Luke 18:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Abraham indeed possessed wealth for the poor. And all they who righteously possess it, spend it as receiving it from God, according to the divine command, while those who have acquired wealth in an ungodly way, are ungodly in their use of it; whether in squandering it on harlots or parasites, or hiding it in the ground, but sparing nothing for the poor. (Hom. 18. in Joan.). He does not then forbid men to be rich, but to be the slaves of their riches. He would have us use them as necessary, not keep guard over them. It is of a servant to guard, of a master to dispense. Had he wished to preserve them, He would never have given them to men, but left them to remain in the earth.

With men therefore whose thoughts creep earthward, salvation is impossible, but with God it is possible. For when man shall have God for his counsellor, and shall have received the righteousness of God and His teaching concerning poverty, as well as have invoked His aid, this shall be possible to him.

The rich man who has despised many things will naturally expect a reward, but he who possessing little resigns what he has, may fairly ask what there is in store for him; as it follows, Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all. Matthew adds, What shall we have therefore? (Matt. 19:27.)

The name of “rich” he here gives to one who covets temporal things, and boasts himself in them. To such rich men are opposed the poor in spirit, of whom is the kingdom of heaven. Now mystically it is easier for Christ to suffer for the lovers of this world, than for the lovers of this world to be converted to Christ. For by the name of a camel He would represent Himself: for He voluntarily humbled Himself to bear the burdens of our infirmity. By the needle He signifies sharp piercings, and thereby the pangs received in His Passion, but by the form of the needle He describes the straitening of the Passion.

In the continuation of this chapter, these concepts are elaborately detailed and clearly articulated.

Unrewarded service The Lord instructed: When you host a meal or dinner, do not invite the wealthy, your friends, or your close acquaintances, for they may reciprocate and you would gain your reward from them. Instead, invite the lame, the blind, and the poor, for you are blessed because they cannot repay you; your reward will be given to you at the resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:12-14). He also declared: Anyone who leaves behind their land, home, parents, brothers, or children for My sake will receive a hundredfold in this present age and will also inherit eternal life in the age to come (Mt 19:29; Lk 18:29-30). What could this hundredfold reward signify for meals shared with the impoverished?

As if he says, We have done what Thou commandedst us, what reward then wilt Thou give us? And because it is not enough to have left all things, he adds that which made it perfect, saying, And have followed thee.

The Lord entrusted the ultimate cleansing of His chosen ones to the Holy Spirit and assured them, as His first and beloved disciples, that they would reign with Him on twelve thrones when the Son of Man takes His place upon the throne of glory. He also emphasized that those who forsake their own desires for the sake of God's kingdom would receive their reward in due season. To illustrate the abundant grace of God that is freely bestowed upon all who respond to His call, He related the parable of laborers who were summoned at different times throughout the day by the master and, at day’s end, received the same generous reward from their Lord. For what is impossible for anyone is made possible by the power of God.

The term "regeneration," mentioned in Titus 3:5 in reference to every believer and associated with baptism, clearly represents a transformation brought about by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Here, it pertains to the renewal of the entire world, indicating a future restoration of creation, as evidenced by the phrase, “when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of His glory” (cf. 16:17, 25, 31). Thus, regeneration correlates with the idea of restoration found in Acts 3:21. The overarching promise conveys that the apostles, who renounced all for the sake of Christ in this life (cf. v. 29), will share in the glory and joy of Jesus Christ in the age to come (cf. Rom. 8:17, 2 Tim. 2:12).

Regarding the blessings that await the apostles, Jesus instructed the young man: “If you want to be perfect, sell your possessions and give to the poor.” However, the Apostles were so destitute that they had nothing to sell; thus, they inquired: could they achieve perfection while living in such poverty?

Few wealthy individuals remain unaffected by their riches, prompting the disciples to feel alarmed upon hearing this and to cry out, “Who then can be saved?” Like their fellow Jews, they viewed prosperity as a distinct sign of divine favor, and yet they secretly held onto the hope of the Messiah establishing an earthly kingdom where they would enjoy the best positions. Thus, they wondered about their own fate. Peter remarked, “Behold, we have forsaken all and followed You; what shall we receive?” In response, Christ offered them reassurance by unveiling their splendid destiny.

The narrative involving the dialogue with the affluent young man and the disciples as presented in Luke aligns seamlessly with the perspectives found in Hebrews. Similarly, Luke’s depiction of this encounter concurs with the versions recorded in Mark and Matthew, with Matthew providing a more comprehensive response to Peter. Referring to Matthew 19:16-30 and Mark 10:17-31, we notice that this "certain individual of authority" appears in Matthew as "a certain person" (see Matthew 19:16) and "a young man" (see Matthew 19:20); in Luke's Gospel, he is described as one of the rulers, possibly a ruler of the synagogue, as suggested in Matthew 9:13.

Who would not have gained significantly more in this life and in the world to come received eternal life?