In Mark 10:17-22, Jesus is addressed as ‘Good Teacher’ by a spiritual seeker.
‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone.’ (Mark 10:18)
Christians claim that Jesus is God, so why did Jesus question His own goodness?
Two possible reasons come to mind.
First, Jesus is challenging a man who thinks that ‘goodness’ is based on what we do, our good deeds.
Jesus goes on to expose the selfishness that lies behind this man’s obedience of the law.
Jesus directs him to focus on God’s goodness, before which all of us fall short!
Second, although Jesus often refers to His divine origins, He never outright claims to be God.
He understands Himself as human, a servant of God, emptied of His God-power (Philippians 2:6-8)
I am not questioning His being the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14), nor that the fullness of God dwelled in Him (Colossians 2:9).
As to His eternal origin, He is the ‘I am’ that is before Abraham…’ fully God (John 8:58-59).
But as to His incarnate (human, in flesh) identity, He is the son of David, the son of Man, the son of God (like Adam was, Luke 3:38), a human being after God’s own heart… fully human.
Jesus as a human is doing what Adam and David would have/should have done: pointing others to God.
This is what we should do too: not point to our own goodness but point to God’s goodness.
Observations:
Many came to Jesus for healing but also with questions for He was the Rabbi. The question was ‘How can I have life eternal?’
Keeping the law? He had done that.
Give his wealth to away? He couldn’t do that.
He was hanging on to the wealth of this world and not living the day for the next.
Application:
Two basic commands there are and yet they can be put into one word.
Love. Love God. Love man.
Love God with all your heart and souk and mind and strength. Love is an action word. You show your love by doing His Word. All that I am I owe to Him. I can’t hang on to anything but His love for me. God gave His all for me and I too need to give all to Him through my service this day.
Prayer:
Help me this day to be an instrument of Your love.
All that I am I owe to Thee,
Thy wisdom, Lord, has fashioned me;
I give my Maker thankful praise,
Whose wondrous works my soul amaze.
Ere into being I was brought,
Thine eye did see, and in Thy thought
My life in all its perfect plan
Was ordered ere my days began.
Thy thoughts, O God, how manifold,
More precious unto me than gold!
I muse on their infinity,
Awaking I am still with Thee.
The wicked Thou shalt surely slay,
From me let sinners turn away;
They speak against the Name divine,
I count God’s enemies as mine.
Search me, O God, my heart discern,
Try me, my inmost thought to learn;
And lead me, if in sin I stray,
To choose the everlasting way.