“Why do you call Me good? ” Jesus asked him. “No one is good but One — God.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:18‬ ‭HCSB

‬‬Good is ”agathos” in the original Greek. Agathos is translated in the Bible as: of good constitution or nature, useful, salutary, good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honorable. 

Was the rich young ruler addressing Jesus in a distinguished manner or an honorable manner? He did kneel before him. I see him kneeling like a knight would before the king on one knee. I do not think he knelt down in full honor of Jesus as being the son of God. The Bible would say he threw himself at Jesus' feet (or something like that. He knelt down in respect but not in full submission. So now Jesus is challenging his motives. Why do you call me good but not respect me as God for only God is good. Jesus knew this man was a devoted Jew. He did not challenge his obedience to God but was just challenging him to believe in Jesus as his Messiah and not just a good teacher. 

I have heard many times do not put all your trust in people for at some point in time they wi fail you. But put all your trust in God for He will never fail you. As a young believer, we must find an older mentor to encourage us on the correct path with God. But the farther down the discipleship path we take the fewer and fewer mentors we find and the more we must trust in God. So before we get to that point our mentors must point us to hear from God Himself and less on them. For only one is good -God. 

“My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/jhn.10.27.hcsb

Who are we following? Are they pointing us to a better life in God? Or are they hindering us because they don't want us to succeed and pass them up? Or are they training us to follow another gospel that is not of Jesus? 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.23.15.hcsb

“The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/act.17.11.hcsb

We can easily fall into the path of comfortability and not study the Bible to see if what our leaders are teaching us is true. We say they are a pastor or teacher and they must be hearing from God. But sadly enough not only are they not but we also are not. 

Let us be more open-minded and study the Bible to see if what they are saying is true to the Word of God. The Word of God will be God’s standard of judgment for those of us who have access to the Bible. 

“Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 

Do not have other gods besides Me. 

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands. 

Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name. 

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work — you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates. For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:1-11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/exo.20.1-11.hcsb