Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the story of the rich young ruler. This man had everything going for him and seemed to lack nothing. On the surface, it appeared that he was an obvious shoo-in for the Kingdom of God since he honored his parents, loved his neighbors, and kept the commandments. He had the opportunity to ask Jesus, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” After verifying that he obeys and keeps the commandments, Jesus said to him, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” When the rich young ruler heard this statement from Jesus, he left grieving because he owned a lot of property and had great wealth.

On the outside, this man was climbing the workspace ladder to heaven. He said and did the right things, but there was a heart issue buried deep where no one could see it. This was an issue of idolatry, worship, and ironically, an issue of the first commandment, which he said he kept. This man could not give up his property and fell into a warning that Jesus had presented earlier in the gospel accounts.