Pastor Shaun Marksbury

And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. Like in the parable of the soils (Mk 4:3–20), the rich young ruler indicates initial growth, but his heart is stony underneath.   He loved something more than God.   Specifically, he bowed before the altar of money. The commandments reveal his idolatrous state .   As we discussed last time, Jesus used the Law to reveal this man’s heart—even altering the command, “Thou shalt not covet,” to highlight his sin of fraud.   Jesus wants to demonstrate the full weight of the Law, which includes the intents of the heart and demands entire perfection (cf. 5:21–48).   However, Jesus’s words fall...

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.   You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” One of the primary uses of God’s law is to stress the gulf between the His holiness and man.   In other words, as we read God’s Word, reveals how unholy we are, and how much we need God’s grace.   Yet, the rich young ruler failed to see his need for forgiveness and mercy. We can’t see others as good .   Some have taken Jesus’s words here to mean He denies being good (and that He couldn’t therefore be God), but He doesn’t say that.   As the parallel text records, Jesus asked, “Why are you asking Me about what is good?” (Mt 19:17).   In other words, Jesus forces the man to ponder the weight of the word “good,” to not use it superficially or flippantly. We can’t see ourselves as good .   This man use...

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”   And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Jesus is leaving from the house where He taught His disciples about marriage and blessed the children (vv. 10–16).   He’s heading toward Jerusalem (v. 32) when this man approaches.   Everything externally about this man’s demeanor is that of worship, and he comes with the paramount question: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (v. 17).   Note that, regardless of how close he came to the answer, it wasn’t close enough. This man’s mindset has brought him close to getting eternal life.      He’s a ruler, perhaps in a synagogue (Lk 18:18), and wealthy (v.22), which people perceived to be a sign of God’s blessing (cf. vv. 23–24).   He runs to Jesus, an undignified act for such men, and then falls on his k...

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.   But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant. Following His teaching on marriage, Jesus is greeted by several parents and their children.   It’s possible that they’re still in the home where He just answered disciples’ question about divorce (vv. 10–12).   How the disciples now react reveals a character flaw Jesus disdains, and we’d do well to recognize and root it out of ourselves. The disciples’ attitude was one of criticism.   Verse 13 says that they continually turned people away, scolding the parents while they did so.   Perhaps the disciples wanted more from Jesus, and they saw inconvenience in the stream of mothers with children in tow.   Jesus taught too many high and lofty ideas to be bothered with crying infants. Sadly, this attitude is a pattern.   Peter rebuked Jesus for teaching that the Son of Man must suffer (8:31–32).   ...

Last time, we saw that the Pharisees were “testing” Jesus (v. 2), asking Him a question to cause Him problems.  Jesus brought them back to Scripture, demonstrating God’s consistent teaching on the matter.  In doing so, Jesus affirms God’s Word on marriage.  As such, we can learn a good deal about marriage here, though none of it is popular today. Jesus affirms God’s definition of marriage.   Adam and Eve were created “male and female,” a biological reality that logic demands.  He speaks of “the two” (v. 8), for marriage doesn’t consist of more than two parties.   He also said that those two “shall become one flesh,” affirming the blessing of sexual copulation in marriage while also emphasizing the necessity for a “male” and “female” compatibility.  The competing definitions of marriage, whether they be same-sex, polyamorous, etc., have no place in Jesus’s teachings. Jesus affirms the inviolability of marriage.   The definition ...

Having completed His public ministry in northern Israel, Jesus moves southward.  Crowds again begin to gather around Him, so, “according to His custom, He once more began to teach them” (v. 1).  However, the Pharisees, ready to stop Him, asked Him a question they hope will test Him (v. 2). Their question was one of hot debate between two rabbinical schools; one said that divorce is always permittable, while the other said that divorce is only permittable in cases of adultery.  To complicate matters, Herod Antipas, ruler of this area, had left his wife to steal and marry his brother’s wife—and John the Baptist was killed for pointing it out (6:16–29).  Could the Pharisees make Jesus suffer the same fate? His response demonstrates key principles in biblical interpretation.  It models how to understand a contentious topic we may be wrestling with in our own souls.  It calls us to follow the Word of God. First, note what Scripture commands.  J...