informedone

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The Holy Bible: King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Mt 11:29–30.

Almighty God

Almighty God

9:18 Which ones Jesus responds with a representative sampling of the 10 commandments (see Exod 20:2–17), to which he adds the command about loving one’s neighbor (Lev 19:18). do not commit murder See Exod 20:13. do not commit adultery See Exod 20:14. do not steal See Exod 20:15. do not give false testimony See Exod 20:16. 19:18 Which ones Jesus responds with a representative sampling of the 10 commandments (see Exod 20:2–17), to which he adds the command about loving one’s neighbor (Lev 19:18). Ten Commandments AYBD do not commit murder See Exod 20:13. do not commit adultery See Exod 20:14. do not steal See Exod 20:15. do not give false testimony See Exod 20:16. 19:19 honor your father and your mother See Exod 20:12. love your neighbor as yourself See Exod 20:17; Lev 19:18.1 1 John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Mt 19:18–19. 19:18–19 The quotation is from Exod 20:12–16; Deut 5:16–20; Lev 19:18.11 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Mt 19:18–19. 19:18–19 Which ones? Jesus gives a representative list of laws, including five commandments from the second half of the Decalogue (cf. Ex. 20:1–17; Deut. 5:7–21), and the second of the two greatest commandments (Lev. 19:18; cf. Matt. 22:36–40).11 Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1861. B. “Which commandments?” (vv. 18–19) Christ told him to keep the Law, not because the Law saves, but because we must be convicted by the Law before we feel the need to be saved by grace. This young man knew the Law, and the Law had served as a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ (Gal. 3:24). Now the Law was serving as a mirror (James 1:22–25) to show the young man his real need. If he really tried to obey God’s Law, the man would discover how sinful he was!1 1 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 71. 3 (19:18–20) Law—Commandments—Brotherhood: the third step to entering God’s kingdom is to keep the commandments. Once Christ had led the young man to trust Him as God, then Christ had to lead him to love his neighbor. This, too, was a critical weakness in the man. Because of his low concept of God and his inaccurate concept of man’s nature, he would claim that he had loved his neighbor; that he had kept the commandments dealing with his neighbor. But Christ would prove that he had not loved his neighbor, not as he should. He had kept the commandments only in a superficial sense. He had not kept them within, not in his spirit. He had not loved his neighbor from the heart. If he had, he would have helped his neighbor more, much more (see vv. 21–22). Christ told the young man very simply, “Keep the commandments.” The young man asked, “Which?” By asking, the man revealed an inadequate concept of God’s law. He thought some were more important than others. He wanted to know which ones would give him life. Christ struck at the man’s real problem. The man was failing to love his neighbor as himself, so Christ quoted five of the ten commandments, five that have to do with his duty toward his neighbor (Ex. 20:12–16). 1. Murder: concerns our neighbor’s life. 2. Adultery: concerns our neighbor’s chastity and purity. To commit adultery does two things. ⇒ Adultery takes the body of our neighbor to ourselves and gives our body to another. ⇒ Adultery takes the body of our neighbor’s spouse away from our neighbor and takes our own body away from our spouse. 3. Stealing: concerns our neighbor’s property. 4. False witness: concerns our neighbor’s name, reputation, and understanding of the truth. 5. Honoring parents: concerns our duty to the closest neighbors we have, our own family. Note: Christ summed up all five commandments by saying, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Le. 19:18). This is what James called the “royal law” (Js. 2:8). The person who loves his neighbor will have excellent relations with all and will experience love, joy, and peace—the abundance of life. He will experience exactly what Christ says: he will “enter into life.” The man made the phenomenal claim that he had kept all five of the commandments that Christ quoted. Of course, as is true with all men, he had not kept them—not perfectly, not in God’s eyes, not in the spirit in which God intended them to be kept. He was not generous enough with others, not giving and helping like he should. Christ was ready to show him this. In essence, Christ had said to the rich young ruler: keep the commandments. a. Keep the commandments dealing with your neighbor: the ones especially needed by the rulers and the rich of the world—the commandments which are so often misunderstood and neglected by rulers and the rich. b. However, the rich young ruler misunderstood God’s law: he had a tragic sense of self-righteousness. 1) He thought that some commandments were more important than others. 2) He thought that man could keep the commandments and build up a balance sheet against God, securing God’s acceptance. “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 5:1–2). Thought 1. Note two extremely important facts. (1) The first thing Jesus told the young man was the very commandment of God. “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 Jn. 3:23). (2) Christ summed up the law in two commandments. The first has to do with our love for God which sums up the first five commandments, and the second is the one He used to sum up the second group of commandments which He quoted to this young man. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mt. 22:39). Thought 2. Note that the very commandments quoted by Christ are the commandments needed by the rich, the powerful, the famous, and the wise. They are the commandments so often ignored, neglected, and denied by the achiever. In fact, the achiever sometimes uses and steps upon his neighbor to secure what he seeks.1 vv. vv. verses

9:18 Which ones Jesus responds with a representative sampling of the 10 commandments (see Exod 20:2–17), to which he adds the command about loving one’s neighbor (Lev 19:18). do not commit murder See Exod 20:13. do not commit adultery See Exod 20:14. do not steal See Exod 20:15. do not give false testimony See Exod 20:16. 19:18 Which ones Jesus responds with a representative sampling of the 10 commandments (see Exod 20:2–17), to which he adds the command about loving one’s neighbor (Lev 19:18). Ten Commandments AYBD do not commit murder See Exod 20:13. do not commit adultery See Exod 20:14. do not steal See Exod 20:15. do not give false testimony See Exod 20:16. 19:19 honor your father and your mother See Exod 20:12. love your neighbor as yourself See Exod 20:17; Lev 19:18.1 1 John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Mt 19:18–19. 19:18–19 The quotation is from Exod 20:12–16; Deut 5:16–20; Lev 19:18.11 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Mt 19:18–19. 19:18–19 Which ones? Jesus gives a representative list of laws, including five commandments from the second half of the Decalogue (cf. Ex. 20:1–17; Deut. 5:7–21), and the second of the two greatest commandments (Lev. 19:18; cf. Matt. 22:36–40).11 Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1861. B. “Which commandments?” (vv. 18–19) Christ told him to keep the Law, not because the Law saves, but because we must be convicted by the Law before we feel the need to be saved by grace. This young man knew the Law, and the Law had served as a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ (Gal. 3:24). Now the Law was serving as a mirror (James 1:22–25) to show the young man his real need. If he really tried to obey God’s Law, the man would discover how sinful he was!1 1 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 71. 3 (19:18–20) Law—Commandments—Brotherhood: the third step to entering God’s kingdom is to keep the commandments. Once Christ had led the young man to trust Him as God, then Christ had to lead him to love his neighbor. This, too, was a critical weakness in the man. Because of his low concept of God and his inaccurate concept of man’s nature, he would claim that he had loved his neighbor; that he had kept the commandments dealing with his neighbor. But Christ would prove that he had not loved his neighbor, not as he should. He had kept the commandments only in a superficial sense. He had not kept them within, not in his spirit. He had not loved his neighbor from the heart. If he had, he would have helped his neighbor more, much more (see vv. 21–22). Christ told the young man very simply, “Keep the commandments.” The young man asked, “Which?” By asking, the man revealed an inadequate concept of God’s law. He thought some were more important than others. He wanted to know which ones would give him life. Christ struck at the man’s real problem. The man was failing to love his neighbor as himself, so Christ quoted five of the ten commandments, five that have to do with his duty toward his neighbor (Ex. 20:12–16). 1. Murder: concerns our neighbor’s life. 2. Adultery: concerns our neighbor’s chastity and purity. To commit adultery does two things. ⇒ Adultery takes the body of our neighbor to ourselves and gives our body to another. ⇒ Adultery takes the body of our neighbor’s spouse away from our neighbor and takes our own body away from our spouse. 3. Stealing: concerns our neighbor’s property. 4. False witness: concerns our neighbor’s name, reputation, and understanding of the truth. 5. Honoring parents: concerns our duty to the closest neighbors we have, our own family. Note: Christ summed up all five commandments by saying, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Le. 19:18). This is what James called the “royal law” (Js. 2:8). The person who loves his neighbor will have excellent relations with all and will experience love, joy, and peace—the abundance of life. He will experience exactly what Christ says: he will “enter into life.” The man made the phenomenal claim that he had kept all five of the commandments that Christ quoted. Of course, as is true with all men, he had not kept them—not perfectly, not in God’s eyes, not in the spirit in which God intended them to be kept. He was not generous enough with others, not giving and helping like he should. Christ was ready to show him this. In essence, Christ had said to the rich young ruler: keep the commandments. a. Keep the commandments dealing with your neighbor: the ones especially needed by the rulers and the rich of the world—the commandments which are so often misunderstood and neglected by rulers and the rich. b. However, the rich young ruler misunderstood God’s law: he had a tragic sense of self-righteousness. 1) He thought that some commandments were more important than others. 2) He thought that man could keep the commandments and build up a balance sheet against God, securing God’s acceptance. “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 5:1–2). Thought 1. Note two extremely important facts. (1) The first thing Jesus told the young man was the very commandment of God. “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 Jn. 3:23). (2) Christ summed up the law in two commandments. The first has to do with our love for God which sums up the first five commandments, and the second is the one He used to sum up the second group of commandments which He quoted to this young man. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mt. 22:39). Thought 2. Note that the very commandments quoted by Christ are the commandments needed by the rich, the powerful, the famous, and the wise. They are the commandments so often ignored, neglected, and denied by the achiever. In fact, the achiever sometimes uses and steps upon his neighbor to secure what he seeks.1 vv. vv. verses