Compare/contrast Ruler and Zacchaeus's interactions with Jesus.

Facts

1.	What are the two parts of the young man's question?

a.	Good teacher,

b.	What must I do to inherit eternal life?

Interp

1.	What was the young man's reason for approaching Jesus? Zacchaeus's?

a.	To find out how to inherit eternal life–

2.	But why Jesus? What did he believe about Jesus that would make him seek Jesus out in order to get an answer to this burning question?

a.	He believed he was good.

3.	Why would a good person be able to tell him about how to inherit eternal life?

a.	This is an authority issue, he thinks Jesus' goodness gives him authority to explain eternal life.

b.	How does this work? Why do I go to Larry Richards for instance to learn how to pass a Greek exam? He's good at Greek, and he can tell me how to do it. A good person must be 'in' so he could give me the 'bare minimums.'

c.	Maybe the next question is another way to say this . . .

4.	What insights into his understanding of salvation do we get?

a.	Thinks salvation is primarily in his power to achieve

5.	What else is strange just about the language he uses? What must I do to inherit eternal life?–context should help here

a.	You don't do anything to get an inheritance, you just have to be born–like a little child

Facts

1.	What are the two parts of Jesus response?

a.	Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

b.	You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.

Interp

1.	Why does Jesus ask, "Why do you call me good? What is he trying to get the young man to see?

a.	That there is no one good except God.

2.	Why is it important for the young man to see that?

a.	Jesus could be making a statement about his own divinity

b.	And the young man needs to see that his goodness is not good.

3.	So why does Jesus say this next part, "You know the commandments, adultery, murder, stealing, false witness, honor parents"?

a.	Trying to get him to see that he really isn't keeping all these since youth. He's continuing the same thought that the young man's goodness is not goodness, only God is good.

Facts

1.	But what does the young man say when Jesus begins to enumerate the commandments?

a.	Been there done that "All these things I have kept from my youth.

Interp

1.	Where has the young man been so far in this conversation?

a.	Not there, he's not hearing what Jesus is saying, he actually thinks he's done all this.

2.	What sort of an understanding of the commandments does he have?

a.	Shallow

3.	How satisfied is he with the results of his commandment keeping?

4.	Is he sincere? How do we know? Is it working?

5.	Is sincerity enough for peace? What do you do when sincerity doesn't work?

Facts

1.	Did Jesus recognize this? Yes, So what is his response? "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you will shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.

Interp

1.	What is Jesus doing? Here he is frustrated 'cause he's doing everything right and doesn't think he's doing enough, so Jesus says, "Do more!"

a.	He's trying to overwhelm him with the impossibility of the task he has set before himself–that of doing it himself.

2.	What else is he doing? Jesus never shows someone a picture of absolute hopelessness just to discourage them.

a.	Showing him a picture of himself, the one who does not lack anything because he has sold all that he has and has given it to us, the poor, in order to have his treasures in heaven.–even the "follow me" is a clue here, that Jesus is the one who has sold everything.

Facts

1.	How did the young man's feel about Jesus' instructions?

a.	But when he heard these things, he became very sad,

2.	Why does Luke say he was so sad?

a.	for he was extremely rich.

Interp

1.	Why would his riches lead him to be sad? (What kind of a request does he think Jesus is making of him?)

a.	He thought Jesus was asking him to make a huge sacrifice, and experience a great loss

2.	How accurate is his estimation of Jesus' request? (Who is he talking to, here, anyway, some backwoodsman from Nazareth?–no the king!!)

a.	Very accurate, 'cause Jesus was calling him to lose everything, and totally wrong because with the King of the Universe as your master, what are you lacking? How can you lose anything when you receive Jesus? Anything you lose is rubbish compared to having Christ.

3.	In what sense is it true that it is very hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God? From the context, what sort of riches were holding this young man back? What sort of riches do we know he had? (Give Biblical evidence that riches and wealth can refer to more than material things–2Cor 8:9, Eph 2:4, Rev 2:9; 3:17)

a.	He was rich in his law-keeping, and could not see his need.

4.	How hard is it for one who does not see his spiritual poverty to enter the kingdom of God?

a.	Impossible

Both of these men encountered Jesus, write down all the similarities and differences you see.

Ruler	Zacch
Reason for seeking out Jesus	to ask what must I do to inherit eternal life	to see who Jesus was
status	rich (in what way)	rich (in what way)

Why didn't Zacchaeus's riches prevent him from seeing his need?
attitude in the encounter	just questioned Jesus–didn't seem to have trouble getting to Jesus, and came w/ his pride and self-sufficiency	had trouble seeing Jesus 'cause he was short, and had to climb a tree (was humiliating, but he didn't care)
baggage	Both had an inheritance problem:

Wanted to know what to do to inherit eternal life	Zacchaeus also had an inheritance problem, he was short: an inherited handicap, that he could not change. (spiritual significance of not being able to see Jesus because of shortness–and other people in the way)
main initiator	Questions Jesus and asks what he (young man) must do	Jesus speaks to him and says what He (Jesus) must do
response to Jesus	Was sad	Welcomes Him gladly
Response of people	Wondered who can be saved if not a rich man	Wondered why Jesus would go to his home
method of salvation	offers his own works	Zac just welcomes Jesus
Jesus' call	Jesus called both into relationship: follow me	Jesus called both into relationship: I must come to your house
end result?	Lacked one thing–not that he was really close, but that he was missing the one and most important thing–the ability to give up all–and that was impossible for him. So to enter the kingdom, he needed Jesus, the only one who could give up all.	salvation came to his house (Jesus came to his house) What is salvation? Jesus–Eternal life is not a length of time, it is having the Eternal One take up residence in you.
solution would have been to see Jesus	solution was seeing Jesus