Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, ” ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22)

The Greatest Sadness

An unnamed young man was good and devoted to keeping the Law of Moses. He came to Jesus seeking spiritual guidance and hope. His life was filled with the regulations of the law and the commitment to keep the commands of God with sincerity. He was blessed with abundant wealth, allowing him to live a very privileged life. His home was large and spacious, with servants at his beck and call. He wore the finest garments money could buy. There was never a time when there was a lack of food and drink. Many festive gatherings took place at his home with his many friends. The life of the young man was nearly set to perfection.

Jesus had finished instructing the Pharisees with their testing questions and had spent time with little children. The young man approached Jesus and honored Him by calling Him a “Good Teacher.” Jesus deflected the compliment to honor His Father. The young man wanted to know what to do to have eternal life. His question was a business proposition of what good thing he needed to do to be saved. Jesus reminded him to keep the commandments of the Lord. Nothing is more primary than a man obeying the word of God to be saved.

If the young man wants to enter eternal life, he must keep the commandments of God. He understood that but then asked Jesus to explain which law he needed to keep doing as some good thing to have eternal life. Jesus had answered his question, but he wanted to have a more specific answer. Quoting five of the Ten Commandments, Jesus summarized the law to show the young man that obedience to God’s commands was necessary. Proudly, the young man said he had kept all those things since his youth. He probably did to a great degree, but he lacked one thing.

Jesus astonished the rich young man and the disciples who witnessed the interaction when the Lord told the very wealthy young man that eternal life would come at the cost of every part of his wealth. To possess eternal life, the man must dispose of everything he had, give all to the poor, and follow Jesus. The young man was stunned. He came to Jesus thinking his life was as perfect as possible. His view of his relationship with God was firm with conviction. He only wanted to know what good thing he would need to do to obtain eternal life. The answer of Jesus crushed him.

One of the saddest scenes in Biblical history is when the rich young man turned and walked away from Jesus. The man had come to the right person with the most important question a man can ask. What destroyed the man is the answer that would cost him all his earthly wealth. He had great possessions, and he was unwilling to give them up. As he walked home, he weighed in the balance the words of Jesus of giving all his wealth to the poor; or keeping his money and enjoying the best of life. He chose the latter. The appeal of wealth was greater than his love for God.

The story of the rich young man repeats itself constantly in the story of salvation. Many want to go to heaven, but few are willing to pay the price. The desire for the pleasures of life is too strong to give up. When given a choice to serve the Lord and follow Him or to keep living in the worldly pleasures of life; the choice is made to walk away. The rich young man lived a carefree life spending his great wealth. Then he died. It was then he remembered the words of Jesus and how much he wished he had listened to and heeded them. What good are all his riches now that he is in torment? It is too late.

A heart filled with the world’s cares cannot see God. There is no desire to think about eternity. The only thing that matters is the pleasures of the here and now – but at a terrible cost. There is no value for a man to lose his soul over anything on this earth, but it happens every day. How sad the heart cannot see the consequence of pleasures that last for a short time. A life will be crushed with the refusal to follow the will of God. There is no greater sadness than those who turn away from God.