¹⁷ And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
¹⁹ You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"
²⁰ And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth."
²¹ And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
²² At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
²³ And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
²⁴ And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"
²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
²⁸ Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you."
²⁹ Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

• (v.18) When Jesus reprimands the rich man that "no one is good but God alone," Jesus is not denying His divine status or mission (see Mk 9:37). Rather, He wants the rich man to fix his eyes upon God as the only source of goodness.
• (vv.21-22) This is one of the saddest stories in the Gospel. A man whom Jesus loves rejects His invitation to discipleship. When the man asks "what must I do to receive eternal life?" He does not realize a call to discipleship would mean so much sacrifice.
• (vv.23-24) On addressing His disciples, Jesus begins by stressing the difficulty of the rich entering heaven; then He passes quickly to stressing that entering heaven is very hard for everyone. In fact, it is impossible!
• v.25 demonstrates just how impossible it is to enter heaven based on human achievements alone.
• (v.26) In Judaism, wealth was at times taken as God's blessing. Therefore, the disciples were astonished that God said it was hard for the rich to enter heaven. Jesus had changed the meaning of wealth .
• (v.27) Salvation is not through man's achievements. It is God's achievement.
• (v.28) Peter's statement contrasts the disciples actions against that of the rich man. "We have given up everything to follow you". Their "everything" may not be money. It is whatever they cling to that is not God: be it family, social status, behaviors...
• (v.30) Jesus lists the promised rewards, which are a hundredfold more than the sacrifices of following him. Not only will his disciples receive eternal life, but in this life too they will receive much.
• (v.30) "and persecutions as well". Is this an ironic description of the "rewards?" Or is it simply the reality of Christian experience?

"Good Master, what must I do to receive eternal life?" "Come and follow me..." It may be difficult for men, but "...all things are possible with God."

1. I examine my current life: my wealth (be it rich or poor), my health (be it well or sick), my behaviors. Which helps me be closer to God? Which keeps me away from Him?
2. Jesus' teachings are demanding and challenging. I ask that He look upon me with love, so that I can trust Him like a child upon his parent, to trust that "all things are possible with God."

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community