Jesus’ famous dialogue in the synoptic Gospels with the “rich young ruler” is intriguing and was the subject of a sermon and then small-group discussion at our church recently. Here’s the version in Mark 10:
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
It is a bit perplexing that Jesus does not give a terse John 3:16 answer to the initial, $64,000 question — that is, What do I have to do to go to Heaven? — is it not? He seems, instead, to give a “works” answer rather than a “faith” answer.
But not really, when you read the whole passage and think about it. Rather, Jesus actually begins by making the point that no one can achieve perfection via good works, and then — starting with verse 29, after the disciples re-ask the $64,000 question in verse 26 — gives what amounts to the faith answer.
P.S. Still, as I’ve noted before, it is foolish for any Christian to cite his faith and then act as if it is safe to do whatever works he pleases.