How does Matthew 19:17 challenge the concept of inherent human goodness? Text “‘Why do you ask Me about what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.’ ” (Matthew 19:17) Immediate Setting A wealthy young ruler approaches Jesus, presuming that human effort can secure eternal life. By redirecting the word “good” from human deeds to God’s unique character, Jesus immediately reframes the conversation. The Lord’s answer exposes the young man’s—and by extension humanity’s—misconception that goodness originates in us rather than in God alone. Theological Contrast: God’s Singular Moral Perfection vs. Human Deficiency 1. God Alone Is Essentially Good • Psalm 100:5—“For the LORD is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” • Nahum 1:7—“The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of distress.” 2. Humanity Lacks Innate Goodness • Romans 3:10-12—“There is no one righteous, not even one…there is no one who does good.” • Ecclesiastes 7:20—“Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” By asserting that “Only One is good,” Jesus eliminates any concept of intrinsic human righteousness. In so doing He rebuffs Pelagian notions of moral self-sufficiency and affirms the biblical teaching of original sin introduced in Genesis 3. Original Sin and Total Depravity Genesis 3 narrates the historic fall of Adam and Eve—an event Jesus repeatedly treats as literal history (cf. Matthew 19:4). The apostle Paul ties Adam’s disobedience to universal human corruption (Romans 5:12-19). Empirical behavioral studies mirror this conclusion: cross-cultural research on moral development (e.g., Kohlberg’s stages) shows that altruistic behavior requires external reinforcement and is never universally consistent. Scripture anticipated this: “The intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). Comparative Scriptural Witness • Isaiah 64:6 pictures human righteousness as “filthy rags.” • James 2:10 underscores that a single infraction renders a person “guilty of breaking all of it.” • Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19—parallel passages reinforce the same line of reasoning, attesting to synoptic consistency. Christological Implication When Jesus says, “Only One is good,” He is not denying His own deity; rather He presses the ruler to recognize that calling Jesus “good” logically necessitates acknowledging Him as God. This implicit claim to divinity coheres with John 10:30—“I and the Father are One”—and the resurrection, historically verified by multiple, early, independent eyewitness testimonies (1 Corinthians 15:3-8), vindicates His unique goodness. Mosaic Commandments as Diagnostic, Not Salvific Jesus directs the ruler to the commandments, not to imply works-based salvation, but to reveal the impossibility of self-justification (Galatians 3:24). The young man’s later confession—“What do I still lack?” (Matthew 19:20)—exposes the insufficiency of human effort and underlines the need for grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Archaeological and Textual Reliability Dead Sea Scroll fragments (4QXII^g) attest to the unaltered Hebrew text affirming God’s exclusive goodness, predating Christ by two centuries. Early papyri such as P^64 and P^67 (Matthean fragments c. AD 150) confirm the wording of Matthew 19:17, reinforcing that this teaching is not a later theological interpolation but part of the original apostolic witness. Patristic Echoes • Augustine (Contra Julianum 2.8) cites Matthew 19:17 to refute claims of innate human virtue. • Chrysostom (Hom. 63 on Matthew) notes that Jesus “draws him from the haughty imagination that he had of his own goodness.” Pastoral and Evangelistic Implications 1. Conviction: Confront seekers with God’s absolute standard rather than relative morality. 2. Humility: Acknowledge the futility of self-generated goodness; receive Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). 3. Worship: Praise flows from recognizing that only God is truly good (Psalm 145:7-9). 4. Discipleship: Teach believers to rely on the Spirit’s sanctifying power, not innate virtue (Galatians 5:16-25). Conclusion Matthew 19:17 dismantles the myth of inherent human goodness by fixing the definition of “good” in God alone. The verse exposes human insufficiency, drives sinners to grace, exalts Christ’s divine identity, and invites a life that glorifies the only One who is good. |
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