The Rich Young Ruler and Blind Bartimaeus (Luke 18:18-43)
A ruler comes to Jesus with a question: "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus first pushes back on the word "good," reminding him that only God is good. Then He lists the commandments. The ruler says he has kept them all since he was a boy. Jesus sees something underneath that answer and says: "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When the ruler hears this, he becomes very sad, because he was extremely wealthy. He does not argue. He does not negotiate. He just walks away. Jesus watches him go and says: "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."
The disciples are astonished: if a rich, obedient, religious man cannot be saved, then who can? Jesus answers: "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Peter says they have left everything to follow Jesus. Jesus promises that no one who has left home or family or possessions for the Kingdom will fail to receive far more in return.
Then Jesus tells His disciples again, clearly: the Son of Man will be delivered over to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted, spat on, flogged, and killed. On the third day He will rise again. The disciples understand none of this. Its meaning is hidden from them.
As Jesus approaches Jericho, a blind man is sitting by the road begging. He hears the crowd passing and asks what is happening. They tell him Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. He cries out: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The crowd tries to silence him. He shouts all the louder. Jesus stops, orders him brought forward, and asks: "What do you want me to do for you?" The man says: "Lord, I want to see." Jesus says: "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he sees. He follows Jesus, glorifying God. The whole crowd praises God.
A Curious Question
The rich young ruler came to Jesus with a serious question about eternal life. He had obeyed the commandments since he was a boy. He clearly respected Jesus. But when Jesus gave him the one thing he needed to do, he walked away. Jesus did not chase him. He did not soften the requirement. He let him go. Why do you think Jesus gave that particular command to that particular man? And what do you think would have happened to the ruler if he had actually done it?
Old Testament Connection
The ruler's question, "what must I do to inherit eternal life," assumes that eternal life is something you earn by doing. The entire Old Testament covenant system pointed toward the same problem: no one keeps the law perfectly. Deuteronomy 6:5 commands love for God with all your heart, soul, and strength. The ruler said he had kept all the commandments. But Jesus did not ask whether he had performed religious behaviors. He asked whether his heart was free to give up everything for God. It was not. That test, one pointed command, revealed what the exterior obedience had not.
Blind Bartimaeus calling out "Son of David" is significant. It is a messianic title rooted in 2 Samuel 7, where God promised David that one of his descendants would reign forever. The crowds around Jesus are not using that title in this passage. A blind beggar on the side of the road is using it. He sees something the religious leaders have refused to see: that Jesus is the promised king of David's line. The one who cannot see physically has better theological vision than the rulers of Israel. That contrast is one of Luke's sharpest ironies and one of the most important lessons in this unit: what you possess and what you know does not determine whether you can see Jesus. Desperation and faith do.
Discussion Questions
- Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. His disciples asked: then who can be saved? Jesus said what is impossible with people is possible with God. What do you think that means? Does wealth make it impossible, or is wealth a picture of something else?
- The blind man was told by the crowd to be quiet. He shouted louder. What does it tell you about his faith that he refused to stop calling out, even when the people around him tried to silence him? Is there something you need from Jesus that you have stopped asking for because it feels like no one is listening?
- The rich young ruler had everything. Blind Bartimaeus had nothing. Which one ended up following Jesus? What does that tell you about what actually makes someone able to follow Jesus?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
This week, think honestly about what your "one thing" is. The ruler's one thing was his wealth. He could not let go of it. Everyone has something they are holding more tightly than they are holding Jesus. It might be a friendship, a reputation, a habit, a plan for the future, or something else entirely. You do not have to fix it this week. But you do have to name it. Write it down somewhere private, then tell God what it is. That honest acknowledgment is the beginning of the kind of faith Bartimaeus had, nothing hidden, nothing held back, just: Lord, I want to see.
Memorize God's Word
Luke 18:27: "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
Hand Motions:
- What is impossible with man: Try to push your two fists together as if pressing against something that will not move, then open your hands and shrug slightly.
- is possible: Clap once firmly, then snap both fingers at the same time.
- with God: Point both index fingers upward and hold them there, looking up.
Praying with Kids
Lord Jesus, we confess that we are often more like the rich ruler than Bartimaeus. We come to You with questions, but we already have our hands full of things we are not willing to put down. Give us the courage to let go of whatever it is that keeps us walking away sad. And give us the boldness of Bartimaeus, who would not be silenced, who kept shouting Your name even when the crowd told him to stop. Son of David, have mercy on us. Help us to see. Amen.
Craft: The Open Hands Journal Page
Children will trace their own hands on paper to create a visual reminder about holding things loosely before God. The craft connects directly to the lesson's central contrast: closed hands that cannot receive versus open hands that can.
Materials Checklist
Instructions
- Each child traces both their hands on the paper. On the left hand trace, draw the fingers curved inward as if gripping something. On the right hand trace, draw the fingers spread open, palm facing up.
- Inside the closed fist, children write their "one thing": whatever it is they hold onto most tightly. This is private and does not need to be shared.
- Inside the open hand, children write: "Lord, I want to see. Luke 18:41."
- Above both hands, write: "What is impossible with man is possible with God. Luke 18:27."
- Encourage children to keep the page and look at it each day this week as a reminder to open their hands before God rather than holding on.
Effective Teaching Techniques
The "camel through the eye of a needle" image will almost certainly produce giggles and questions. Lean into it rather than rushing past it. Ask children to picture it. Make it concrete: a full-grown camel, a standard sewing needle. Completely impossible. That is the point. Jesus is not saying wealth makes salvation hard. He is saying salvation is impossible for humans to manufacture on their own, whether they are rich or poor. The only way in is God doing what humans cannot. That is grace.
The contrast between the rich ruler and Bartimaeus is the structural heart of this lesson, and it is worth pausing to make it explicit. Set up the contrast before you begin: "We are going to meet two people today. Both of them came to Jesus. Both of them wanted something. One walked away sad. One walked away seeing. By the end, I want you to tell me what made the difference." Then teach the two stories, let children answer, and build your application from their answers rather than your own.
Jesus letting the ruler walk away is the moment most teachers feel the urge to soften. Resist it. Jesus loved this man, Luke says in other Gospel accounts. He loved him and He let him choose. Do not add a line about the ruler eventually coming back or turning it around. The text does not say that. What the text gives you is more powerful: a man who was given a clear invitation and could not accept it. Let children sit with that. Ask: what do you think the ruler's life looked like after that day?
The most likely question: "Did Jesus actually make a blind man see?" Answer directly: yes. This is a historical account in Luke, not a parable. Jesus healed the man physically and the crowd witnessed it and praised God. The miracle is real. The faith that received it is real. And the man's response, following Jesus and glorifying God, is what makes this healing different from the nine lepers who were healed and kept walking.