Article June 13, 1931 Issue

What "a certain ruler" Lacked

ALBERT F. GILMORE

That Christ Jesus possessed the ability to discern the thoughts of those in his presence, as well as to read "the signs of the times," the four Gospels contain ample proof. One of the most convincing examples of this is found in the story of "a certain ruler" whose visit to the Master is set forth with the dramatic effect in Luke's Gospel, a story which contains valuable lessons for the Christian Scientist. This ruler, it appears, having arrived at the stage of human experience where he was taking thought of the future state, came to Jesus with the inquiry, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" His salutation, "Good Master," Jesus quickly rebuked with the assurance that "none is good, save one, that is, God," thus pointing to the divine All-Father as the source of all good. With his unprecedented consciousness of the presence of good and of its divine source, Jesus flatly refused the implication that good could originate in himself.

Jesus then impressed upon the inquirer the necessity of keeping the commandments of Moses, admonishing him thus: "Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother." The ruler immediately assured Jesus that he had kept the Decalogue from his youth up. Yet apparently he had not found in these negations that which satisfied his longing for assurance of continuous life, of individual existence beyond the experience termed death. The Commandments which he had assiduously kept had not brought him the comfort he sought. Something was lacking. He was still seeking.

So perfectly did Jesus read the man's mentality that he was enabled not only to discover precisely the mental attitude which needed correction, but he was also able to supply the remedy. "Yet lackest thou one thing," he told him. "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." This was for the ruler "an hard saying" indeed, a condition he was not prepared to fulfill; for we read that he went away "very sorrowful: for he was very rich."

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