Welcome back to "A Word from the Vine." I’m Pastor Loren Christensen. Today, we’re continuing our journey through the story of the rich young man. Last time, we talked about his earnest question to Jesus about inheriting eternal life. Today, we’re going to look at his confidence in his own righteousness and what Jesus had to say about it.
Let's turn to Mark 10:19-20 - “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’”
Jesus lists the commandments, and the young man confidently claims he has kept them all since his youth. He’s confident in his own righteousness. He’s done all the right things, followed all the rules. But he’s still missing something crucial. He’s missing the heart of the matter. He’s missing the point that it’s not about following rules; it’s about a relationship with Jesus.
Are you patting yourselves on the back for being "good Christians"? Newsflash: It’s not about checking boxes! You can follow all the rules and still miss the heart of the gospel. Jesus is looking for a heart that’s fully surrendered to Him, not just a rule-follower. He’s looking for people who are willing to go beyond the rules and truly follow Him with their whole heart.
Let’s be honest. It’s easy to fall into the trap of self-righteousness. We compare ourselves to others and think, "Well, at least I’m not as bad as that person." We take pride in our good deeds and religious practices, thinking that they make us righteous before God. But the truth is, our righteousness is like filthy rags before a holy God. We can’t earn our way into heaven by our good works. We need a Savior who can cleanse us from our sins and make us righteous in His sight.
Think about the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. They were meticulous in their observance of the law, but their hearts were far from God. They were more concerned with outward appearances than with the condition of their hearts. Jesus called them out for their hypocrisy and warned them that their self-righteousness would not save them. We need to heed that warning and examine our own hearts. Are we relying on our good works to save us, or are we trusting in Jesus alone?
Consider the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:10-14. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing far off, wouldn’t even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"Jesus said that it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home justified before God. Why? Because the tax collector recognized his need for mercy. He understood that no amount of religious activity could make him righteous—only God’s grace could do that.
So, where do we find ourselves today? Are we more like the Pharisee, confident in our own self-righteousness, or like the tax collector, humbly recognizing our need for God’s mercy? The rich young man thought he had it all together because he followed the commandments, but Jesus was calling him to something deeper—He was calling him to surrender, to let go of his self-reliance and depend fully on Him.
Today, Jesus is calling each of us to do the same. It’s not enough to follow the rules; we need to have a heart that’s fully surrendered to Him. We need to recognize that our good deeds will never be enough to earn eternal life. We need a Savior. We need Jesus.
As you go about your week, I challenge you to examine your heart. Are you trusting in your good works, or are you trusting in Jesus alone for your salvation? Let’s remember that it’s not about being perfect or following all the rules—it’s about having a relationship with the One who is perfect, who kept all the commandments on our behalf, and who gave His life so that we could have eternal life.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your grace and mercy. Help us to turn away from self-righteousness and instead lean fully on Jesus, trusting in Him alone for our salvation. Soften our hearts, and teach us to walk humbly before You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Thank you for joining me for another episode of "A Word from the Vine." I’m Pastor Loren Christensen, and I look forward to our next time together as we continue to grow in the Word. God bless you.”
Comments