Luke 18:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth."

NIV: "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.

NASB: And he said, 'All these things I have kept since my youth.'

CSB: "I have kept all these from my youth," he said.

NLT: The man replied, 'I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.'

KJV: And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

NKJV: And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

A rich young ruler has come up to Jesus and asks, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus frames His answer around the address: "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone" (Luke 18:18–19). Jesus then leads the man on a journey around the concept of "good" and what it means in the kingdom of God. He asks the man if he has fulfilled those of the Ten Commandments that apply to interactions with other people—leaving out "Do not covet," perhaps because the man is richer than those around him (Luke 18:20).

This is the man's reply. He is good to people. He is useful, pleasant, and honorable. He is a "good" man by the standards of the world.

Jesus needs him to see that being good isn't sufficient to warrant eternal life. It is impossible to be good enough. So, Jesus pushes him further by telling him to sell all he owns and give it to the poor, and come follow Him. The man can't do it. He can't reach the level of good needed for eternal life. This is not because wealth is a sin, but because the man prioritizes money over a relationship with Christ. He walks away, dejected (Luke 18:22–24).

He doesn't stick around for Jesus' encouragement. When the disciples ask who can be saved, Jesus says, "What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Luke 18:26–27). The rich man doesn't really need to give away all his possessions; he needs to admit that he can't save himself. He should be willing to do so. God should be his ultimate priority. The young man needs to be like the character in an earlier parable: "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'" (Luke 18:13). He needs to fully rely on the grace of God.

Luke 18:18–27 introduces the counter example to the powerless, trusting children of Luke 18:15–17. This instance also contrasts with the sacrificial disciples of Luke 18:28–30. The children have nothing to cling to and readily receive God's kingdom. The rich man in this section cannot muster such dependent faith. He wants eternal life but doesn't know if it's worth sacrificing worldly comforts. Conversely, the disciples have given up their place in the world in hopes of something better. This story is also found in Matthew 19:16–22 and Mark 10:17–22.

Luke continues to arrange Jesus' teachings by their topic. Here, he includes two parables: the persistent widow and the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus encourages children to approach Him. He interacts with a moral, wealthy man who can't bear to follow Jesus if it means giving up wealth. After another prediction of His death, Jesus encounters and heals a blind man on His way to Jerusalem.

Luke 18 approaches the end of Jesus' "travelogue" to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51—19:27). Luke has selected miracles, teachings, and events to show how Jesus trained His disciples. His emphasis was explaining the kingdom of God in preparation for their work to build the church. Luke 18 includes several contrasts between those who understand God's kingdom and those who don't. Luke 19 includes the story of Zacchaeus and another parable before Jesus' triumphal entry and the Passion Week. These stories are also found primarily in Matthew 19—20 and Mark 10.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.