Luke 18:22-23 22When Jesus heard, he said to him, “One thing is lacking for you. Sell all the things you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
Jesus knew what the rich young ruler was missing. He had everything earthly he could ever want. Riches can buy temporary happiness but not eternal life. There is no substitute for faith. Something was keeping him from experiencing all that God had for him. Jesus knew the one thing he lacked. The invitation was simple: sell all and give. The man had kept all the commandments, so now Jesus gives him another “all.” Jesus was inviting him to a life of total faith and dependence. The man had done well in life. He was faithful in obedience and was financially savvy. But his heart was focused on himself.
To give away all his money to the poor would show the sincerity of his faith. To give away wealth is one of the most significant ways a rich person can show his or her faith. To express one’s love for God will require that one also show love to one’s neighbor. If this man truly loved God, he would take care of his poor neighbors by providing for their needs.
The result for this rich man would then be treasure in heaven. He could replace his earthly treasures with heavenly ones. Jesus calls us to give up that which will show our total love for God and our neighbor. Perfect love that models God’s love (Matthew 5:48) will put others first. The treasure that the man would receive as a result would be eternal life. Selling everything was a prerequisite for following Jesus. Jesus asks those who follow him to give up all earthly attachments and refocus their lives on eternal matters. Things of this world are a blessing but can be distractions that lead to idolatry.
The rich young man could not accept Jesus’ terms because it costed him too much. He was very sad because he loved his money too much and God too little. He could not take his eyes off of his wealth. He lived for self and not for God. This story shows the opposite of what discipleship should be. Discipleship is about living for Jesus and not for self. The problem with wealth is that is can too easily become a barrier that keeps us from full consecration to Jesus. This man could not count the cost of following (9:23-24).
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