Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler: Money, Idolatry, and Walking Away from Jesus

The young man who wanted to be a follower of Jesus was, in actuality, already following another master: his possessions. In his dialogue with Jesus, he shows how he “resembled what he revered,” that is, imaged his god. As a man of possessions, comfortable with commerce, “giving to get,” he thought salvation operated similarly. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” he asked. In other words, “How does this transaction work?” In this week’s video on “Reading the Gospels through Hebrew Eyes,” Chad Bird walks us through Mark 10:17-22. Using the Greek Old Testament and first-century Jewish understandings of the Law, he explores the dialogue between Jesus and this young man who, in the end, walked away from Christ, gloomy with disappointment.