Introduction
The reason why the disciples of Jesus must have a persistent, humble, and childlike faith is because anything else will create obstacles for following Him. Covetousness, lust, and greed all set hopes and expectations too low for the kingdom, but faith in Jesus aims at an inheritance that can never run out and never be lost.
The Text: When the ruler asks Jesus what he must do to “inherit eternal life,” we should understand that question to be the same as how one may “receive the kingdom” (Lk. 18:17-18). This becomes explicit when Jesus concludes that scene by saying, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Lk. 18:24-29). Jesus takes note of the ruler’s address of Him as “Good Teacher,” asking why he would use that title and pointing out that “no one is good except God alone” (Lk. 18:19). Without waiting for an answer (apparently), Jesus lists five of the Ten Commandments, to which the ruler affirms that he has kept these from his youth (Lk. 18:20-21). Jesus says that he lacks one thing, and instructs him to sell everything, distribute to the poor storing up treasure in heaven, and follow Him (Lk. 18:22). When the (rich) ruler becomes sad at this saying, Jesus says it is very difficult for those with wealth to enter the kingdom, likening it to a camel going through the eye of a needle, and this makes salvation seem impossible (Lk. 18:23-27). The disciples affirm that they have left everything, and Jesus assures them that in the kingdom they will receive far more than they have given up (Lk. 18:28-30). Then, apparently taking the twelve aside, Jesus repeats his mission to go to Jerusalem to die and rise again, but the disciples did not understand Him (Lk. 18:31-34). Finally, drawing near to Jericho, a blind man cries out to Jesus, the Son of David, to have mercy on him, and when Jesus asks what he would like, he asks for his sight and Jesus heals him, saying (once again) that his faith has made him well (Lk. 18:35-42). And having been healed, the blind man followed Jesus rejoicing, and all the people praised God with him (Lk. 18:43).
Two Men
Clearly, these two men (the rich ruler and the blind man) are set side by side, as a study in contrasts. One comes to Jesus with so much (only lacking one thing!), while the other has nothing. But it turns out he only needs one thing. The one cannot follow Jesus and remains in sadness, but the other is set free to follow Jesus with rejoicing. Much of the previous context also fills out this picture: when Jesus calls upon the rich man to sell all that he has and give to the poor and store up treasure in Heaven, this is not merely a spiritual test, it’s actually what will be literally necessary for the rich ruler to inherit the Kingdom when Jesus destroys Jerusalem (Lk. 17:26-37). For those who put their hope in Jerusalem, in the Temple, in Jewish economic or political success, they will be destroyed when the Son of Man comes. But those who leave houses, wives, brothers, parents, children for the sake of the kingdom will receive much more in the kingdom and eternal life (Lk. 18:29-30). Like the tax collector and the children, the blind man stands before God with nothing, crying out for mercy, and he is the one who is justified, the one set free to follow Jesus into His Kingdom (Lk. 18:13-14, 38-42).
Eternal Life
We have already noted that the “kingdom of God” and the “coming of the Son of Man” are parallel (Lk. 17:20-30, cf. Dan. 7:13-14). Those with humble, persistent faith are “justified” before God, and that means they are reckoned among those prepared for the coming of the kingdom of the Son of Man (Lk. 17:7-19, 18:7-8, 14). We need to add to this cluster of vocabulary “eternal life,” a phrase that Luke uses very rarely. Jesus indicates that “eternal life” goes with the “kingdom of God” (Lk. 18:24-30). And this relates back to the prophecy of Daniel who said there would be a time of great trouble, “and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2). Given the context, where Jesus has just said that only children may enter the kingdom, it is not too much of a stretch to relate this to the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus in John 3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3). Likewise, as Peter noted that he and the other apostles had left all for Jesus, he later writes that God has “caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:3-4). Eternal life is being born again into the kingdom of God; it’s being given the faith of a child and the joy of a blind beggar now in this life.
An Inheritance
While many point out that the rich ruler asks what he must “do” to inherit eternal life and point out that eternal life cannot be earned (which is true enough), the question itself seems to imply that tension. What must you do to “inherit” anything? An inheritance is something someone receives by virtue of being born, or in some circumstances, by being adopted. But in neither case is there much you can do. But add to this what the rich man is asking to inherit “eternal life.” That’s the life of the kingdom of God, but clearly it’s also unending life, God’s own life. John says that this is what he and the other disciples witnessed: fellowship in this eternal life with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 1:1-4). How do you “inherit” that? By believing in Jesus Christ with all that you are and holding nothing back. But there’s a difference between believing in Jesus as a Good Teacher and believing in Jesus as your Savior. Many people in the church believe in Jesus as a Good Teacher and wonder why they remain insecure and sad. It’s because they have not trusted in Jesus as their Savior. They are like the disciples – they may believe that Jesus was mocked and treated shamefully and that he arose on the third day – but they don’t really understand why.
Conclusion
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asks the blind beggar. How would you answer? Many of us would ask for things or changes to our circumstances that would get in the way of following Jesus, but the blind man asked for the one thing he needed in order to follow Jesus.