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Chapter 5—When Doing Everything Right Isn’t
Enough
Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed
must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you
ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you
wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him,
“Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder; You shall
not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false
witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept
all these; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish
to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the
poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:16-22
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This young man had what many people of his age seem to want—
position and wealth. One day, watching Jesus’ tender and affection-
ate interaction with children, he found growing in his heart the desire
to be the Lord’s disciple. The idea became so urgent that he ran after
Jesus, knelt down, and earnestly asked the most important question
in life: “Good Master, what can I do to have eternal life?”
Jesus responded with a challenge that probed the youth’s
thoughts. He replied, “Only God is good, so why do you call Me
good?
This young executive obviously lived “the good life.” He’d con-
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vinced himself that he had “made it” in both the workplace and in
his spiritual life. Yet, for all that, he sensed something was missing.
He had seen the way Jesus blessed children and wanted Jesus to
bless him, too.
In reply to his question, Jesus told him to keep the command-
ments and quoted a few of them that deal with our interpersonal
relationships. The young ruler replied with certainty that he’d done
it all since his youth. Then he added the poignant question “What
is missing?” As Jesus looked in the young man’s face, He searched
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