The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-02-28
INTRODUCTION,


Henry Wood, in Gods Image in Man,
wrote: Tho inspired Book is like vast land
| scape rich and varied both in foreground and
perspective. There are majestic mountain
| peaks whose SUBMITS pierce the clouds; peace
! full valleys containing green pastures, treei
| and plants. waving grain and bloSsOminl
| flowers, fruitful gardens and sandy wastes,
| purling brooks and mighty rivers, lowing
herds and gentle Socks rocks pitfalls, preei
pieces, fog sunshine and shadow. Law, His
tory, Poetry and Prophecy. in the Old Tesla
ment, and the higher ethical and more spirit
nal teaching in the Gospels and Epistles of the
New. are mingled in changing proportions in
different periods of the unique history of the
Hebrew Nation"
THE RICH YOUNG MAN.
Data. -
We have three accounts: st. Matt, 10: Is
%; St. Mark, 10: 1922; st. Luke, ID 1929
We date the interview between Christ and
the young man, March, A. d. 90.
Place.
The young man approached Christ while in
Perea. making journey from Gaiiee to Jeru-
salem via Ephron to Jericho. 1t was not prob
ably far from Bethabara, where Jesus had been
baptized.
The Young Man.
We do not know his age. The Greek word
used (neaniskos) is applied to person until he
is 40 years old. The expression in ST. Matt,
10: 90 from my youth up" implies consider
able maturity. st. Lnke, Is: Is, states he was
a ruler So Bloomfield and others have held
he was probably ruler of synsgog. Others
think he Yves a member of the Sanhedrim.
We may suppose from his being ruler he was
quite wealthy and influential. This is still
more apparent from the fact he was yet CON-
psratively young Mt, 10: %, shows he was
rich. He was and had been moral all
through life. He WAS anxious about his eter-
nal salvation. This is inferred from his eager
ness to get to Christ and his great reverence
for him. We should think he was sincere and
did not seek simply to entangle embarrass
Christ. But the youth was lacking in ono
very important qualification.
Definitions
/. The address, Good Master (St. Matt, 10: 16, J
was peculiar. 1t was not acceptable to Christ.
He disapproved Of all aAulatiOn or aattery; of
all unmeaning titles: OF mere formal personal
epithets uttered simply to tickle vanity. Com
pare st. Matt. % e, s fSt. John, 3: 2. TituIar
addresses in Christs time were carried to great
excesses and his aim was to hit timely blow
at such foolshncss! at
"'Good Master was the usual title of the
Rabbis. 1t was here used respectfully. Jesus
did not wish TO disown 1t. He would teach the
man that in its high sense it did not belong to
such one as he thought Christ to be-. Eter-
nal life, and the way into il, were to be sought
of God alone the One good"
In sense Christs humanity was distinct
from his Deity. Christ as human only could
not be styled absolutely good. Whenever ado
ration or religious yeneration is intended in the
word good it is to be applied to the Deity alone.
If the people conld not look on Jesus as God,
they must, if consistent, cease to apply to him
the divine title, good. If they allowed his
divinity they might address him as the Good.
9. The question put to Christ by the young
man appears in different forms in tue several
Gospels. ST. Matt, 10: Is. has, "What good
thing shall do that may have eternal life2"
st. Mark, 10: II, has, What shall do that
may inherit eternal lifo?" st. Luke, Is: 10,
"Wliat shall i do 10 inherit eternal life" The
account by st. Matthew is peculiar in say.
ing good thing"
The Rsbbis have divided duties into many
classes, some more important than others
student became lost in the nice distinctions
All did not agree as TO that which was most
weighty. Tho young man wanted Christ's
opinion.
French says: "What shall / do?-a most
needful and difficult question rarely asked, by
rich men especially, whose hearts usually
upon their half-penny, as they say, whose
mouths utter other language but the horse
leech's give give; who will show us any good
etc. A good purchase, good penny worth"
The question was Indicative of humbleness.
The young man went as pupil and recognized
Christ as Teacher.
3. Life. st. Matt, 10: 16. Life means hap
piness. All, it is thought, and thought by
many, have eternal life existence. Earthly
joy is only temporary. Joy in Christ is eternal
life or life in everlasting happiness In sense,
being out Of Christ, the being sinner, not in
terest2d in Christ, is death, whether considered
here or in what is understood by perdition.
A. Enter into life. st. Matt, 10: IL. A man
is outside of true joy till he enters in through
the Door; to wit, by acceptance of Christ as
Savior, and so the Opener TO us of the gate
leading into the place or state of JOY.
S. Good. All three accounts say, "Good
Master" Christ did not answer at once the |
question asked by the young man. but instead |
asks question of the young man. taking ex-
ception not 10 the question, but to the manner |
of address. Much depended in the answer to |
be given by Christ on the young man having |
lust the right idea of Christ. The method OF |
Christ may therefore have been the most lDgi. |
cal way of imparting to the youth a correct an
smer. We are to keep in mind Christ knew |
The questioncr through and through, and there |
Tore saw much more than tho mere question.
Christs reply has been put into the form of |
l dilemma:
There Is none good but Tod. Christ Is |
good; therefore. Christ is God" Or. There
g good but God Christ is not God
Christ is not good"
but why did our Lord say none is good
Because this young man came to him merely as
man, a human teacher; he therefore speaks
Is man, for he often replies to the thoughts of
ais hearers. When he says man il good he
Toes not deny himself to be good; heaven for.
bid He did not say, / am not good but
None is good No man is good. much less in
comparison with God. He thus elevates his
thoughts and dctackes him from earthly good, |
md fixes his mind on God. and teaches him
What is the essence aud source OF good, and to
Iscribe honor to him."
And he said unto him, ETC.. the true read
ng is. Why dost thou ask me about the good 2
)ne is the good. In Mark and Luke the COM
non reading is correct, and doubtless tho COM
non explanation is tho true one; viz, that God
lone is absolutely, good; and that If the
'oung man regarded him simply as a teacher,
S the word translated Master means, he should
lot apply to him a term that belonged only to
iod. Doubtless the object, however, was to
urn his thoughts away from perfect works to
perfect Being, rather than to restrict the use
4 word"
6. Commandments. ST. Matt, 1871 The
)ecaog in special Commandments number
tx to nine are specified. The frst four and
he tenth are omitted. Those given are speei-
mems. They the second table of the law
nd relate to mans duties to man. st. Matt,
.: 40, shows the fulfilling of the second table
nlflls the first Ro., IS: g. 8, similarly gives
My part of the Commandments. JOS, 2:8;
.ev, 10: Is.
T. Perfect St Mt 1872 This refers tn |