What did Christ really mean by saying only God is good?

[CaptWalker]

"And a certain ruler asked him saying, Good master, what shall i do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callest me thou good, none is good save one, that is God." {Luke-18:18-19}

Actually this is also found in Matthew and Mark, but basically is saying/asking the same thing. And is something i've always wondered about but never really asked anyone or can even remember it being discussed by anyone in depth. Not that there is really a much deeper meaning and may be a simple answer but either way i just always thought since Christ was sinless then why did He refuse to be called "good"? All i can really come up with is maybe it had something to do with being called Master but that would contradict Matthew-23:10.

[Alive]

The ruler did not know who Jesus was, so Jesus commented in that context in order to show the ruler what he lacked. We do know who He is and we know that God is Good. Perfect in Righteousness. Perfect in all ways. In contrast, men are not.

[Who me]

4 hours ago, CaptWalker said:

why did He refuse to be called "good"?

Jesus was not accepting flattery and was making a point about holiness. He was not saying he was not ' good ', but was pointing to the sorce of goodness.

[Frits]

4 hours ago, Alive said:

The ruler did not know who Jesus was, so Jesus commented in that context in order to show the ruler what he lacked. We do know who He is and we know that God is Good. Perfect in Righteousness. Perfect in all ways. In contrast, men are not.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not say of Himself that He was not good, but asked why the rich young ruler called Him good. He urged the rich young ruler to come to the conclusion that if what he said is true, then the Lord Jesus Christ must be God Himself!

[com7fy8]

I got that, too, that Jesus was not saying that He is not good like God our Father. He was just possibly challenging the guy about if he knew what he was talking about by calling Jesus "good".

[com7fy8]

But this is so important, to know that God alone is good. God can use this realization to bring us to very good things to understand and trust and live by.

Should we realize that Jesus is God and therefore included in being the only One who is good? This would mean a lot, including how much we do well to trust Jesus.

And elsewhere Jesus does say,

"All things that the Father has are Mine," in John 16:15.

That would include goodness and the ability to do what is good, I understand.

So, for me, this means how much I need how God is able to get me to do what is good, since I of myself am not good enough like God to even really know at any moment, never mind do, what He pleases. So it is a miracle, then, at any moment if I ever get anything right and do what really God desires. 

So, God alone being good includes meaning how we do well to only and constantly submit to Him and depend on how He has us become in our character and depend on God to personally guide us at each moment in sharing with Him > He shares with us how He is, in our new character, and how He is able, by His grace.

"Therefore submit to God." (in James 4:7)

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

[com7fy8]

And saying only God is good could have been meant to help the man to appreciate what Jesus would say later.

The man was considering his riches to be good, I would think.

And Jesus was giving him a seed to help him realize that the good he really needed is God and how he could be sharing with God in His love. With God in His love we grow in how He cures our character so we become and discover how we can relate like Jesus relates with our Father and loves tenderly us who are His adopted family while also loving enemies. He so changes us so we obey Christ's example >

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)

We do not get ourselves to do this; but God alone is good to get us to do this and He shares with us His ability to love like Jesus.

Edited May 26 by com7fy8