Luke 18:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

NIV: When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'

NASB: Now when Jesus heard this, He said to him, 'One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.'

CSB: When Jesus heard this, he told him, "You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

NLT: When Jesus heard his answer, he said, 'There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'

KJV: Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

NKJV: So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

The question of eternal life was posed, to Jesus, by a young and very wealthy man. That he was wealthy and powerful in his community would have been seen, in that culture, as signals of God's blessing. In addition to earthly success, he devoutly follows the Mosaic law (Luke 18:18–21). Although his deeds are honorable, Jesus presents him with one more challenge.

This verse is commonly misinterpreted. Jesus isn't saying that it is wrong to be wealthy. Nor does this mean that all Christians, everywhere, must give away all their money. He's answering a specific man's question: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18). The man looks like a shoo-in. His wealth and power seem to be blessings from God for being a good person. He follows the Law, particularly by being kind to other people. What else does he need?

The rich ruler's predicament is a real-life application of Jesus' earlier parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). We can't earn our place in God's kingdom like the Pharisee assumes; we must humbly request an invitation like the tax collector. Like the children who come to Jesus, we're obligated to complete dependence (Luke 18:16–17). Jesus isn't giving the man one last work he must do to be worthy; He's inviting the man to stop relying on works and trust God for eternal life.

Jesus does not consider this young man to be an adversary. His questions are sincere and he sincerely wants to know what Jesus has to say. Mark says, "And Jesus, looking at him, loved him" (Mark 10:21). Sadly, the man's reaction shows that he's not ready to put God at the very top of his priorities.

Luke 18:18–27 introduces the counter example to the powerless, trusting children of Luke 18:15–17. This instance also contrasts with the sacrificial disciples of Luke 18:28–30. The children have nothing to cling to and readily receive God's kingdom. The rich man in this section cannot muster such dependent faith. He wants eternal life but doesn't know if it's worth sacrificing worldly comforts. Conversely, the disciples have given up their place in the world in hopes of something better. This story is also found in Matthew 19:16–22 and Mark 10:17–22.

Luke continues to arrange Jesus' teachings by their topic. Here, he includes two parables: the persistent widow and the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus encourages children to approach Him. He interacts with a moral, wealthy man who can't bear to follow Jesus if it means giving up wealth. After another prediction of His death, Jesus encounters and heals a blind man on His way to Jerusalem.

Luke 18 approaches the end of Jesus' "travelogue" to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51—19:27). Luke has selected miracles, teachings, and events to show how Jesus trained His disciples. His emphasis was explaining the kingdom of God in preparation for their work to build the church. Luke 18 includes several contrasts between those who understand God's kingdom and those who don't. Luke 19 includes the story of Zacchaeus and another parable before Jesus' triumphal entry and the Passion Week. These stories are also found primarily in Matthew 19—20 and Mark 10.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.