Study 40. Luke 18:18-43. 10/11/23
16. The ruler feels that he can confidently claim to have obeyed each one of the commandments Jesus has named (18:21). But does Luke 18:22-23 suggest that the ruler is obeying the first commandment (Ex 20:3) perfectly? Why or why not? N.B. 'Ruler' is not specific. His youth (cf. Mt 19:22) would have made high office unlikely. We have no evidence that Jesus sought to provoke the man. Mark (10:21) tells us that Jesus 'loved him'. His motivation for all he said to the man was out of this love. The ruler assumed he needed to do some work that he was not doing (cf. John 6:27-28 7 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God? ” ) He could not see his failure to follow the first and greatest commandment. He loved his money more than the one he called 'g...