to travel. This crowd sees Jesus as such royalty. He needs such royal treatment to get to Jerusalem—they assume. But the king of the kingdom of heaven did not come to be seved, but to serve. He stops. He asks the blind men, just like he asked the mother before, “What do you want?” They request that they would be able to see. And we see the heart of Christ in v. 34 – he is moved with pity. The irony is the request of a mother fills the disciples with indignation. The request of these blind men fills Jesus with pity—compassion. RELEVANCE These blind men have been benched by society, never to be put in the game at all, so to speak. And they recognize just how destitute they are. And that person who is poor in spirit is just the type of person our savior stops and shows compassion. A person who is deserving never asks for mercy because mercy is undeserved. And yet these blind men recognized their need for mercy. These men did not demand recognition. They were not trying to claim something they thought they deserved. They recognized their need. This is exactly the type of person Jesus stops for. This is exactly the type of person that is valuable in the kingdom. The one who is humble, needy, dependent on him, not the proud and self-assured. BRIDGE What is our mindset? Are we concerned with what we deserve or are we ready and willing to serve? MOVE 4 (APPLICATION) SUMMARY We have seen the great contrast. Jesus was willing to give his life as an act of ultimate service. The disciples were consumed with the throne they believed they deserved. But Jesus honored poor blind men who recognized they deserved nothing. Remember at the heart of sacrificial service to others is not merely out of piety, it’s not an ascetic practice, it’s not about having good feelings. At the heart of Jesus’s sacrificial service was to make a ransom. At the heart of our service we want to be like Christ. We cannot accomplish atonement, but we can point people to Jesus. So what can we do? TELL One thing we can do this week is serve someone who cannot return the favor. Identify someone that is overlooked or undeserving. Look around in your home, school, or workplace. Maybe there’s a coworker no one notices, a child who struggles, and elderly neighbor who’s unable to get out. . .Then do something for them that costs you comfort or convenience without expecting praise or reward. SHOW This does not have to be immaculate or world-changing. It can simply be a kind word. At work yesterday someone who was normally happy was obviously struggling. Someone came up to him and asked, “Are you okay?” And he responded (it looked as though he may cry) “I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed right now.” Then the one who noticed him just assured him, “I’m sorry your feeling overwhelmed, but just know you’re doing a good job.” IMAGE (GOSPEL) We live in a world where there is a power struggle between the bench and the throne. The people whose eyes are fixed on what they deserve are blind to those who need to be served. But Christ’s eyes were not so fixed on his true, universal throne that he was blind to the needs of those two blind men. He stopped, he listened, he was moved with compassion. Christ was not so deserving that he ignored us. He stopped for you. He listened to your cries for mercy. And he answers them with compassion—even now. CHALLENGE So may we be like Christ—stop, listen, and act with compassion. This week, pick one person the world has benched, and give them your time, your attention, your mercy—because in serving the undeserving, you follow the King who gave Himself for you.

25. mar. 2026 - 48 min

No Haggling for Heaven Matt. 19:13-26

INTRODUCTION I Imagine standing at the gates of heaven and being asked one question: “Why should you be let in?” Most people already have an answer rehearsed. “I tried to live a good life.” “I went to church.” “I wasn’t perfect, but I wasn’t as bad as most.” In other words—we come holding something. We don’t come empty-handed. We come calculating. We come assuming there must be something—some obedience, sacrifice, sincerity, decision, or devotion—that tips the scale. N And that instinct doesn’t disappear when someone becomes religious. In fact, religion often sharpens it The human heart is a master negotiator. We are always looking for leverage. T In Matthew 19, Jesus dismantles that instinct—piece by piece. He shows us four people: children, a rich young man, stunned disciples, and a faithful apostle. And through them all, Jesus teaches one lesson: There is no haggling for heaven—and no bargaining for reward. R Matt. 19:13-30 O NOTHING TO BRING Matthew 19:13–15 ESV 13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away. REVELATION The text does not specify, but presumably parents brought their children to Jesus for a particular reason: so he would lay his hands on them and pray. Most likely these are younger children, again like a toddler age, or younger. These parents wanted the wise, well known, man of God to bless their children and say a prayer over them like Israel conveyed a blessing to his grandchildren. The disciples rebuked “them” (v. 13, end), that is, most likely, those who brought the children. But Jesus rebukes the rebukers. He tells the disciples to “Stop!” essentially. He wants the children to come to him for a specific reason: “for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Notice that he specifies that this is a figure of speech by saying “to such” which means “to those who become like children.” So what is the characteristic of children that Jesus is getting to? We’ve mentioned before the idea of God-dependance and humility being characteristics which connect the saints to children. But this text is going to give another characteristic, a characteristic defined by the rest of the passage. RELEVANCE Jesus is welcoming those who have nothing to leverage. No status, no authority, no wealth, no performance. And this passage is going to force us to answer this question: What are we holding in our hand when we come to Christ? In other words, we all have a tendency to think there is something that makes us great or more important in the eyes of others. What is the thing we hold onto that we believe will convince Jesus to accept us? Maybe we hold our moral performance, our decision to follow Christ, how many years we have been a Christian, our faithful church attendance, our great possessions, our earthly status, our authority over others. The list can go on and on. BRIDGE The children brought nothing in their hand. But in the next story, one who has everything in hand approaches Jesus. SOMETHING TO PROVE Matthew 19:16–22 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. REVELATION The young man comes to Jesus addressing him as “teacher,” which is the gospel of Matthew is a sign of respect but not a full recognition of who he is. Most who have positively addressed Jesus has done so as “Lord” not simply “teacher” He is searching for eternal life. He believes he can attain that by performing some “good.” The word “deed” is supplied to make sense, but he asks, “Teacher, what good should I do in order that I should have eternal life?” But notice something big that is missing from his question: God. He says nothing about God, and the way he addresses Jesus fails to recognize that he is conversing with God incarnate. It’s almost as he views God as a distant cosmic banker. “If I deposit X, I must get a return Y” Or perhaps a distant karmic judge who only needs balanced scales to allow one into heaven. Jesus’s immediate response challenges his assumption that anyone can be sufficiently good. Job 25:4–6 “4 How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure? 5 Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes; 6 how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!”” Jesus asks “why do you ask me concerning the good?” If the man assumes Jesus is a mere man—as it seems by his addressing him as teacher—there would be no sufficient reason for he or any other man to define good. And so Jesus points him to the source of goodness saying “one is good.” This is a reflection of the Shema Deuteronomy 6:4 “4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Essentially, Jesus is saying, “If you’re so concerned with goodness, go to the One who is the source of goodness.” Jesus is not denying that he is God, but he is pointing out to this young man the options that are already available for him to know goodness. If this young man is so concerned with goodness, he does not need a mere teacher—as he assumes Jesus to be—he needs God himself. And God has already established what goodness is via the law. And this is what Jesus brings up—some of the ten commandments. Which the young man was aware of these commandments. But notice that the commands Jesus listed are also missing the commandments regarding God, such as “You shall have no other gods before me” In fact, this is what the “One God” commands right after the Shemah Deuteronomy 6:5 “5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Complete devotion to God. And this is what the young man lacks. The young man quickly acknowledges that he has kept all these commandments in v. 20 then asks what he still lacks. The question concerning what he lacks is filled with strong irony because of course what he lacks is any yearning for God. Psalm 73 defines that yearning as a major part of goodness. Psalm 73:1 identifies God as the source of goodness. Psalm 73:1 “1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” Notice, “to those who are pure in heart” that is, without mixed motives. And yet, the Psalmist struggles with the fact that the wicked seem to prosper. He comes to the conclusion that no matter how things appear in this life, it’s really the end that matters. And the end for the wicked is not good. But then he reflects on his own end. Psalm 73:23–28 “23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” What does this rich young man lack? Look at that question: Psalm 73:25 “25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” Could that rich young man utter those words and mean it? Can we say pray these words and mean it? Notice what “goodness” is for the Psalmist, Psalm 73:28 “28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” “to be near God.” This is exactly what Jesus invites. When Jesus gives the list of commands, the man believes he has followed them. So Jesus gives a specific demand: to sell everything. This specific demand exposed the reality of this young man’s supposed goodness. This man looked in the mirror and saw his definition of goodness reflected. But Jesus shattered his mirror, his world, with one demand. Jesus is not giving this demand as if it is a key to get on God’s good side. That would miss the point of this text entirely. The point is that this young man is trying to haggle to get into heaven. He’s trying to find the leverage point. And Jesus is teaching there is no leverage point. RELEVANCE We like to have control, we like to have sway. We want to haggle to balance heaven’s scales. Yet this is why Jesus looks at little children and says the kingdom belongs to such as these. Why? Because children have nothing to leverage, nothing to barter with God. Any yet, here comes this “one” (v. 16) who has everything—worldly speaking—and still has nothing. So Jesus points him to the “One” (v. 17) who should be his everything. The man came bartering for eternal life, but ended up getting more than he bargained for. And because of that, he went away sorrowful. And isn’t that the average American’s view of heaven? Be good, and then you get to go to heaven. What does it mean to be good? According to online, “Being “good” to the average American often means finding satisfaction in a life that balances personal, professional, and civic responsibilities, aiming for stability rather than exceptional, high-profile success.” Yet even the most perfect person according to this standard of goodness cannot end up in heaven. The most perfect person according to any standard of good will not reach heaven because there is a big problem. In fact, we may say it’s worse than that. The person focused solely on being good will not get to heaven because his focus is good not God. Moralism infected our churches when preachers stopped preaching the Bible and started preaching topics. You can go online now and find a preaching series on almost any topic: marriage, finances, evangelism, spiritual disciplines, anger, greed, community, etc. Moralism attempts to find a problem in the congregation then seeks to preach a text in such a way to address that problem. Moralism teaches being good is more important that knowing God. It teaches that following principles is more important that following a person. You sent under topical preaching long enough and it turns you into this rich young man. You’re left asking, “What good must I do so that I might have eternal life?” And the preacher responds through his many sermons “tithe more, have a good marriage, pray more, read your Bible more, make sure to have inner peace,” and on and on the list grows. Topical preaching transforms your Christianity into performance and crushes you under a moral standard you can never perform. And I feel that many walk away sorrowful from the church because preachers have crushed them with a law they could never achieve and refused any gospel hope. The call of the gospel is not easy, but it is freeing. The call of the gospel is to forsake competing gods and follow Christ. Matthew 19:21 “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.”” Heaven is not a pursuit of moralism, it’s a pursuit of more of God. BRIDGE Jesus points out that such a moral pursuit is impossible. NO WAY TO EARN Matthew 19:23–26 ESV 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.” REVELATION During Jesus’s day, the wealthy assumed to have God’s favor simply because they had wealth. But Jesus said that it’s practically impossible for them to get into heaven. Then he gives the exaggeration: it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. You may have heard somewhere along the way that there was a gate into Jerusalem nicknamed the eye of a needle. And that it was so small a camel had to crawl on its knees to fit. Well, there’s not such historical evidence for this. This was not Jesus’s point. The point was to think of how impossible it would be to thread a large animal through a tiny needle hole. The disciples were astonished because they viewed the wealthy as better candidates to get into heaven. Matthew [https://ref.ly/logosres/LLS$3AEBTC61MT;art=MT.3.3.3.2;off=7735]Exegesis Rabbi Meir (mid-second century AD) taught that God granted riches and possessions. Thus, neither poverty nor wealth came from a man’s chosen trade, “but all is in accord with a man’s merit” If their merit was leverage for such earthly riches, the argument would go, how much more would it be for heavenly riches? But Jesus flips that argument upside-down. Jesus argues that earthly riches are not a sign of divine favor but actually could get in the way of getting into heaven. “You cannot serve both God and gold.” But I think if we take “rich” to include “rich in spirit” I think we get closer to the heart of this passage. I think it’s very possible, and I believe Jesus would understand that it’s very possible, for a person to be very wealthy and hold those possessions with an open hand. To the disciples, this man’s wealth was a sign of his merit, a sign that he does have good standing with God. But in reality, his wealth was the very thing that showed he was rich in spirit. His wealth showed his relation to God was merely economic, transactional. His material wealth revealed his spiritual bankruptcy. RELEVANCE But focus in on v. 26. Because it is the key to interpreting this. Matthew 19:26 “26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” You see, people tend to strictly focus in on the wealth aspect of this story. My commentaries largely focused in on that. But is this what Matthew is doing? Just giving advice on how to handle material wealth? Is our application to sell everything and live as a monk? Jesus says, “with man this is impossible.” What is “this”? “This” is salvation. That was the question in v. 25: who can be saved? With man, salvation is impossible. There is nothing you can leverage, that’s the point. Your meticulous keeping of the law only takes one flaw to ruin your chances. There’s no haggling for heaven. “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin which made it necessary.” Jonathan Edwards But we like to barter with God. Decisional evangelism like to convince people they can barter with God. Say this prayer, write your name on a card, take the preacher’s hand, get baptized, join the church, do any one of these things, the evangelist will tell you, and you will be saved. Have you not read, dear evangelist, that “with man [salvation] is impossible”? No wonder we have more American “Christians” who are willing to barter with God than just be with him. Topical preaching makes people conclude they can be moral enough on their own. It teaches essentially, “With man, this is possible.” Topical preaching teaches you to calculate all your successes and use them as bargaining chips in your favor. It teaches you to look at your spirit and think, “Wow, I sure have it together.” Topical and moralistic preaching produce people who are rich in spirit and do not depend on God. And it crushes the rest who are unable to live to that moral standard. But there is still hope. “with God, all things are possible.” With God, the rich in spirit can become poor in spirit. With God, those who believe themselves good with God based on their merit learn to mourn over their sin. With God, those who are vindictive become merciful. With God, those who hunger for glory instead hunger for righteousness. Why? Because there is no way man can tip the divine scales in their favor. No amount of law keeping, no amount of physical possessions, no amount of decisions, prayers, petitions, promises, resolutions, will ever make God look favorably upon you. We have nothing to leverage. But with God. . . God loved this world in this way: he sent his only begotten Son. His Son who lived a righteous life. Who died the death we deserved. His Son laid down all his leverage to love—to love a worm like me. And now we can say, we don’t want to barter with God, we just want to be with him. We don’t want leverage with God, we just want to love him. We don’t want to haggle for a spot in heaven, we want his name to be hallowed in heaven. We don’t want to the scale in our favor because we know tipping is impossible. It took Christ’s sacrifice to topple the scales so we can come empty handed, poor in spirit, to the foot of the cross and throw ourselves upon his mercy. BRIDGE But if we can’t haggle for salvation, maybe we can haggle for our reward? At least that’s what Peter appears to think. But Jesus answers this in an unexpected way. NOTHING TO CALCULATE Matthew 19:27–30 ESV 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. REVELATION Peter recognizes that they have done the very thing that the rich young man refused to do. Now he wants to know what they will have. It seems Peter did not learn the “no haggling for heaven” lesson and is ready use his own sacrifice to see what he will get. He assumes that forsaking is the bargaining chip. Instead of an outright and immediate rebuke, Jesus assures them that the reward is great. He says, in the “new world”—that is, the new Genesis, they will rule with him. This of course, was God’s design in the original Genesis: that mankind would rule creation with him. Now Jesus promises that his disciples (those of the 12 that follow him) will judge Isreal. What a reversal! Furthermore, there is also a reward promised for all those willing to forsake for Christ’s name’s sake. “Will receive a hundred fold” is an immense return on investment, intended as an exaggeration, not a calculation. But, it seems Peter’s intent on calculating. He wants to put a number to the reward, like he put the number seven to forgiveness. But Jesus’s answer “hundredfold” is a way to say it’s not a calculation. Then Jesus says Matthew 19:30 “30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” There is no way to calculate the reward, nor is there any way to guarantee what reward is recieved. *The reward is truly immense, but not dependent on man’s achievement as Peter assumes. The Gospel of Matthew [https://ref.ly/logosres/LLS$3ANICNT61MT;art=CH3.4.4;off=12402]4. Rewards (19:27–30) Those who have borne the greatest weight of loyal service for the kingdom of heaven cannot assume that their reward will be greater than that of others (20:1–15). In the kingdom of heaven nobody earns their status, even by spectacular renunciation. They may rightly expect a reward, but not necessarily the reward of preeminence And this is exactly what the next parable will go on to teach as we will see. There’s no haggling for heaven, nor is there any bargaining for the reward. The reward is real, but pursuing the reward more than the rewarder is the danger that results from Peter’s presumption. RELEVANCE Most of us don’t ask Peter’s question out loud. We ask it quietly. We ask it when obedience feels costly, when faithfulness goes unnoticed, when someone else seems to get more with less. And the question underneath it all is the same: Was it worth it? CONCLUSION SUMMARY We’ve watched four encounters. Children come with empty hands—and are welcomed. A rich man comes with full hands—and walks away. The disciples realize salvation is impossible by human effort. And Peter asks what faithful sacrifice will earn. Every scene exposes the same instinct: the desire to leverage something before God. TELL Practice coming to God with empty hands. This week, once a day, come to God with nothing in your hands. Not a list. Not a promise. Not a defense. Not a résumé. Just come and say: “Father, I bring nothing today. I just want to be with You.” No fixing. No bargaining. No explaining why you deserve grace. SHOW Most of us don’t realize how often our prayers sound like negotiations. “God, I’ll do better.” “God, I’ve been faithful.” “God, after all I’ve done…” This week, refuse that script. When guilt rises, don’t compensate. When pride rises, don’t justify. When anxiety rises, don’t promise. Just come IMAGE Picture a toddler being picked up. They don’t bring a reason. They don’t explain their day. They don’t prove their worth. They lift empty hands—and trust they’ll be received. That’s how Jesus says the kingdom works. CHALLENGE So, here’s the challenge: What do you instinctively bring to God to feel acceptable— and can you leave it at the door this week? This week, come empty-handed.

4. mar. 2026 - 40 min