The Rich Young Ruler

A ruler asks about eternal life, cites his commandment keeping, and is told to sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Jesus. His sorrow leads Jesus to speak of the difficulty of wealth, the impossibility of salvation by human strength, and the reward for those who leave family and home for the kingdom.

T¹⁸hen a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁹“Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone. ²⁰You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’ ” ²¹“All these I have kept from my youth,” he said. ²²On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” ²³But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy. ²⁴Seeing the man’s sadness, Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵Indeed, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁷But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” ²⁸“Look,” said Peter, “we have left all we had to follow You.” ²⁹“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God ³⁰will fail to receive many times more in this age — and in the age to come, eternal life.”