Gospel of Matthew 19:16–22: The Rich Young Man
The parable of the rich young man in the Gospel of Matthew appears at the beginning of the fifth and final major section of this Gospel, which can be called “The Coming of the Kingdom of Heaven.” Below, we will explore this complete account from verses 16–22 of Matthew chapter 19. Then, we will offer a commentary, before concluding with some suggestions for applying it to our lives today.
Full Account from the Gospel of Matthew 19:16–22
Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; 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 of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” 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.
Source: aelf.org
Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew 19:16–22
At the beginning of the story, we do not know that the man is young. In any case, he approaches Jesus and asks him what “good thing” he must do to obtain eternal life (verse 16). Jesus reminds him that only God is good. This reminder is also found in the other two Synoptic Gospels, in Luke 18:19 and Mark 10:18, with the same verse: “No one is good except God alone.”
Jesus then responds to the rich young man by inviting him to keep the commandments. We find some, if not all, of these commandments in other passages of the Bible, such as:
- Exodus 20:12–17: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey—or anything that belongs to him.”
- Deuteronomy 5:16–21: “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and prosper in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not commit murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; you shall not covet his house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, or his donkey—or anything that belongs to him.”
- Romans 13:9: “The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, [namely] 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'”
The rich young man replied to Jesus that he had kept the commandments since his youth, whereupon Jesus told him to sell everything he owned, give the proceeds to the poor, and then follow him—promising him a treasure in heaven. The story ends with the young man’s reaction as he went away “saddened, for he had great wealth.”
Suggestions for Modern Applications
Here are some suggestions for applying the story of the rich young man in the Gospel of Matthew to our own lives.
Do I see myself in the figure of the rich young man?
How attached am I to money and material possessions?
Are there other things that hinder my relationship with God? If so, what are they?
What is my relationship with Christ?
What is my understanding of Heaven and eternal life?
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