Matthew 19:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But I for my part, though I deny not that he was a lover of money, because Christ convicts him as such, cannot consider him to have been a hypocrite, because it is unsafe to decide in uncertain cases, and especially in making charges against any. Moreover Mark removes all suspicion of this kind, for he says that he came to Him, and knelt before Him; (Mark 10:17.) and that Jesus when He looked on him, loved him. And if he had come to tempt Him, the Evangelist would have signified as much, as he has done in other places. Or if he had said nothing thereof, Christ would not have suffered him to be hid, but would either have convicted him openly, or have covertly suggested it. But He does not this; for it follows, He saith unto him, Why askest thou me concerning good?

The young man was troubled. Although he was eager and his heart was receptive, the seed of God's word was suffocated by the weeds of wealth, for, as the evangelist noted, he possessed much. A person with fewer possessions may feel less constrained by their attachments, yet greater wealth often creates heavier burdens. Furthermore, when the Lord addressed the wealthy individual, He declared, "thou shalt have treasure in heaven," indicating that if one already has an affinity for material things, there is still hope for true riches.

And He said not, If thou desirest life eternal; but, If thou wilt enter into life, calling that simply life, which shall be everlasting. Here we should consider how eternal life should be loved, when this miserable and finite life is so loved.

Moreover, the young man’s grief was genuine rather than feigned, as is clear from the Lord’s recognition of his sorrow. Had he been dishonest, he would not have experienced grief, for such a condition would indicate a failure to observe the commandments. Approaching the Lord as one who believed himself to be faultless, he sought to have his commendation openly acknowledged. Upon realizing his shortcomings, he felt deep sorrow at the absence of acknowledgment for his virtues, for he had compared his righteousness to the honor derived from the law and had already been rewarded for it.

He that asks this question is both young, rich, and proud, and he asks not as one that desires to learn, but as tempting Him. This we can prove by this, that when the Lord had said unto him, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments, he further insidiously asks, which are the commandments? as if he could not read them for himself, or as if the Lord could command any thing contrary to them.

The greater his possessions grew, the more he found himself enslaved by them; as wealth multiplied, so too did desire, leading to sorrow and disbelief.

Christ also answers thus, because of that He said, What good thing shall I do? For when we depart from evil and do good, that which we do is called good by comparison with what other men do. But when compared with absolute good, in the sense in which it is here said, There is one good, our good is not good. But some one may say, that because the Lord knew that the purpose of him who thus asked Him was not even to do such good as man can do, that therefore He said, Why askest thou me concerning good? as much as to say, Why do you ask me concerning good, seeing you are not prepared to do what is good. But after this He says, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

The young man left feeling grief-stricken upon hearing the response, as he held a deep attachment to his wealth. This imagery conveys a significant truth: by indicating that he is a young man—remarking that he has adhered to all the commandments of the law since his youth—it suggests that despite his departure, he remained unchanged in his disposition.

This man had, it may be, heard of the Lord, that only they who were like to little children were worthy to enter into the heavenly kingdom; but desiring to know more certainly, he asks to have it declared to him not in parables, but expressly, by what merits he might attain eternal life. Therefore it is said And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

These words prove that the Law gave to such as kept it not only temporal promises, but also life eternal. And because the hearing these things made him thoughtful, He saith unto him, Which?

Upon hearing this, the young man remained silent and left with a heavy heart. This reaction is to be expected. The Lord stated, "Not all can accept these words" (Matthew 19:11-12), referring to the call to perfection: "Whoever can accept this should accept it. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). The young man's spirit longed for completeness; he inquired about what he still needed to accomplish: "What do I still lack?" in hopes of fulfilling it and attaining the peak of virtue, yet his flesh resisted. The immense wealth and status he possessed tethered his aspirations, leading to his sorrowful departure, regretting that he did not heed the counsel of the divine Teacher and that he fell short of the grace bestowed upon the perfect and holy.

The young man, despite his desire, chose not to follow Christ. He felt sorrow for lacking the resolve to commit, and ultimately turned away: "Hearing this word, the young man went away with sorrow." Why was this the case? He could not let go of his riches; he possessed great wealth. By his actions, he revealed his true self, having offered only superficial adherence to the commandment to love his neighbor as himself. In an instant, he experienced a profound upheaval within; it struck him that he would risk losing his property, honor, and influence. Where, then, was his former trust in the good Teacher? Where was his longing for eternal life? Where was the fervor needed for the pursuits that lead to eternal existence? All had vanished; everything had slipped away!

All these commandments have I kept since my youth, the young man remarked, but what more do I lack? Christ replied, If you have observed all these commandments, you will enter the kingdom of heaven; however, if you seek to be complete, you still lack one thing: go sell your belongings and give to the needy, and you will have treasures in heaven; then come and follow me. How the affluent young man adhered to the Old Testament commandments remains unclear; it is reasonable to assume he interpreted them through the lens of the scribes and Pharisees of that era. When Jesus called him to relinquish his greed, he became deeply sorrowful as his riches had turned into his idol; he found it impossible to let go. Thus, despite Christ's invitation to become His disciple, he chose to leave.

This invitation immediately broke through his pride. He was bound by his riches and felt unable to let go of them. “When the young man heard this word, he departed with sorrow; for, as the evangelist notes, he had great wealth.”

'Left in grief,' etc.: it seemed that riches held a place of worship in his heart; he was so enslaved to material wealth that he chose to abandon Christ in order to cling to it, valuing it more than the eternal life he genuinely desired.

Despite the fact that the Savior guided the young man towards perfection by directing him to the heavenly treasures, and even though He encouraged him to follow the path He Himself had taken by setting a perfect example, the young man's heart, ensnared by the allure of wealth, became troubled and sorrowful. The transformative power of Christ’s word and His love clearly reached the young man's innermost being; however, he struggled to sever ties with such a Master and to heed His guidance, lacking the resolve to conquer his desires, which ultimately overwhelmed him. The sorrowful young man turned away from Jesus, as the holy Evangelist illustrates, because he was exceedingly wealthy—he left, perhaps, with no intention of returning. "The great possessions prevented the young man from becoming a disciple of the Lord, and even what he believed to be his greatest strength became of no value" (St. Ephraim the Syrian).