¹⁷ The Rich Young Man.^[a] As Jesus was starting out on a journey, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰ The man said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these since I was a child.” ²¹ Looking at him, Jesus was moved with love and said, “You need to do one further thing. Go and sell what you own, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² When he heard these words, the man’s face fell and he went away grieving, for he possessed great wealth.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who are rich to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were astounded on hearing his words, but Jesus insisted: “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ The disciples were even more greatly astonished, and they said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God. For God all things are possible.”

²⁸ Reward for Following Jesus.^[b] Peter said to him, “We have given up everything to follow you.” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel ³⁰ who will not receive in this age a hundred times more houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and lands—as well as persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”