Estimate of the Ruler
Matthew 19:16-22
And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?…


He was not a spiritual man; there was really nothing spiritually good and loveable in him: nothing truly gracious, as a Puritan divine would call it. He was but a natural man after all — a beautiful specimen of the natural man, as Dr. Chalmers said of some one, but still only a natural man. Nature had indeed done much for him, all it could for him; it had endowed him with riches, power, a high moral nature, an amiable, warm, frank. loving, loveable disposition. See here what nature can do; she can raise her favourites very high in the scale of humanity, so as to compel the homage even of the Saviour's love and admiration. See here what nature cannot do; she cannot carry any one across the boundary that separates the kingdom of God from the world; she can bring him to the very threshold, but there she leaves him; there she is powerless; there her weakness is made known.

(A. L. R. Foote.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

WEB: Behold, one came to him and said, "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"




Deteriorating Influence of Riches
Top of Page
Top of Page