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Response
To comprehend Jesus’ reply to the inquiry of the wealthy young ruler—“What must I do to attain salvation?”—we need to examine three aspects: the background of the wealthy young ruler, the intent behind his question, and the core of Jesus Christ’s gospel. The young man inquired of Jesus, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to gain eternal life?” «And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? », (Matthew 19:16). Jesus replied, “If you wish to enter life, keep the commandments” (verse 17). Initially, it may seem like Jesus is suggesting that the young man, and consequently all individuals, must adhere to the commandments to achieve salvation. However, is that truly His intended message? Given that the essence of the salvation message is that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), why would Jesus propose an “alternative approach” to the wealthy young ruler?
The narrative of the wealthy young ruler is recounted in the three Synoptic Gospels: Matthew 19:16–23, Mark 10:17–22, and Luke 18:18–23. The man is identified as a “ruler,” indicating he held a position of authority or leadership. Since no Roman official would refer to Jesus as “teacher” or “master,” it is presumed that this individual was a Jewish leader within the local synagogue. Additionally, this man possessed “great wealth” «But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. », (Matthew 19:22), and Jesus later utilized His interaction with this man to illustrate the negative impact wealth can have on one’s pursuit of eternal life (verses 23–24). The moral Jesus derived from this encounter pertains to money, not salvation through works.
The first thing Jesus says in response to the man’s greeting, “Good teacher,” is to remind him that no one is good except God «And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. », (Matthew 19:17). Jesus was not denying His own divinity. Instead, Jesus was immediately prompting the man to contemplate what “good” truly means—since only God is good, then what we typically refer to as human goodness might be something else entirely. This truth becomes relevant later in the conversation. When the man asked Jesus to specify which commandments he should keep, Jesus listed six of the commandments, including “love your neighbor as yourself” «Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. », (Matthew 19:19). The man responds, “All these I have kept. . . . What do I still lack?” (verse 20), and that is a crucial statement. The young man was evidently devout and sincere in his pursuit of righteousness. His issue was that he viewed himself as blameless regarding the Law. This is the point that Jesus challenges.
Jesus instructs the man, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” «Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. », (Matthew 19:21). The young man concluded that Jesus was demanding too much. “He went away sad, because he had great wealth” (verse 22). Instead of obeying Jesus’ instructions, he turned his back on the Lord and departed. Undoubtedly, the man’s decision saddened Jesus as well, because Jesus loved him.
«Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. », (Mark 10:21).
When Jesus instructed the young man to keep the commandments, He was not implying that salvation could be achieved through obedience to the commandments. Instead, Jesus was highlighting the Law as God’s flawless standard. If one could perfectly adhere to the Law, then they could avoid the consequences of sin—however, this is a significant condition. Upon the man’s assertion that he had met the Law’s requirements, Jesus pinpointed an issue that revealed the man’s failure to meet God’s holiness. The man was unwilling to follow the Lord if it meant relinquishing his wealth. Consequently, the man was violating the two greatest commandments: he did not wholeheartedly love the Lord, nor did he love his neighbor as himself. His affection was directed more towards himself (and his money). Contrary to his claim of obeying “all” the commandments, the man, like everyone else, was a sinner. The Law exposed this reality.
Had the man prioritized his love for God and others over his possessions, he would have been prepared to dedicate his wealth to the service of God and humanity. However, this was not the case. He had elevated his wealth to the status of an idol, valuing it more than God. With precision, Jesus revealed the greed concealed in the man’s heart—a greed the man was unaware of. Jesus’ assertion that only God is good «And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. », (Matthew 19:17) was validated by the young man’s reaction to Jesus’ directive.
During His dialogue with the affluent young ruler, Christ did not advocate salvation through adherence to the Law. The Bible’s core message is that salvation comes through.Grace through faith (Romans 3:20, 28; 4:6; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:9; 2 Timothy 1:9). Instead, Jesus used the man’s love of money to demonstrate how the man failed to meet God’s holy standard—as do we all. The wealthy young ruler required the Savior, and so do we.
