Good

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”  (Mark 10:17-18, NASB)

The text above from the book of Mark, is account of the Parable of the Rich Young Ruler (or the Rich Young Man).  The main point of the story is the young man approaches Jesus and wants to know how to obtain eternal life.  Jesus lists several of the Commandments to keep to which the young man says that he has always kept them.  Then Jesus replies that there is one thing that the young man lacks:  “‘Go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.”  (Mark 10:21-22)  Jesus then tells His disciples how difficult it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.  They wonder, “Then who can be saved?”  Jesus replies that it’s impossible with men, but “all things are possible with God.”  (Mark 10:23-27)

There’s another aspect to this story that interests me, and that’s Jesus telling the young man that “no one is good except God alone.”  Every time I hear someone tell another person how good they are (I do the same thing) I think of the story. In today’s society we tend to exaggerate the goodness of people.  No one is good except God alone.  A word which is way overused is “awesome.”  No one is awesome except God alone. 

The young man starts by calling Jesus “Good Teacher.”  Jesus replies, “Why do you call Me good?”  Of course He’s good, He’s God!  His point is that God is the only One good, and the young man doesn’t understand Jesus’ deity. 

No one is good except God alone.  Many people think they can get to heaven because they’re a good person.  But the Bible says different:  Our righteousness is like filthy rags.  There is no one who does good.  The good news is that Jesus, the Good Teacher, came to the earth to die on the cross, and take the punishment we deserve for our sins.  Would you place your faith and trust in Him today?  We can’t get to heaven by being good.  No one is good except God alone.