Faces in the Crowd: Characters in the Story of Jesus (The Rich Young Ruler and His Friends)

Although the life and work of Jesus Christ is the focus of the gospels, other characters play a role in his story. During fifteen sessions, we’re looking at the following individuals and groups who encountered Jesus as he moved from birth to the cross. During the series, we'll look at the following persons:

• Session 1 - Mary, the Mother of Jesus
• Session 2 - John the Baptist
• Session 3 - Nicodemus
• Session 4 - Mary Magdalene
• Session 5 - Simon Peter (Part 1)
• Session 6 - Simon Peter (Part 2)
• Session 7 - Simon Peter (Part 3)
• Session 8 - Matthew and the Tax Collectors
• Session 9 - James, John, Thomas, Philip, and the Rest
• Session 10 - Judas
• Session 11 - The Scribes, Pharisees and Teachers of the Law
• Session 12 - The Herods
• Session 13 - Pilate and the Other Romans
• Session 14 - The Crowds
• Session 15 - The Rich Young Ruler and His Friends

In our fifteenth session, we looked at the Rich Young Ruler and his friends. A recording of our discussion and some of the material and passages we discussed are below.

Luke’s View of Wealth (Luke 6:20-26) 

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
   for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now,
   for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
   for you will laugh.

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich,
   for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now,
   for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
   for you will mourn and weep.

“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10:17-27)

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Other Rich Persons

Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57-61)

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Women Supporters of Christ (Luke 8:3, Mark 15:40-41)

Luke 8:1-3: Soon afterward he went on through one town and village after another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them out of their own resources.

Mark 15:40-41: There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, who followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him, and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

The Rich Man in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”