Mark 10:17-18, “Now as He (Christ) was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (18) So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.”
This interesting interaction raises some questions. Firstly, why did the man known as the rich young ruler address the Lord Jesus as He did – Good Teacher? The Jews believed that only God is truly good. Either he accepted that Christ is God in the flesh, or it was a very misguided and inappropriate way to speak. As the conversation unfolds it is clear that he could not confess as Peter did “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Secondly, what are we to make of Christ’s response? Why did He not say something along these lines, “you have addressed me correctly, no one is good but One, that is, God”? This was a glorious opportunity for Jesus to clearly affirm His deity, yet some argue that He actually denied being divine. His answer, however, is not a denial, it is an invitation. Christ is inviting this man to think about his own words and to Whom he addressed them.
Goodness as it applies to God, is a comprehensive idea. It encapsulates all His other attributes. To say that God is good does not mean that He measures up to a moral code. His law is an expression of His character not an external standard that He must satisfy. Nevertheless, it is not wrong to think in moral terms. Negatively, there is no sin in God – He does not delight in destruction, injustice, suffering, cruelty, falsehood. Positively, the goodness of God equates to perfection – He is perfect in love, justice, compassion, mercy, truth, etc. As the psalmist says, “You are good and do good.” God can only ever do good because He can only ever be good. Ultimately, God’s goodness equates to beauty – the beauty of holiness. God is holy in character and action.
God’s goodness is seen throughout the earth as He provides for His creation. It is seen in that He restrains evil and maintains a level of stability. He gives health and strength and gifts to people so we can live comfortable lives. God’s goodness reaches its climax in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The rich young ruler didn’t understand what he was saying, but He was right. Nowhere is the goodness of God so manifestly evident than in the incarnation; God becoming man in order to suffer and die making atonement for our sins.
The issue for us, is not simply what we say about Christ, but who we believe He is; what He means to us. Many people regard Jesus as good – Jehovah’s Witnesses, Muslims, Hindus, even atheists. Mahatma Ghandi had great admiration for Jesus but fell far short of Peter’s confession. Christ is good in the ultimate sense of the term because He is God. Only God is good, therefore Christ is good.
Let the invitation given to the rich young ruler be an invitation to us, to discover Christ for ourselves. Don’t be content with superlatives, merely talking the talk. Immerse yourself in His life and teaching. May we find and continue to find the richness of knowing Christ and the goodness of His fellowship, love, grace, compassion, wisdom, to those who believe.