Matthew 19:22

Sunday, 10 May 2026

But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19:22

“And having heard, the young man, the word, he departed – grieving, for he was ‘having possessions, many’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus said to the young ruler, “If you desire to be complete, you go, you sell your ‘the possessings,’ and you give these to ‘poor’, and you will have treasure in heaven. And you, hither! You follow Me.”

That was the final instruction for this young man to enter perpetual life in the manner he requested. Matthew next records, “And having heard, the young man, the word, he departed – grieving.”

It must be remembered that this person was asking how he could merit perpetual life. This is the problem. The young ruler was making the issue about himself and his merit before God. All three synoptic gospels indicate this. Matthew, which is indicative of the other accounts, said, “Teacher, what ‘good’ I should do that I may have ‘life perpetual’?”

He was doing this based on the words of the law found in Leviticus 18:5. Jesus’ answer was necessary to give as He did because the law was still in full force. It would be inappropriate for Him to say that He could find life some other way at this time.

Therefore, Jesus gave the commandments He wanted the young man to focus on, and then He said to be complete in meeting them, he would need to sell what he possessed, give it to the poor, and he would have treasure in heaven. Then he was to come to Jesus and follow Him.

This is what brought about his grief. He would have to give up everything to attain life, but what a challenge! But this is how the law works. If he couldn’t love his neighbor as himself, he proved, by default, that he did not love God above all else.

Because of this, Matthew records, “for he was ‘having possessions, many’.” As the subject and accomplishment were about himself while living under the law, he could not find the spiritual stamina to do it. And indeed, no one could. Approximately fourteen hundred and fifty years of Israel living under the law proved this.

But step back now and look at what he missed by making it about himself. Jesus told him to keep certain commandments. Did Jesus do this? Yes, He fulfilled the law perfectly. But more, before He did that, what did He do? He gave up all of the riches of heaven to accomplish the necessary requirements of the law –

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11

Jesus gave up everything, giving Himself to the poor people of the world who were stuck under the authority and condemnation of Satan. He did not ask the ruler to do anything He didn’t do. Now that Christ has fulfilled the law, the answer to the same question can be answered quite differently –

Q: Teacher, what ‘good’ I should do that I may have ‘life perpetual’?

A: Trust in the completed work of Jesus Christ, and you will have ‘life perpetual’.

Jesus had not yet completed His mission when the young man came to Him. Therefore, the answer had to be about the law leading to death. Now, with Christ’s sacrificial offering that brought the law to an end, there is no law to deal with. Rather, there is Christ’s fulfillment of it. Our faith is in what He did, not in what we must do. Our “doing” is His “having done.”

Life application: The general tone of commentaries concerning this passage is essentially that we must do what Jesus instructed this young man. And it is true, if we accept the premise that we are under law, such as the Seventh Day Adventists, Hebrew Roots adherents, etc., claim, then we are obligated to do just what Jesus told him to do.

However, if we accept the premise that Jesus died in fulfillment of the law, we are under no obligation to do those things. They have been done for us. Why would Jesus tell you to do the things of the law that He accomplished, fulfilled, and annulled? That would mean His cross was a pointless gesture.

He wouldn’t, and He doesn’t. All He asks of the people of the world to do is to trust that His doing was sufficient and that He will be our representative before the Father. So the proposition is laid forth for you. You can go it alone under law, or you can trust Jesus, who accomplished all, all by Himself. Choose wisely. Choose Jesus.

Lord God, it is not easy to set ourselves aside and say, “I will relinquish my very soul into the hands of another.” But when the “other” is You, how easy it suddenly becomes. Thank You, O God, for coming in the form of a bondservant under the law to redeem us to Yourself. What manner of love this is! Hallelujah to You, O God. Amen.