Luke 18:22
Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Jesus spoke these words to a wealthy young ruler of high position who knelt before Him asking what he must do to inherit eternal life after claiming to have kept the commandments from his youth. He told him he still lacked one essential thing, that he must sell all he owned and give to the poor to gain treasure in heaven and then come follow Him. That one lack was the love of God in the soul, for his riches were his idol that he prized above Christ and his fellow beings, and his selfish love of wealth proved he had not kept the law in heart though he appeared outwardly obedient. The demand tests every would-be disciple, requiring unconditional surrender of whatever competes with wholehearted devotion and placing all one has and is at Christ's disposal to become His co-worker.
Ruler's Question and Lack
The words are spoken to a young ruler of great possessions and responsible position who comes running to Jesus on the way and kneels at His feet. His heart is kindled with love and with desire to be a disciple after seeing how lovingly and tenderly little children are received and taken up in arms. With sincerity and earnestness he asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, a question vital to his own soul and to the soul of every human being.
Though he thought highly of his own righteousness, he felt something was missing and remained unsatisfied. He wanted to be blessed as the little children had been blessed and to have his deepest need satisfied. His outward obedience had not met his deeper need, for he lacked heart devotion and Christian goodness. That goodness requires becoming humble and contrite, giving God supreme love, and finding in Christ's perfection what is lacking in self.
The question about calling Him good tested whether the ruler understood Him to be the Son of God and revealed the true sentiment of his heart. The instruction about what he still lacked came after he claimed to have kept the commandments from his youth, placing it in the context of obedience to God's commandments and the pursuit of eternal life. That encounter opened the way to teach the right principles of God's free grace and the reward of the righteous, correcting the idea that God's favor is earned by human works.
Lacking one essential quality can leave character defective and undermine the rest, even when others see the person as perfect. The missing quality is devotion to God's glory expressed in unselfish concern for others. Selfishness must be overcome, because if left unchecked it corrupts every other virtue. The ruler's one vital lack was the love of God in the soul, and to receive it he had to surrender his supreme love of self by selling what he owned, giving to the poor, and following Christ. Without that surrender, selfishness would grow and corrupt his character, while giving up his possessions promised treasure in heaven.
The command was the only course that could lead him to perfected Christian character and salvation. His wealth and high position were subtly harming his character, and if cherished they would take God's place in his affections. Keeping back anything from God weakened his moral strength and ability to serve, because cherished earthly things, however uncertain or unworthy, absorb the heart. His riches were his idol, loved more than his fellow people and the heavenly inheritance, exposing his failure to keep the commandments in the heart. His claim to keep the law lacked its essential principle of love to God and others, for selfish love of worldly gain transgresses the law and leaves a person out of harmony with heaven and unqualified for its kingdom.
He was therefore called to transfer his treasure to heaven by using wealth to do good, to take up the cross, turn affection from earthly treasure, become rich in good works, use entrusted means to God's glory, and follow a self-denying example. Fellowship and eternal life were offered, but the demand exposed that he valued God's gifts more than their Giver and prized standing and possessions above Christ. His claim to have kept God's law was false because he put the world first in his affections, treating unseen heavenly treasure as too risky to choose over visible wealth and turning to the world as the object of worship. With loving yet faithful plainness he was shown that he did not love his neighbor as himself, because selfish love of riches kept his affections on worldly treasure and away from God, a defect that would shut him from heaven.
The command to sell all, give to the poor, and follow promises treasure in heaven and asks nothing more than to follow Christ's own example, who left riches and glory and became poor that man through His poverty might be made rich, requiring surrender of earthly things to secure heaven. His sorrow over great possessions shows riches as honor and power that make disposal seem impossible. The more the avaricious gain the harder generosity becomes, until diminishing wealth feels like parting with life and men turn from immortal reward to hoard and increase earthly possessions. Such hoarding proves failure to love God with all heart, mind, and strength and neighbor as self, whereas keeping the commandments would have kept possessions smaller, and distributing to the poor as their needs demanded would have brought greater happiness, greater heavenly treasure, and fewer earthly ties for the affections.
Jesus first pointed him to keep the commandments and then exposed his one lack as a close and covetous heart, requiring him to sell all and give to the poor for treasure in heaven. That means God requires economy but condemns stretching economy into meanness, and requires the true spirit of sacrifice. Tithing mint and rue while neglecting weightier matters leaves souls withering under fanatical, rigid, fault-watching error, and like the young man who went away sorrowful because he had great possessions, those who refuse self-denying giving cannot bear plain reproof. The young man is thus an example of excellent moral character joined with failure to answer the claims of God and accept salvation, and that missing response is the needful thing that decides everything and outweighs all moral excellence and favorableness to religion. An unbeliever who is not a Christian therefore remains outside God's favor, and that lack alone is sufficient reason for a believer not to marry such a person, since that union tramples the will of God, loses His favor, and makes bitter work for repentance.
Sell, Follow, Receive Treasure
Jesus exposed the ruler's possessions as the thing still keeping him from wholehearted discipleship when He told him to sell what he owned, give to the poor, receive treasure in heaven, and follow Him. The command revealed his idol and tested whether he loved Christ more than wealth, for he loved his possessions more than the eternal life he said he wanted and valued riches more than heavenly treasure. That condition cooled his desire, and his sorrowful going away showed he would not surrender what he prized. Following Christ requires self-denial, and those who love the world draw back from it.
His property had been entrusted to him by God, so the choice was whether to use it as God expected to help others and receive heavenly treasure, or to cling to earthly wealth and lose the eternal reward. The command is an object lesson in obedience reaching into life and character, not merely outward or legal compliance. Following Christ means placing all one has and is at God's disposal and becoming a co-worker in His work, so to turn away rather than accept the call is to say no to Christ.
Coming to and following Jesus requires unconditional surrender and consecration of all one has and is, including earthly possessions, with acceptance of self-denial for His sake. The young man turned away sorrowful because his property was his idol; he wanted heaven but could not surrender what he prized. Surrendering all is the condition for following the guide to see Jesus. The demand made to the ruler is a rule of conduct for all who would become disciples, requiring surrender of whatever would keep a person from obeying Him. Nothing short of obedience is acceptable, since whatever is held onto when it would corrupt the whole person must be cut away, and self-surrender stands central to His teaching.
Gaining eternal life requires giving up all that competes with wholehearted devotion, and the call to sell and give expresses the surrender and self-sacrifice that must mark followers. True conversion brings humility and makes mind and life like Christ's, with every power held in His service. Following Christ may require surrendering all possessions and placing everything at His feet, and no sacrifice is too great when it helps fulfill His purpose of saving people and giving them eternal life. Jesus promised treasure in heaven if the requirements were obeyed, including giving up wealth and following Him, but the young man wanted heaven while unwilling to part with riches, and love of money and power led him to renounce immortal life.
The command presents a test and choice between Christ and the world and between worldly greatness and heavenly treasure, which is assured if he follows. Doing so requires yielding self, placing the will under Christ's control, taking up the cross in self-denial, and receiving offered holiness with the privilege of becoming a child of God and co-heir with Christ, but he turned from the Saviour rather than accept Him as leader. Jesus invited the ruler to place himself under His guidance and become His co-worker, and by giving himself to Christ he could have reflected God's character, developed his gifts for service, and grown in Christ's presence, which would have changed his future.
The ruler's wealth and love of status mattered more to him than God and fellow beings, so he would not use abundance to relieve needs or become Christ's co-worker. His refusal made him an unfaithful steward of goods entrusted by God, losing earthly riches, heavenly treasure, and eternal life. The call exposes the choice of others who desire heaven but will not entrust possessions to God or use them generously, since discipleship requires giving up whatever keeps a person from following. He was tested by being told to sell, give to the suffering poor, and follow Christ for treasure in heaven, and giving to those in need is a gift of the bread of life. The promise of eternal life through eating Christ's flesh and drinking His blood means Christ must be the living current within the soul. Inheriting eternal life can require surrendering earthly possessions and interests to follow Christ, as the ruler wanted heaven's riches but went away sorrowful unwilling to give up what he owned, and those who will not surrender all cannot obtain the crown of life.