The rich young ruler

The rich and the kingdom of God

17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

18‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No-one is good – except God alone. 19You know the commandments: “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.”’

20‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’

21Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’

22At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23Jesus looked round and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’

24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, ‘Who then can be saved?’

27Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’

28Then Peter spoke up, ‘We have left everything to follow you!’

29‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus replied, ‘no-one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – along with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’