A man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honour your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
What good must I do? But Jesus tells him what evil not to do.(As if he could do anything good, anyway! - Without faith, how can anyone please God? What is "good" that does not please God?)
Which commands to keep? But consider the commands Jesus leaves out. “Have no other gods before me” had lost its force? By no means!
What do I lack? Jesus says he only lacks perfection. He is fine apart from not being fine. He's good apart from being evil.
Jesus has the answer, though: come, follow me.
Just get rid of all that other rubbish first. That would be a good deed to do. In whose power was it to accomplish?
This young man had made for himself an image in the form of something in heaven above and in the form of some things on the earth beneath. He had bowed down to them and worshipped them, even though the Lord God is a jealous God.
Who can be saved? With God all things are possible. Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for Jesus' name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
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