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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 19:16 - 19:22
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_19:16-22
16And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" 17And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 Then he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?" 21Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
Mat_19:16 "someone came to Him" From Mat_19:20 we know that he was young, from Mat_19:22 we learn that he was rich, and from Luk_18:18 we learn that he was a ruler (cf. Mar_10:17-22).
▣ "Teacher" The parallels in Mar_10:17 and Luk_18:18 have "good Teacher." The better uncial MSS (i.e., à , B, D, L) omit it here (UBS4 rates its exclusion as "A," meaning "certain").
▣ "what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life" This Jewish man had the common conception of salvation held by most Jews of his day, which was a works righteousness based on one's conformity to the Mosaic Law and Oral Tradition (cf. Luk_10:25; Rom_9:30-33). He saw eternal life as the result of his religious performance.
▣ "eternal life" This was an OT concept of the life (zoç) of the age to come (cf. Dan_12:2). The term addressed both the quality of the new life and its duration.
In this one context several different expressions are used to describe a person's relationship with God.
1. obtain eternal life, Mat_19:16
2. to enter into life, Mat_19:17
3. to be complete, Mat_19:21
4. to enter the kingdom of God, Mat_19:23-24
5. be saved, Mat_19:25
6. will inherit eternal life, Mat_19:29
Mat_19:17 "There is only One who is good" Jesus was not making a statement about His lack of goodness, but was showing this man the standard of goodness that was required to be right with God. This verse should not be used as a proof-text depreciating Jesus' deity or sinlessness.
▣ "if" This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary purposes. There is nothing in this context to imply that this man was trying to tempt, try or trick Jesus.
▣ "keep the commandments" This is aorist imperative (Nestle Greek text has a Present active imperative). This obviously referred to the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. This was the heart of the Jewish Law.
Mat_19:18-19 This is a partial list of the second half of the Ten Commandments which dealt with person's relationship to his fellow covenant brother. This listing is different from the Masoretic Hebrew text and the Septuagint. See Special Topics at Mat_5:21; Mat_5:27; Mat_15:4, and the following Special Topic.
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Mat_19:18 "murder" The King James Version (KJV) and the Jerusalem Bible (JB) render this verb as "kill," which is an unfortunate translation of this Hebrew word for "non-legal premeditated murder." The NKJV has " murder." The "eye for an eye" law code of Israel provided a blood-avenger to exact justice from one who killed a family member (cf. Num_35:12; Deu_19:6; Deu_19:12; Jos_20:1-9). This served to prevent feuds or unlimited retaliation. See Special Topic at Mat_5:21.
Mat_19:20 "the young man" In Jesus' day a man was considered young until he was forty years old. Luk_18:18 adds that the man was a "ruler," which meant the leader of a local synagogue or of a local town council.
▣ "all these things I have kept" In Php_3:6 Paul makes the same claim. This is not a contradiction of Rom_3:23, but shows the legalistic nature of the Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament to which Jesus spoke in Mat_5:20-48. Righteousness was seen as performance of a legal code. This man felt he had performed all the religious duties of his day and culture.
▣ NKJV adds "from my youth," which is found in Mar_10:20 and the uncial MSS C and W and many versions. In Jewish society a person was not responsible to keep the Law until after a time of personal study and commitment (i.e., Bar Mitzvah at age 13 for boys and Bat Mitzvah for girls at age 12). This is parallel to the concept of "the age of accountability" in Christianity.
▣ "what am I still lacking" This shows the restlessness of this man's heart. Even after keeping all of the Mosaic laws and their interpretations, he still felt empty.
Mat_19:21 "If" This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true by the author for his literary purposes.
NASB "complete"
NKJV, NRSV,
TEV, NJB " perfect"
This word meant "full," " mature," " fully equipped for the assigned task" (from telosi). It did not imply sinlessness.
▣ "go and sell your possessions" This shows the radical nature of the Christian's faith (cf. Luk_14:33). It is a total commitment. For this man the choice was in the area of possessions. This man's possessions possessed him! This is not a requirement for all believers, but a radical, ultimate commitment to Jesus is!
There is a series of imperatives.
1. go, present active imperative
2. sell, aorist active imperative
3. give, aorist active imperative
4. come, adverb used as an aorist active imperative
5. follow, present active imperative
These commands (i.e., #4, 5) are like Jesus' call to the Twelve. Jesus was inviting this man to become part of His nucleus!
▣ "give to the poor" From 1Co_13:1-3, we see that attitude is the key!
▣ "you will have treasure in heaven" See notes at Mat_6:19-20.
▣ "and come, follow Me" Jesus perceived this man's priority structure and He demanded first place. His wealth was not the problem, but its priority (cf. 1Ti_6:10). Notice the radical personal commitment demanded for following Jesus (cf. Mat_10:34-39).
Mat_19:22 "he went away grieving" Jesus loved this man but would not lower the standards of the Kingdom. The Bible is silent on this man's salvation. This is shocking when we realize that (1) he came with good motives, (2) he came to the right person, (3) he came with the right questions, and (4) Jesus loved him (Mar_10:21), but he went away!