Mark 10:17

‘And as he was going out in the way there ran one to him and knelt to him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I might inherit eternal life?” '

As Jesus was leaving the place where He was, a young man (Matthew 19:20) came running up to him and knelt in front of Him. The action demonstrated the young man's eagerness and also his awe of this great prophet. He clearly had some knowledge of Jesus, and his longing was to inherit eternal life. He gave the appearance of being just the right kind of person to make a disciple.

‘Eternal life' here equates to coming under the Kingly Rule of God as is brought out in Mark 10:23. But the eternal life he was seeking was that taught by the Pharisees, life in the future eternal kingdom, for they believed steadfastly in the resurrection from the dead and eternal life in the future Kingdom. He had seen how they strove to obtain it and he wanted to ensure his part in it as well. He had probably himself struggled hard, following the dictates of the Pharisees, but up to now he knew that he had not achieved it. He was aware that what he had learned was not enough. Something more was needed. We have here an interesting contrast to the young children. They came only to receive in a way that was free and undeserved, but he in contrast came to ‘do'. He wanted to put in a great effort, or possibly find some crucial key to the problem, some extra special deed, that would enable him to achieve his goal. Consequently it was going to be very difficult for him to enter under the Kingly Rule of God, for there were too many barriers in the way.

‘Good teacher.' The unusual application of the adjective to the respectful title of ‘Teacher' spoke volumes about the young man's attitude of mind. In Jewish circles it was almost unique. Goodness was seen as belonging only to God. But he was thinking in terms of achieving goodness, in the way that the Pharisees sought to achieve it, and he had considered many teachers, but all had failed to come up to his exacting standards. Now, however, he had been watching Jesus and listening to Him, and as he had considered Jesus he had been filled with admiration. He had seen in Him One who was almost there, no, One who might already have achieved it. And therefore One who could perhaps now give him the secret and enable him to achieve it as well. But his thoughts were all in terms of achievement. And so enthusiastically he describes Jesus as ‘good', and desires to attain to a similar goodness. He too wanted to be ‘good, like Jesus was. And so while enthusiastically he describes Him as ‘good', it is with the wrong idea in mind. He sees in Him someone who had made Himself good, and He wants to know how to achieve it too. It was necessary for him first to be disillusioned about the possibility of achieving goodness.

‘What must I do?' You have almost achieved it, teacher. Show me what you did. Show me what I have to do.