In Part One, we examined Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22; Luke 18:18-23). Jesus immediately strikes at the heart of the young man's spiritual problem in His reply to his question, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" He asks, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." The passage ends by stating the man's problem, a form of idolatry: He trusts in his riches more than God. Yet here he is, asking the incarnate God how he could attain eternal life. Would he listen to what He had to say?

How Jesus teaches him is instructive in relation to our requests of Him for wisdom, direction, or correction. The rich young ruler is unaware of what he lacks but knows something is missing, as his question to Jesus hints. To his credit, he appears to keep the commandments regarding the treatment of fellow man and lives what his contemporaries consider a "blessed" life, having acquired enough wealth to be called "rich."

Yet, his reaction to Jesus' recommendation in verse 21—"If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me"—reveals whom he truly served and believed. If he really believed that Jesus was the Good Teacher, as he claimed, he would have done as He said. However, his actions expose the true state of his heart: "He went away sorrowful" (verse 22).

So, we must ask ourselves, how often do we seek the Good Teacher's counsel in prayer only to turn away in disappointment when His answer contradicts what we expect? Do we not trust that the road He commands us to take—one that will likely cost us some earthly "treasure"—will yield heavenly treasure?

Notice the approach Jesus takes with the rich young ruler. He starts by cutting directly to the main issue, despite the man's likely ignorance of it. Then, He purposefully lists all the commandments the man currently kept, providing him with positive reinforcement that his behavior in those areas is commendable. Finally, moving on to the young man's central problem, He urges him to sell what he has and follow Him, the corrective action.

He undoubtedly approaches us the same way from time to time. God does not stand over us with the hammer of judgment, waiting for us to make the slightest mistake. Scripture shows that He desires to turn us from unrighteousness so we will do what He has declared to be good. God is for us, not against us (Romans 8:31). He works for our betterment, not our destruction. Sin cannot produce good in us, so He always shines a light on our iniquities, our "missing the mark," and reveals the better path to eternal life. Sometimes it hurts to see our shortcomings.

Are we like the rich young ruler? Do we call our Savior "Good Teacher" and ask for His advice yet hide in our hearts a desire to continue in sin? If we do, Jesus will say the same thing to us as He said to the young man, "Why do you call Me good?" In other words, "Why are you saying something you don't truly believe?"

We have probably encountered something like this in our lives. We have if someone ever said something to us we knew was false. Maybe they professed to love us but constantly undermined us, or they praised our work to our face but complained about it to others. Perhaps they smiled and acted friendly until the moment we turned our back.

Jesus is hinting at a similar thing. He knows our hearts (John 2:25; Matthew 9:4; John 16:30). Like the rich young ruler, we cannot fool Him with flattery or false love. Even before the conversation starts, Jesus sees that the young man's heart is not with Him. A heart that seeks first the good things of this world rather than His Kingdom is at war with God (see Matthew 6:33; I John 2:15-17). So, if we ask for His help, we must be prepared to accept what He tells us to do when He gives His counsel, no matter how difficult it may seem.

The book of Hebrews comments on the three main points we have extracted from Matthew 19:

First, the Good Teacher exposes the heart of the issues that cause His disciple problems:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

If our God evaluates us with such thoroughness, who are we to turn to Him and say, "No, that can't be my problem"? He knows more about us than we do about ourselves, and it is utter foolishness to discount the weaknesses God brings to our attention.

Second, the Good Teacher positively encourages the disciple's proper conduct:

But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. (Hebrews 10:32-35)

Despite the epistle's author saying little that is positive about its recipients, whom he earlier criticized for still needing to learn the most elementary things (Hebrews 5:12), he commends them here. God will use whatever positive encouragement He can to motivate us to forsake our self-delusions and follow Him, even if He must dig deep into our past to find it. He wants us to remember those good behaviors and keep doing them as a basis for further growth.

Third, the Good Teacher commands His disciple to seek the truth and follow Him. Sometimes, He does not say it outright, as Jesus does in Matthew 19:21, but by giving us a taste of the fear of God, letting us know what will happen should we fail:

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LORD will judge His people." (Hebrews 10:26-30)

We cannot take God's words, the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ, lightly. Shrugging off His advice and walking away, even if we do it sorrowfully, only brings judgment on ourselves because doing so rejects Him and His wisdom. As the author of Hebrews warns, "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven" (Hebrews 12:25).

When we approach the only Good Teacher, we can trust that He will always respond with good counsel. Accepting it may cost us great treasures on earth but rejecting it will cost much more.