A Bible Study Plan - John 18:18-27

I. Introduction

Open with prayer.

In our time together today we’ll being taking a deep dive into the story of the “rich young ruler” as found in the book of Luke, chapter 18, verses 18-27. 

Q: Are you familiar with the story?

 

A.     (If the answer in the class is yes): What do you remember about it? (As answers are shared, write them on the whiteboard.  To prompt responses, ask questions such as: Who was Jesus talking to? What was Jesus asked? How did Jesus respond? What was the response? What else do you remember?

 

B.     (If the answer to the question is silence or no, then do this instead of the white board, tell the story…Skip this part if there have been responses to I.A.)  The story we’ll be discussing today is about a rich young man who comes to ask Jesus about what he needs to do to inherit eternal life.  After the two of them talk about following the law, Jesus tells him that he needs to do one thing more – sell all he owns and give the money to the poor; then come follow Jesus. The man is sad – he has many possessions.  Then Jesus tells him and those gathered around something surprising.

 II.                Reading the Scripture

Distribute Handout A to two people who agree to be readers – Man and Jesus. Distribute a Handout to everyone else with the passage in New Revised Standard.  Ask the readers to read the passage, along with the teacher as narrator. 

 

Q: Anything surprising about what you heard?

III.         A Closer Look at the Passage

III.             A closer look at the passage

 

A.    Comparison to other Gospel stories

This story we’re looking at today is in two other gospels – Matthew and Mark.

 

Use the whiteboard information that to indicate which parts are in Luke or Matthew or Mark, using the table below. Circle (or add and circle) those things which are unique to Luke; place an X on those items in other gospels.  Be sure to mention the ones in bold – the others are not as important to the rest of the lesson.

 

If the class wasn’t familiar with the story as the lesson started, share information comparing the three gospels.

 

Luke 18:18-27	Matthew 19:16-26	Mark 10:17-31
Calls the man a ruler	Calls him someone	Calls him a man
	The man asks which commandments he must follow
	Adds love your neighbor as yourself	Adds, you shall not defraud.
	The man asks what he lacks	Jesus looks at him and loves him.
“You lack one thing”	“If you wish to be perfect”	“You lack one thing”
The man does not leave, and Jesus directs the comment about the rich entering heaven to the man.	The man leaves, and Jesus tells his disciples how hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.	The man leaves, and Jesus tells his disciples how hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.

 

Q: Any thoughts anyone wants to share here?

 

For me, one of the most interesting parts about the comparison is that in Mark, Jesus looks at the man and loves him.  According to the notes on Mark in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible this is “the only person in the Gospel Jesus is said to love.” (Tolbert 2003. 1829)

 

I also find it interesting that the man doesn’t leave in Luke – he goes away and doesn’t hear what Jesus says to the disciples, including the point that with God all things are possible. In Luke, the man sticks around to hear that point of hope.

I also want to point out that nothing in the Bible tells us what happens to the man.  It is open ended.  We often hear “The man couldn’t do what Jesus asked – but that’s not in the Bible.  Keep that in mind as we continue.