Mat 19:16-22 | NET2full | STEP | Now someone came up to him and said , “ Teacher , what good thing must I do to gain eternal life ?”

Matthew 19:16-22

The Rich Young Man

16 Now ^{▼▼tn Grk “And behold one came.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.} someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?” ^{▼▼sn Here the questioner asks how to gain eternal life. In several places Matthew uses “life” or “eternal life” in proximity with “the kingdom of heaven” or merely “the kingdom,” suggesting a close relationship between the two concepts (compare Matt 25:34 with v. 46; Matt 19:16, 17, 29 with vv. 23, 24). Matthew consistently portrays “eternal life” as something a person enters in the world to come, whereas the Gospel of John sees “eternal life” as beginning in the present and continuing into the future (cf. John 5:24).} 17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother, ^{▼▼sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.} and love your neighbor as yourself.” ^{▼▼sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.} 20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed ^{▼▼tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.} all these laws. ^{▼▼tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} ^{▼▼sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command—to give away all he had—revealed that internally he loved money more than God.} What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money ^{▼▼tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.} to the poor, and you will have treasure ^{▼▼sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.} in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. ^{▼▼tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, ktēma) is often used for land as a possession.}