The Rich Young Man

(Matthew 19:16–30, Luke 18:18–30)

17 As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’[fn]”

20 “Teacher,” he replied, “all these I have kept from my youth.”

21 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.[fn]”

22 But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 And the disciples were amazed at His words.

But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter [fn] the kingdom of God! 25 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.”

26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

28 Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we have left everything and followed You.”

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for My sake and for the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundredfold in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”