A young man approached Jesus seeking to know what he must do to attain eternal life. Jesus shared that the key was to keep the commandments. The man asked which ones he was to follow, a reasonable request as there were 613 commandments to choose from! Jesus gave him six: do not kill, commit adultery, steal or bear false witness; do honor his father and mother, and love his neighbor as himself (cf. Mt19:18-19). The man affirmed that he had followed them all. Then he asked that next question, “What do I still lack” (Mt 19:20)?
I can feel the disciples wince, see the mouth of Jesus curl into a smile while his left eyebrow raises. Mark is more eloquent than me: “Jesus looked at him, and loved him…” (Mk 10:17).
Matthew, in his Gospel account, did not engage in such subtleties. Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions (Mt 19:21-22). The young man was so close!
Jesus saw that which was keeping the young man from following him and becoming one of his disciples. Jesus gave him the opportunity to renounce what he had, give to the poor, and receive eternal life – his original request. It is what we have all been created for, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” (St Augustine, Confessions). The young man received his answer, he now knew what he needed to do, but he was too attached to his possessions to let go. He then walked away sad, the question is, did he ever return?
I invite you to find a quiet space today, enter the stillness, read the passages over a few times and then play it out again in your mind. When you come to the ending, of the disciples and Jesus watching the rich man walk away sad, continue your observation. Watch the young man walk away, shoulders slumped, see the backs of the disciples and Jesus watching him go. Then, as they ever so slowly turn their heads and gaze at you, ask Jesus, “What good must I do to inherit eternal life?” Or, “What do I still lack?” Listen to the answer.
These are good questions for us to ask often. What are we holding onto that is keeping us from giving ourselves to the One who is truly good? What are the apparent goods that we hold onto that are preventing us from receiving the true good that God wants to share? “Jesus presents himself as the way to salvation; he is the ultimate good for which the young man” (Mitch and Sri, 247) was searching and we are searching. Jesus looks at each of us, loves us, and says, “If you wish to be perfect…” What does he ask us to let go of, to renounce, to confess, so that we can follow him?
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Painting: “Christ and the Rich Young Ruler” Heinrich Hoffman, 1889
Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010.
Spiritual Stepping Stones 