"A Rich Young Man Can't Follow Jesus"

A man came to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?"

Jesus said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good?  Only God is good.  If you want to have eternal life, you must obey his commandments."

"Which ones?" the man asked.

Jesus answered, "Do not murder.  Be faithful in marriage.  Do not steal.  Do not tell lies about others.  Respect your father and mother.  And love others as much as you love yourself."  The young man said, "I have obeyed all of these.  What else must I do?"

Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own!  Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven.  Then come and be my follower."  When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.

Jesus said to his disciple, "It's terribly hard for rich people to get into the kingdom of heaven!  In fact, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God's kingdom."

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly surprised and asked, "How can anyone ever be saved?"

Jesus looked straight at them and said, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."

Peter replied, "Remember, we have left everything to be your followers!  What will we get?"

Jesus answered:  Yes, all of you have become my followers.  And so in the future world, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, I promise that you will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.  All who have given up home or brothers and sisters or father and mother or children or land for me will be given a hundred times as much.  They will also have eternal life.  But many who are now first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

                                                                                         Matthew 19:16-30

Contemporary English Version The Holy Bible (New York , NY: American Bible Society 1995)