“AIMING HIGH, FALLING SHORT”

20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 

Matthew 19:20

The American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, talking about goal setting, famously said, “We aim above the mark to hit the mark.” His point is that we should set high aspirations for ourselves, not be satisfied with mediocre results, and keep working to reach our goals. But does this mindset apply to the biblical concept of salvation?

We continue our study of Matthew 19, where Jesus is having a conversation with a man who believes that he has successfully obeyed God’s law and thus is worthy of having a place in heaven.

In verse 20, the man claims that he has kept all of these commandments. However, he still senses insufficiency in himself. For him to claim perfect obedience to these laws is one thing, but whether he had truly kept them is something that only God knows.

Why did Jesus' response focus on obedience rather than faith?

The man was living in a time when adherence to the Law of Moses was the standard of righteousness. But this doesn’t mean that people could actually claim absolute and faultless obedience to the demands of the Law. As mere mortals with a sinful nature, people always found themselves falling short of this heavenly standard.

I think Jesus wanted this man to understand that it is impossible to win God’s favor by good deeds. He was trying to help the man see that the Law was not intended to prove one’s worthiness but to show one’s inability to save himself (Romans 3:20).

Our situation is not that different from this rich young ruler. We start at a point where we don’t know who God is, but we feel a sense of incompleteness. We sense that we owe Him something, but we don’t know what and how much. This is true of anyone who is in a relentless pursuit of spiritual truth. Seeking God allows us to see our utter inability to meet God's standards.

So, we try different things to make us right before Him. We try to compare ourselves with others. We feel good when we see ourselves “holier” than them. But our experience will prove that we can never obey God perfectly; there is always a tendency to fall short of His yardstick.

Consider the Apostle Paul’s thoughts.

23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” 

Romans 3:23

Paul’s statement covers all of humanity—with the Lord Jesus as the only exception (He is God). Despite our best efforts, we can never measure up to the holiness and righteousness of Christ, who lived a perfect life and in total obedience to God the Father. He alone is worthy of God’s approval. But in His grace, He shares righteousness with all who come to Him in humility and faith.

Are you one of them?

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash