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This Sunday, we will once again be in the book of Luke (I’m loving this book of the Bible so much!). We’ll explore the story of the “Rich Young Ruler” from Luke 18:18–30. It’s a sad account of a man who seemingly had everything, yet was completely empty.

Luke 18:23 describes this unnamed man as “very rich.” Luke 18:18 tells us he was a religious leader—someone with authority and influence. Matthew 19, a parallel passage, adds that he was “young.” In the world’s eyes, this man had everything our culture prizes: youth, wealth, and power. Yet, he was still spiritually searching. He approaches Jesus with a big question:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18)

Jesus’ response gets right to the heart of what’s holding this man back from truly following Him:
“There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler’s response is one of the saddest recorded moments in Scripture. Luke writes,
“But when the man heard this, he became very sad, for he was very rich.” (Luke 18:23)

He walked away from the eternal treasure Jesus offered because he couldn’t walk away from the temporary treasure he possessed. Jesus exposed what this man truly placed his faith in. What a tragic decision. We should not follow his example.

But there is another rich young ruler in this story—one we are called to follow.

The true Rich Young Ruler isn’t the wealthy man—it’s Jesus. He is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), the ultimate Ruler (Revelation 1:5), and during His earthly ministry, He was young—likely around 32 or 33 years old during this encounter. Jesus is the true Rich Young Ruler who gave up everything to be the ransom for our sin (Mark 10:45)!

When we follow this Rich Young Ruler and place our faith in Him, we are promised eternal life—the true and everlasting treasure (Luke 18:30). That’s the Good News we’ll be sharing this Sunday at Calvary—at our 9:00 am English service and 11:00 am Spanish service. Invite a friend, neighbor, or co-worker. They’ll hear the clear gospel message of Jesus through this powerful passage.

This passage in Luke 18 became even more meaningful to me this week when I learned that Eric Wakeling’s dad, George Wakeling, passed away. At the age of 92, George went to be with Jesus last Tuesday night.

George lived a life with Jesus as his treasure. From welcoming teen moms into his home when he and his wife Betty were newly married, to serving faithfully as a longtime pastor at Ocean Hills Church in South Orange County, to starting a nonprofit to care for the poor in places like Sayulita, Mexico—George lived a surrendered life for God’s kingdom. He exchanged earthly treasure for eternal treasure—the treasure he is now experiencing in real time.

We celebrate George’s life this week and also grieve with Eric, Bea, the girls, and the Wakeling family as they mourn his passing. Please be praying for them as the Lord brings them to mind.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday,

Matt Doan
Reach Pastor