Thursday, July 15, 2010

"If you want to be perfect..."

What did Jesus mean when he said this to the 'rich young ruler' in Matthew 19:21? Here is an excerpt from D.A. Carson's commentary (Expositors Bible Comm. -- Zondervan):

“What the word ‘perfect’ suggests here is what it commonly means in the OT: undivided loyalty and full-hearted obedience….”

“…because of his wealth, he [the rich young ruler] had a divided heart. His money was competing with God; and what Jesus everywhere demands as a condition for eternal life is absolute, radical discipleship.

“This entails the surrender of self. ‘Keeping the individual commandments is no substitute for the readiness for self-surrender to the absolute claim of God imposed through the call of the gospel. Jesus’ summons in this context means that true obedience to the Law is rendered ultimately in discipleship.”

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