The Wealthy and the Needy and the Kingdom of God - Luke 18:18-43

In our passage from Dr. Luke’s Gospel this morning two men approach Jesus for help. One man who is a rich ruler desires to know how he can inherit eternal life (18:18-30). Although this wealthy rich man is told clearly by Jesus how to receive eternal life, his wealth prevents him from leaving everything to follow Jesus as a believing disciple and have treasure in heaven (18:22-25). A second man comes to Jesus who is blind and needy and seeks Jesus for mercy, and finds sight and sees and enters the Kingdom of God (18:38; cf. John 3:3-11).

Two men come to Jesus but only one man receives salvation and enters His Kingdom rejoicing and glorifying God (18:43), while the other man leaves very sad (18:23). What is impossible with men is possible with God (18:27; cf. 1:37). Although men continue to find salvation in Christ, Jesus reminds his disciples that before the Kingdom is fully manifested he must first go to Jerusalem to undergo great humility, suffering and death, which is to fulfill all the prophets had written about him (18:31-34).