Matthew 19:16–30

THE RICH YOUNG RULER

¹⁶Just then someone came up and asked him,^g “Teacher, what good must I do to have eternal life?”^h

¹⁷“Why do you ask me about what is good?”^H he said to him. “There is only one who is good.^I If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”ⁱ

¹⁸“Which ones?” he asked him.

Jesus answered: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness;^{j 19}honor your father and your mother; and love your neighbor as yourself.^Ak

²⁰“I have kept all these,”^B the young man told him. “What do I still lack?”

²¹“If you want to be perfect,”^C Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor,^l and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²²When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

POSSESSIONS AND THE KINGDOM

²³Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.^{m 24}Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”ⁿ

²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁶Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^o

²⁷Then Peter responded to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you. So what will there be for us?”

²⁸Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things,^p when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^q you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother^D or children or fields because of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life.^{r 30}But many who are first will be last, and the last first.^s