Subject Ninety-four

IMPOSSIBLE WITH MEN
BUT POSSIBLE WITH GOD—
The Fourth Contrast in Luke

Scripture: Luke 18:18-27; 19:1-10

1. Two rich men
   1. In Luke 18 a ruler is mentioned who was a rich man. In Luke 19 a chief publican is mentioned. He was also a rich man.
   2. The rich man mentioned in Luke 18 was a young, moral official, respected by men. The rich man in Luke 19 was an old, despised official, rejected by the Jews of that time.
   3. Both of them loved their wealth dearly.
2. The honorable rich man
   1. The young ruler in Luke 18 was one who was wealthy, moral, and seemingly benevolent. So the question he asked the Lord Jesus was concerning what to do in order to inherit eternal life. Because he was wealthy and charitable, he paid attention to the matter of good work.
   2. The Lord Jesus showed him that to call the Lord “good” is to acknowledge that the Lord is God, because only God is good. This means that the Lord was also showing this rich man that he was not such a good man, but a sinner.
   3. Then the Lord brought him to the realization of his lack. He felt that he had kept all the commandments, but the Lord said that he lacked one thing; that is, to sell all that he had and distribute it to the poor and then come and follow the Lord. What he lacked was to dissolve his wealth and care for the poor on the one hand, and to follow the Lord on the other. Many thought that they were good. The Lord often brought them to realize what they lacked. You might have done ten good things, but the Lord would say that you still lack one. Maybe you love your parents, but you lack loving your brothers. Or maybe you are humble, but you lack patience.
   4. When that rich man heard what he lacked, he went away sorrowful. He went away because: (1) toward men, he was wealthy but really not charitable, because he could not distribute his wealth to the poor; and (2) toward God, he had an idol in his heart. The first of the ten commandments is not to have any idol before God, and next is to love thy neighbor. Outwardly he had obeyed the ten commandments, but in reality he did not obey them at all. The Lord was showing him that he had transgressed against the law.
   5. According to the written letters you may have obeyed the ten commandments, but according to the reality, no one can obey the ten commandments. Between you and God, are there absolutely no idols in your heart? Toward men, is your heart full of love? Since no man can attain to that level, it is impossible with men. It is impossible with men because men are rich. When a man is rich, he has an idol toward God, and he has no love toward men. Your knowledge, wealth, and good family life are your riches. When you did not know so much, you had love toward men. But now that you know so much, you have no love toward men. So the ones who feel rich can never be saved. This is impossible with men.
3. The despised rich man
   1. The rich man mentioned in Luke 19 lived in Jericho. Jericho was a sinful and cursed place. But Jesus passed through there. Jesus would not pass through the place where the honorable rich man lived, but today He is coming to the fallen, sinful place.
   2. Here the rich man was rich but not good. He specialized in scandal and deceit.
   3. He was there not to ask Jesus questions but to see Jesus. To ask Jesus questions is like the study of Jesus as religion. This cannot save you. Look at Jesus, and you will be saved.
   4. Because all were crowding Jesus, Jesus was concealed. Today Jesus is also concealed by so many false Christians and Catholics.
   5. You must overcome the concealing. There are two reasons for this concealing: (1) there were too many people, and (2) he was short in stature. To be short in stature is something natural; to be too crowded is environmental and speaks of a man-made situation. To overcome these overshadowings you need to run ahead of the crowd. Do not be running blindly in their midst, lest you run into hell with them. You need to pass them, leaving behind those false Catholics and false Christians. Also, you need to climb up the tree in order to overcome your natural problem. Though short in stature, once he climbed up a sycamore tree he could see what others could not. He really knew how to do business. Some people may have heard the gospel over a hundred times and still not be saved, but he only heard the message for a few minutes, and he was saved. If you don’t know how to read the Bible, and you ask someone else to read it for you, that someone is like your sycamore tree. If you don’t know how to pray, and you ask someone else to help you to pray, that person is like your sycamore tree. Or like today with so many people around, you hesitate to get saved; but you would wait until most are gone and would stay around to have some talk and prayer, this will be like climbing up the sycamore tree. If you stay in the midst of the crowd, you may be listening to the gospel all your life and still not be saved. But if you would run ahead and climb up the sycamore tree, you will be saved.
   6. He wanted to see Jesus, but actually Jesus saw him first. When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and saw him. He called him by name and said to him, “Zaccheus, make haste, and come down.” When you believe in the Lord, right away you will sense that the Lord is calling your name. He calls your name because He knows you. You are saved when the Lord calls you. The Lord knows your living situation. He also knows what sins you have committed. Because He knows you, He calls your name. Among so many people, Jesus only called Zaccheus, because Zaccheus had a heart for Him.
   7. When he heard Jesus, he received Him joyfully. Have you ever received Jesus? Have you let Him live in you? The first rich man only studied the truth, but this rich man received Jesus into him. Emphasize the wordsreceive and live.
   8. After he received Jesus into him, something happened. Immediately he said, “Lord,”—Jesus became his Lord— “the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold.” Now he is rich and charitable. He has forsaken the idol. This power did not come from himself but came as a result of his receiving Jesus.
   9. The Lord said, “Today is salvation come to this house.” Where Jesus is, there is salvation. Mere letters are something dead; the more you study them the more you are dead. But, as soon as Jesus comes in, man is saved.
   10. It is possible with God.