The Young Ruler

I have always loved this painting. It is beautiful and elegant. Its impossible not to recognize the story and in one view to understand the dilemma that the young man finds himself in.Both figures are imposing and dominate the frame. Christ arms show great compassion and tenderness towards the poor. How could he resist the plea for assistance.

We have two of these painting in our chapel. One in each foyer. On a couple of occasion I have had the opportunity to sit in the foyer and study the painting.  I have wondered what would have happened if the young ruler followed the Savior and sold everything and gave it to the poor. I have wondered what the young man would do now with nothing to sustain himself or the poor for that matter. He would have had to live entirely by faith and wait on the Lord for his daily needs. I would image there would be great blessing for making that commitment.

I've wondered why the Lord didn't ask him to use his fortune to sustain the poor. There are many able men who use their wealth in very charitable ways that in reality benefit people for generations. Why wasn't he asked to do that. The young ruler could still live in comfort and provide through out his life for the poor. Wouldn't that be worthy too?

I have wondered why the artist used an elderly naked man and a women to represent the poor. The scriptures indicate that he was to give to the poor. I have thought that they were an adequate representation of the poor. But of late I have decided that the artist was inspired to compose such an image as it gives further light into an alternative meaning of this painting.

To tell you the truth, I have struggle to relate to this parable. I am not wealthy to the point that I feel compelled to give away my substance and I am not as poor as those depicted in the painting. So I have never thought that Christ was speaking to me.

Until one day I realized that there was a second lesson to learn from this painting and it would be one that could only be taught to those who have prophets as leaders and additional scriptures as guides.

So you need two keys to change the meaning. I believe that the young ruler is the natural man.  The woman represents the church. So now he is speaking to us. We all have physical bodies and are subject to the desires of the flesh which are described as the "Natural Man". We have all been blessed to come to mortality have physical bodies, experience the lessons of life and if we make the right choices and live worthily we become joint heirs with Christ and inherit all that the Father has. I don't think we are being asked to give everything to the poor but we are asked to sacrifice and consecrate all that we have to the poor (the Church). So this whole parable is more about the Law of Consecration. We don't give it away but we use it to build the kingdom.

The naked man represent the process we begin when we strip ourselves of the concerns of the world and humble ourselves before the church. The church then uses all that it poses to dress and care for the individual until such time that the individual can make the same commitments and participate in the work of the church.

So now we are faced with the same dilemma. Do we follow after the world and enjoy our riches or do we decide to use them to build the church and kingdom on earth. If we choose the later the blessing of eternity are ours.