Was the Rich Young Ruler Barnabas?

When Jesus spoke of the difficulty for the rich to find a place in the kingdom of God, his disciples, utterly astonished, asked: “Who then can be saved?” As they saw it, if a man with all the advantages of ease and comfort could not prove himself worthy of everlasting life, what dope was there for those beset with all the cares of a life of toil and anxiety? And was not material prosperity the outward sign of God’s blessing? So surely the scales were loaded in favour of the rich.

Jesus answered: “With men it is impossible (that the rich should be saved), but not with God: for with God all things are possible”—which surely means that God has the power to save even the rich whose wealth is actually such a big spiritual handicap.

But this rich man had chosen to go away from Jesus, and so this saying that God has the power to save even the rich was left hanging in mid-air, so to speak-unless He proceeded to do just that with this earnest young man who said: ‘No, you are asking too much, Jesus. I cannot do what you require of me.’ In this fact, then, there is surely good presumptive evidence that ultimately God did save this rich man, in vindication of Christ’s assertion that God can save even a rich man in love with his riches.

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Author: Harry Whittaker

Keywords: Barnabas, rich young ruler, young ruler, rich ruler, riches

Bible reference(s): Matthew 19:16-17, Matthew 19:22, Mark 10:17-18, Mark 10:22, Luke 18:18-19, Luke 18:18, Acts 4:36, Acts 9:27, Acts 11:22, Acts 11:25, Acts 11:30, Acts 12:25, Acts 13:1, Acts 13:2, Acts 13:7, Acts 13:43, Acts 13:46, Acts 13:50, Acts 14:12, Acts 14:14, Acts 14:20, Acts 15:2, Acts 15:12, Acts 15:22, Acts 15:25, Acts 15:35, Acts 15:36, Acts 15:37, Acts 15:39, 1 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 2:1, Galatians 2:9, Galatians 2:13, Colossians 4:10

Source: Studies in the Gospels.

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