Matthew 19:16–29

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

19:16–29pp—Mk 10:17–30; Lk 18:18–30

¹⁶Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life^d?”^e

¹⁷“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”^f

¹⁸“Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery,^g you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹honor your father and mother,’^ch and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^d”ⁱ

²⁰“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,^j go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,^k and you will have treasure in heaven.^l Then come, follow me.”

²²When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich^m to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴Again I tell you, it 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.”

²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

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

²⁷Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!^o What then will there be for us?”

²⁸Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^p you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{q 29}And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^e or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.^r