Good and helpful for us and for us towards others, here, Scot. Thanks.

“Is this evangelism” Well only if we can turn your thoughts here into 3 bullet points!

I can’t believe Jesus blew his chance to tell the rich young ruler that just as there are physical laws that govern the physical world, so there are spiritual laws blah, blah, blah…God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”
Christianity is a behavioral reality, not merely a belief system. Obedience to Jesus’ “Follow me” will reveal faith in Jesus or not.

It really is this simple. Looking for loopholes and caveats with Jesus will only get you the straight scoop.
Pointing out that the 10 Commandments are divided into two sections is helpful–the first section contains commandments about loving God and the second section contains commandments about loving others.
The whole “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” is a point of idolatry that many currently seem to be missing–especially when we think about it as “someday I’ll want this”

Can one earn an inheritance? Isn’t an inheritance a gift?

I guess it depends on the laws governing the estate.

A couple of comments are in order. The implicit understanding of the disciples is close to the Deuteronomistic understanding of the two ways in which the righteous are blessed and the impious cursed in this life and the age to come–the same implicit biblical theology that motivated Job’s friends.Jesus’ kindgdom announcement subverts this.
It’s interesting to note that the term “evangelical” in the Western Christian context is often identitified with a certain reading of Romans and the experience of it as a tranformative text by Luther and then Wesley. But in patristic history abd later,the “evangelical,” typified by this text and parallels,has been defined as followig Jesus in this ascetical lifestyle by Saints Anthony and Francis of Assisi,among others.It’s funny how Evangelicalism can more readily subsume the American success paradigm as Christian,while claimin to be Christian,and at the same time marginalize or reject,for all intents and purposes,the ascetic Jesus of the Gospels. Who’s evangelical?

I’ve been reading this blog for a couple of months now but have never commented before. Scary!
I’ve was raised “evangelical” which meant that we were about the four spiritual laws and other evangelism techniques. It is a system that is grounded in believing rather that doing. Yet this rich man is asking “what must I do”. Also in Matthew 25:34 and following, Jesus is talking about doing. Have I had it all wrong?

What I think it is interesting that Jesus leaves out the last commandment from his list:
“You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”
Ex. 20:17
When the man says he has kept the ones Jesus listed, Jesus says “One thing you lack…” I don’t think the issue is the man’s wealth. It is a covetous spirit. He “covets” eternal life and wants to know how to “earn” what can only be “inherited” or given.

re division of the ten — five and five — doesn’t honor your ‘rents fall more generally into the latter side (love your neighbor)?
Isn’t the sabbath commandment similarly for love of fellow humans primarily? (The Sabbath is made for folks not folks for the Sabbath)… and rest is for our neighbors the animals and the earth (ala Franciscan family definitions — brother sun, sister moon)…
All of which confirms the Jesus Creed — just makes it even more impossible to segment?
grace and peace

tim,
The first “half” is not five/five but the love God portion and the love others portion.

I wrote: “What I think it is interesting that” Sheesh! I think my brain has gone to random neuron firing. Sorry.

Scot, ok, well said — biblical halfs don’t have to be half and half — but aren’t the Sabbath and all the first half also at least half-way about neighbor?
and/or — need there even be a division?

I’m all for reclaiming a better (more biblical?) definition of evangelical! The “Good News” is about hearing (which includes right understanding) and then doing (being obedient). The first without the second isn’t complete.

tim,
For me it’s not about half/half kind of idea but about the deep structure of commands — they are either about loving God or loving others.

Good one, John. I do tire of this physical law spiritual law rigamarole.