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He (Jesus) entered Jericho and was passing through. (Luke 19:1)

“If you were with us in our last study, Jesus is now heading toward Jerusalem; it’s a matter of days now before He will die on a cross.

He’s passing through Jericho, but it isn’t a detour, it is deliberate. As one author put it, God never does anything in passing, He does everything on purpose. Adapted from J. Seth Davey, “Filthy Rich but Dirt Poor,” Heart to Heart Magazine, October 12, 2023

Now Jesus arrives in what we know as New Jericho, a city expanded and refurbished by King Herod. Jericho was an oasis—the perfect spot for his vacation palace. Wealthy people built vacation homes in Jericho. The politically well-connected would come for retreats and conferences in Jericho to enjoy the bathhouses of marble and palace receptions with members of the royal family. The city had an elite, opulent population of entrepreneurs and executives of the trade industry. It was nicknamed “The Little Paradise” in the first century. It became famous for its manicured landscapes, famous for its rose gardens that were said to perfume the air for miles around. It had become world-famous for balsam trees that were grown in this region.

Balsam was a main export from Jericho; it was turned into lotions and cleansing agents. Today it’s an essential oil, used for relaxation and stress relief. Back in Jesus’ Day it was considered to have healing properties.

History records that the streets of Jericho were lined with Palm trees, another nickname for this opulent city was “The City of Palms.” But history also records that some of the streets in Jericho were lined with sycamore trees, a type of tree in this region that looked more like an oak tree with large leaves and thick low branches. Adapted from Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Volume 1 (Zondervan, 2002), p. 463 The perfect tree for climbing. Well, this was a city of millionaires; it was the picture of luxury.” Stephen Davey

Colossians 2:10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. (Luke 18:43)

“Underscore that word in your mind: Immediately he recovered his sight. Just like that! Wham! No emergency surgery, no period of rehabilitation, no exercises for muscle memory, no therapy for eye coordination, none of that. Immediately, 274 million rods and cones began to convert light into chemical impulses. Immediately, those impulses began traveling to his brain at the rate of 1 billion messages per second. Immediately, blind Bartimaeus sees Jesus. Immediately, Bartimaeus becomes new believer Bartimaeus—Brother Bartimaeus!

But many of the people in that multitude are happy with Jesus now, but will cry for His crucifixion in a few days; they remain spiritually blind.

What’s the cure for spiritual blindness? Let me boil it down to a three-step cure:

First, like Bartimaeus, you need to understand that without Christ you are spiritually blind. You say, “How hard can that be?”

I’ve talked to many people who have no idea they can’t see spiritually. They think they have perfect insight on eternity, God, religion and even truth, but they go from one fad to another; one speculation to another.

How about you? Do you know you are blind to your sin and only Jesus Christ can open your spiritual eyes to see?

First, you need to understand that you are spiritually blind.

Secondly, you need to believe there is only one saving cure.

You must believe that Christ alone is able to save you, to open your eyes to see the truth of His gospel and the glory of His deity.

I’ve talked to a lot of people over the years who have 2 or 3 options out there, they’ve got that cure and that idea and that practice and that ritual.

Listen, you’re not going to be saved by Jesus until Jesus becomes your only option. You need to understand that you are spiritually blind. You need to believe there is only one saving cure.

Thirdly, you need to make one sincere request.

Do what Bartimaeus did here; cry out in repentance and faith and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” He had nothing to offer Jesus. He’s a blind beggar.

And when you come to Jesus like that—placing your faith in Christ alone—He will save you, He will immediately save you. He will open your spiritual eyes that the apostle Paul says were blinded so that they could not see the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4).

So, what can you see today? You might be physically blind, but you can see the truth about Christ. You might have 20/20 vision and be blind today to the spiritual truth about Jesus Christ.

… Sounds like Bartimaeus, who had more insight in his blindness than many people in this crowd.

Bible scholars piece together historical accounts that reveal Bartimaeus followed Jesus from Jericho into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; he was among those who huddled in tears when Jesus was crucified; he was there with the believers who rejoiced at the Lord’s resurrection. Adapted from Hughes, p. 218

A month later, he was there on the day of Pentecost when the church was created and the church in Jerusalem grew some 3,000 new believers. He would become known in the early church as a faithful follower of Christ.

But even here sitting on this dusty road, Bartimaeus was way ahead of the crowd; he knew that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the King, the Lord.

Who is Jesus to you, today? Have you asked Him to cure you of spiritual blindness as you choose by faith to follow Him as your Messiah, your King, as your Lord?” Stephen Davey

Psalm 27:1–2 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.

And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 18:42)

“Sozo—you could translate it: Your faith has saved you.

“You were blind, but the eyes of your heart saw who I was: The Son of David, the Messiah, the Lord, and you believed by faith in Me!”” Stephen Davey

Luke 22:32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” (Luke 18:41)

“Lord! Don’t miss that: we’ve gone from Jesus of Nazareth to the Son of David, to “Lord.” “Lord, let me recover my sight.”

This word for recover could refer to someone losing their sight sometime during their lifetime, or someone who was blind from birth and they want to receive their sight, that’s how Jesus used this same word in Matthew 11:5: “the blind will receive their sight.”

Bartimaeus is saying, “Lord, I want to be able to see!”” Stephen Davey

Isaiah 58:13–14 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will...

And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he (Jesus) asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Luke 18:40-41a)

“He stopped!

He heard, He knew, He cared; in a few days Jesus will hang on a cross, but He cared for this beggar.

Now Jesus knew what Bartimaeus wanted; Jesus isn’t confused. But Jesus wants to make sure this crowd of people doesn’t miss the Messianic miracle.

There can be no mistake here: “Bartimaeus, what do you want? You want some money? Some clean clothes? Some food?”” Stephen Davey

Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;

[They] rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:39)

“““Be quiet! He doesn’t have time for you. You don’t matter—beggar. If Jesus is the Messiah, He won’t have time for the likes of you. Adapted from Dale Ralph Davis, Luke: The Year of the Lord’s Favor (Christian Focus, 2021), p. 1”

Have you ever watched a movie where a guy is stranded on a deserted island or adrift in the ocean and a plane is spotted flying high overhead. The man begins yelling and waving his arms; you’re wondering, will they see him? Will he be rescued? You’re holding your breath! Will somebody see him and stop and rescue him?” Stephen Davey

Luke 18:17 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Zechariah 2:10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.

And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:36-38)

“Notice he doesn’t cry out, “Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me!” but “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

He’s statement is one of faith: “I know You’re not just Jesus from Nazareth—that’s geography—you’re ‘the Son of David’—that’s deity!”

And get this: “Bartimaeus is the only person recorded in Luke’s Gospel who uses this definitive assertion that Jesus was none other than the Messiah.” R. Kent Hughes, Luke: Volume 2 (Crossway Books, 1998), p. 214

The rabbis were already using “Son of David” as a Messianic title, taken from Isaiah chapter 11; they even taught that the Messiah would come as the second David. Devout Jews were already praying every day that God would send the Messiah from the lineage of David. Ibid, p. 215

We don’t know when it happened or where it occurred to Bartimaeus, but somewhere along the line, he had heard the stories; he had connected the dots. This blind beggar happened to be a believer. And the reason he’s crying out here is that he believes what the rabbis have been teaching, that only God can cure blindness. And even though he’s got a lot to learn, he believes Jesus can give him sight because he evidently believes that Jesus is the anointed Son of David, the divine Messiah.

So even though he can’t see, he does see. Even though everything around him is dark, he has recognized the light.” Stephen Davey

Ephesians 1:13–14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. (Luke 18:35)

“Now I’d rather get right to it, but I need to stop for a moment because the liberals and the skeptics love this verse and typically tell first semester college students that the Bible is obviously wrong because Luke says here that Jesus was drawing near to Jericho.

But Matthew writes that Jesus was leaving Jericho, and Matthew says there were two blind men. But Mark’s gospel and Luke’s gospel only talk about one blind man. So the gospels are evidently filled with error.

Well, the answer is a little bit of biblical history. The old city of Jericho had been destroyed back in Joshua chapter 6 when the walls came tumbling down and the Israelites captured this pagan city. It was never rebuilt.

But just a mile south of the old city of Jericho was the new city of Jericho that had been built by Herod the Great. Barton, p. 424 The new city was the retreat for royals; they built enormous palaces, with swimming pools, gardens, bathhouses, and a theater for outdoor dramas. Charles R. Swindoll, Living Insights in Mark (Zondervan, 2016), p. 228 New Jericho was a favorite vacation spot for wealthy people; Jewish people would travel through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem during festival seasons. This was a great place for beggars to survive.

All that to say, Jesus is evidently leaving the old city of Jericho heading toward the new city of Jericho when this takes place. Matthew, Mark and Luke are all correct. And by the way, neither Mark nor Luke say there was only one blind man.

But they focus only on one of them, more than likely because he will become known in the early church; Mark even gives us his name: Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46). So, we’ll focus our attention on him as well.

Bartimaeus is sitting here on the outskirts of Jericho; Jewish people are flooding through with money in their pockets for shopping and their favorite restaurants. Even though this was the best season for begging as thousands of Jews made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, keep in mind how hopeless he is: there’s no treatment, no medicine, no surgery option. He would have been viewed as someone under the judgment of God for his incurable condition.

The culture believed that evidently, he’d done something wrong somewhere and God is paying him back for his sin.

Groups of people that have been traveling to Jerusalem together have passed by Bartimaeus already. But now, he hears a crowd coming his way; the word Luke uses for “crowd” could be translated a multitude of people. They were probably having to step around Bartimaeus to keep from stepping on him.” Stephen Davey

Romans 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. (Isaiah 50:5-6)

“This is what Jesus saw coming. So, in a very real sense, the disciples had sight, but no spiritual vision. We’re about to be introduced to a man who didn’t have sight but had spiritual vision.” Stephen Davey

Luke 24:52–53 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. (Luke 18:34)

“Now to be fair, there are two dimensions at work here:

First, there is a spiritual dimension to their lack of insight.
We’re told here that this prophecy from Christ was hidden to them. The original language informs us that a sense of blindness was imposed upon them, so they didn’t fully understand what He meant.

And we can understand why. Had they fully understood what Jesus was saying, they would have either armed themselves with swords and galvanized this crowd of people into an army and rushed into Jerusalem to seize the throne or they would have become so discouraged that they would have quit on the spot and effectively said, “Well then, we’re done. Why go on to Jerusalem?” Besides, they never caught His promise to rise again.

So, there is a spiritual dimension to their lack of insight.

But secondly, there is an emotional dimension to their lack of insight.

They’re not seeing this because they don’t want to see it. They’re not hearing Jesus say this because they don’t want to hear what Jesus is saying.

We all have a way of seeing only what we want to see and listening only to what we want to hear. Adapted from William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke (Westminster Press, 1975), p. 231

At this moment, the crowd is warming up their “Hosannas” for the Lord’s triumphal entry in just a few days; they will chant, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” The King is here! “

What do you mean you’re going to be flogged and mocked and spit upon and killed? You’re about to be crowned King! The kingdom is just around the corner; Jesus, can’t you see it?”

That’s the only vision they had swirling in their hearts and minds.” Stephen Davey

Isaiah 64:8–9 But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people.

“For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. (Luke 18:32-34)

“And what did the Old Testament prophets predict that Jesus says He will fulfill? Jesus says here in verse 32.

The disciples are completely missing the vision of what Jesus is seeing ahead of time.

Helen Keller, a woman born blind, made this statement in her later years, and it introduces the issue we’re watching here in this scene. Helen wrote: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”” Stephen Davey

1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.” (Luke 18:31)

“Jesus often referred to Himself in the third person pronoun, and the Son of Man is a Messianic title taken from the prophecy of Daniel.” Stephen Davey

Acts 20:24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both. (Proverbs 20:12)

“This is the same verb used repeatedly in Genesis 1 where the Lord made, the Lord fashioned, the Lord created everything. So, follow this: when we read in the Bible of the miracle of someone being given sight, we really can’t imagine the staggering number of elements involved in that one miracle. Literally millions of working parts are instantly repaired, or formed, or enabled: the optic nerve, the chemical communication system, the brain reception; all of it, suddenly, at His command, is working perfectly in tandem in order to give sight.

No wonder the Rabbis of Jesus’ Day and generations before were simply stating that only God could heal someone blind.

According to the prophets, that was the role of the coming Messiah and by the way, “there is not one illustration in the Old Testament of someone being cured of blindness.” Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible: Luke (Tyndale, 1997), p. 427

It’s as if God held back that one miracle that would authenticate the identity of His Son as Messiah.”

In fact, when Jesus preached His first sermon, he unrolled the scroll of Isaiah to that signature passage in Isaiah 61 and read the messianic prophecy: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to … proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind.” (Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 42:7)

We’re about to watch the Lord Jesus do just that; as you’re turning to Luke 18, let me tell you ahead of time that we’re about to watch the disciples refuse to believe what they didn’t want to see, but a blind man will believe, even though he can’t see.” Stephen Davey

Deuteronomy 6:17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you.

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18:29b-30)

“In other words, you might sacrifice everything, but in the light of eternity, those sacrifices will be made up by the glory of heaven, a thousand times over.

So, with that, we have every reason to believe that this young man, this wealthy, young, up-and-coming religious leader, slipped away from the crowd, with a sad heart but a heart resolved to reject Christ.

One author writes, for him to turn down Christ's invitation to [put Christ first], to follow Christ, revealed the lawlessness of his heart, and he knew it … so he walks back home to his vault. Adapted from J. Seth Davey, p. 19

A vault, so to speak, that is full; but with a heart that remains lost, and a life that remains empty.” Stephen Davey

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” (Luke 18:28)

“Matthew’s account has Peter asking what their future holds now that they’ve become, essentially, destitute, having left everything. Jesus promises them a glorious occupation in the coming kingdom.” Stephen Davey

“What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke 18:27b)

“In other words, “You’re right; no one qualifies.” It’s impossible for any human being to earn their way into heaven.
• They can’t buy enough indulgences;
• visit enough cathedrals;
• take enough pilgrimages;
• pray enough prayers;
• do enough good deeds to balance out some invisible scale of right and wrong.

Which leads the Lord’s audience, and us, to understand our desperate condition which we cannot fix ourselves.

Listen to what the apostle Paul writes: here’s one of the verses that led Martin Luther to essentially begin a Reformation 506 years ago.

I can just imagine him preaching this text behind that pulpit made out of old wooden planks, squinting in the dusty room, surrounded by desperate people. He reads from Romans chapter 5:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. … God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:1-2, 8

Christ died for sinners; we stand, not in our works but in His work; not in our goodness, but in His grace. So, here’s the good news:
• You are not saved by being good.
• You are not saved by promising to become better.

What is impossible for you to achieve:
• to save yourself;
• to be perfect;
• to follow the commandments without fail;

That is impossible, but Jesus Christ has done the impossible for you, in His perfect life and through His sacrificial death for sinners like you and me, so our faith—our trust, our hope— is in Christ alone. Our boast is in Him.” Stephen Davey

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” (Luke 18:26)

“Notice, they didn’t ask, “Then how can this rich man be saved?” No, they’re asking, “If this devout, wealthy, Jewish ruler isn’t the picture of someone God has blessed, if he isn’t good enough, how are any of us going to be saved?”

They got the message: nobody qualifies! Nobody can be good enough!” Stephen Davey

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke18:25)

“Now again, the rich person Jesus has in mind isn’t going to get into the kingdom of God because he’s rich, but because his hands are full and he won’t empty them. No one can receive the treasure of heaven if they’re satisfied with treasure on earth.

The problem wasn’t that he had wealth, the problem was wealth had him!

Prying his fingers off what he loved most would be as impossible as squeezing a camel through the eye of a needle.

This was a popular proverb in the Lord’s Day, copied into the Babylonian Talmud compiled centuries before the birth of Christ. The Talmud provided direction and commentary on the life of the Jewish people; in it, one proverb referred to the impossibility of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle. The elephant was the largest animal in Babylon. Pentecost, p. 361

Jesus adapted the proverb, changing the animal to the largest animal in His part of the world, which was the camel.

Now there’s an interesting notion that Jesus was referring to the Needle Gate in Jerusalem that required the camel to bend really low in order to enter. That’s an interesting thought, but there was no such gate in Jerusalem.

Furthermore, the word needle that Jesus uses here—that Dr. Luke would have understood—was a needle a doctor would use for stitches. Reinecker, p. 196

So, pick the largest animal you can think of, if the Lord said this today, in light of fossil discoveries, it might read, “It’s impossible for a Brontosaurus—or a Spinosaurus or a Giganotosaurus—to go through the eye of a needle.” My grandsons have taught me just about all the names of dinosaurs, it’s been a thrilling education!

Here’s the point: you’re not going to get a camel through the eye of a surgical needle, just like you won’t get a rich person into heaven who’s entirely devoted to the things of earth.

The truth is, as one author writes, “Spiritually speaking, no rich person comes to God as a rich person anyway, but as a poor person.” J. Seth Davey, “Money Problems,” Heart to Heart Magazine, October 8, 2023, p. 19

A spiritually destitute person—the poor in spirit—inherit the kingdom of God, Jesus said in Luke 6:20.

Now for the crowd standing nearby listening in, they’re stunned by the implications of Jesus rejecting this rich young ruler.” Stephen Davey

Hebrews 13:20–21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever a...

“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:24b)

“By the way, Jesus didn’t say it’s impossible for wealthy people to enter the kingdom, but it sure is difficult for them to accept the gospel of the kingdom.

Why is that?

Let me suggest four reasons:
First, wealth can create a sense of independence. “I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and I’m a self-made person; I don’t need help for anything.”
Second, wealth can create a spirit of self-confidence. “Look what I’ve done with myself; I’m proud of myself.”
Third, wealth can create a false sense of wisdom. “I’m right about my financial investments and my business acumen, so I’m probably right about a lot of other things, including God and religion.”
Fourth, wealth can create a superiority complex. “I’m better than others who are less prosperous, and if they’re following Jesus, I can understand why, they need a crutch; they don’t have it together like I do, so I’m not about to stoop down to their level in life.”” Stephen Davey

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. (Luke 18:22-23)

“Now at first glance it seems like Jesus just said there was a way to earn his way into heaven. “Go sell your family estate and distribute it—a compound word here that means distribute to various poor people your wealth. Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament (Regency, 1976), p. 195

And then (don’t miss this): come and follow Me. Jesus is challenging him here. “Since you believe you have the commandments down pat, it seems to me we didn’t mention the first commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me?”

I’ve just identified your god!

Listen, whatever stands between you and following Jesus happens to be your true god. Jesus is essentially asking, “Do you want me? Or do you want your money? Do you want to follow Me? Or do you want your family estate?

Jesus is not condemning his possessions; He’s exposing his priorities.

And at first, it seemed like this young man wanted to go to heaven. But not anymore, if it meant giving away what he had on earth.

Jesus is not demanding penance; he’s giving this young man an opportunity to demonstrate true repentance.

Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13). Literally, “You cannot be devoted to money and be devoted to God at the same time.”

So, Jesus was really asking a question, “Is there one thing in your life that you want more than God?”

And his answer was, “Yes; the one thing I love more than God is money, and I want to remain in control of my life and my possessions even if it means I lose eternal life in heaven.”

We’re told here in verse 23 that this rich young ruler realized what was going on and he became very sad; he realized he didn’t want heaven after all.

He was sorry; he was very sorry, but he wasn’t sorry enough. John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Luke (Kregel, 2005), p. 234” Stephen Davey

Numbers 6:24–26 The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.