From Derek Thomas’ “A Rich Young Man”:

John MacArthur observes that Jesus would have failed a course in personal evangelism in almost any seminary on earth by what He does in this passage. It begins with a young man. . . .  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” There’s a question. Have you ever asked that question? “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Do you know the answer to that question? You have two minutes, starting now! What must I do to inherit eternal life? If this was the seminary I’d ask you to take a piece of paper and I’d give you two minutes. Write it down. Tell me. What’s the answer? What must I do to inherit eternal life? You couldn’t ask a more relevant question than that. Do you know the answer? I wonder if it’s the answer Jesus gives here. Let’s look at this passage. Let’s follow Jesus. Let’s walk alongside the great Evangelist, shall we? Let’s eavesdrop on this conversation.

The first thing Jesus says to this young man is about God. That’s where He starts. He begins with God. Take a look at Jesus’ response. Do you know what He does? He picks on grammar. “Good Master,” (or, Good Teacher), “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good?” He picks on his use of the adjective. . . .

But then He takes him to the law, the Ten Commandments. Now if ever there was a faux pas in evangelism…you know this is it! This is about the last thing you want to speak to somebody who’s anxious and eager to enter the kingdom of God! He’s come running to Jesus, he’s kneeling before Him, and he’s asking the great question: What must I do to inherit eternal life? And what does Jesus do? He takes him to the law. . . .

Why does Jesus take this young man to the law? The Ten Commandments? “You know the commandments,” He says to him. Every Jewish boy knows the commandments. And Jesus rattles through commandments five through nine (what we usually refer to as the second table of the law) and adds the great commandment of neighbor-love…show no disrespect to parents, you mustn’t murder, you mustn’t commit adultery, you mustn’t steal, you mustn’t lie. . . .

Do you know what this young man said? It takes your breath away: “I’ve kept all these from a child.” It takes some gall to say that. Or does it? I wonder tonight if I were to say to you, in answer to the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and I said to you, “You must keep the commandments,” and you will say in response, “You know, I do my best. I do my best.” It’s the answer of millions of people around the globe tonight. That’s their response: “I do my best. I try to live a good life.” . . .

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