When He was going out on His way, someone ran up, fell on His knees before Him, and asked Him: "Good Teacher! What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. Thou knowest the commandments: Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not offend, thou shalt honour thy father and mother (Exodus 20:12-17). And he answered and said to him, Teacher! all these things I have preserved from my youth. Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "There is one thing that you lack: go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross. He, embarrassed at this word, departed with sorrow, because he had a large estate.

Some falsely represent this young man as a cunning and cunning tempter. This is not so: he was only a covetous man, and not a tempter. For listen to what the Evangelist remarks: "When Jesus looked at him, he loved him." And why did Christ answer him thus: "No one is good"? Because he approached Christ as a simple man and as one of many teachers. It is as if Christ is saying: If you consider Me good, as a simple teacher, then in comparison with God no man is good; if you acknowledge Me good as God, why do you call Me only a teacher? With these words, Christ wants to convey the highest thought about Himself, so that it may know Him as God. In addition, in order to correct the youth, the Lord gives him another lesson: if he wants to converse with someone, he must speak without flattery, and know the root and source of goodness only one – God and give Him due honor. However, I am amazed at this young man that when all others came to Christ for healing from illnesses, he himself asked for the inheritance of eternal life, if only he were not possessed by the still stronger passion of love of money in him. In this passion, when he heard the words of the Lord: "Go, sell and distribute to the poor," he "departed with sorrow." Notice at the same time that the Lord did not say: sell in parts what you have and give away, but sell at one time and distribute, but only to the poor, and not to caressers or lechers; then, "Follow me," that is, adopt every other virtue, for there are many who are willing and not covetous, but not humble, or humble, but not sober, or have some other vice. That is why the Lord does not say only: "Sell and distribute to the poor," but: "And come, follow Me, taking up the cross," which means to be ready to die for His sake. "But he, troubled at this word, departed with sorrow, because he had a great possessions." It is not in vain that it is added that he had much: for it is bad and dangerous to possess even little, and the bonds of many acquisitions are completely insoluble.

"Turn away," it is said, "from evil": this means to throw sinful wealth to the poor, that is, to the powers of demons; — "and do good": what does it mean to follow Christ and take up His Cross.

And looking around, Jesus said to His disciples, "How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! The disciples were horrified at His words. But Jesus answered and said to them, "Children! how difficult it is for those who hope for riches to enter the Kingdom of God! It is more convenient for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. And they were greatly astonished, and said among themselves, Who then can be saved? Jesus, looking at them, said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God."

It is not wealth in itself that is evil, but those who guard it are evil and worthy of condemnation, for they must not have it, that is, keep it, but use it for good. It is called wealth because it is intended for useful use, and not for saving. Therefore, it is difficult for those who guard and lock it up to "enter the Kingdom of God." And the word "difficult" here means the same thing that is impossible. It is really too difficult for a rich person to be saved. This is evident from the example that the Lord adds, saying: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." Under the name of the camel, you can understand either the animal itself, or the thick rope (rope) used on large ships. Thus, it is impossible for a person to be saved as long as he is rich. But it is possible from God. Christ said: "Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous riches." Do you see how everything becomes possible when we hear the Word of God! "It is impossible for men," that is, it is impossible when we reason in human terms. But why were the disciples so amazed at these words? After all, they themselves have never been rich? I think that in this case they cared for all people, since they were already beginning to be philanthropic. Some are perplexed as to how Christ said that "all things are possible with God." Can He really sin? To this we reply that when Christ says: "all things," he means everything essential, but sin is not something essential: sin is something insignificant, inactive, or, in other words, sin is not the attribute of strength, but of weakness, just as the Apostle says: "Christ, while we were still weak, died" (Romans 5:6), and David says: "Their sorrows abound" (Psalm 15:15). 4). This means that sin, as weakness, is impossible for God. But can God, they say, also make things that have been, as things that have not been? To this we will say: God is the Truth, and to make what has been, as if it had not been, is a lie. How can the Truth make a lie? To do this, He would first have to change His Being. To speak in this way would be to say that God may not be God either.

And Peter began to say unto him, Behold, we have left all things, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is none that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, and hath not received this time in this time in the midst of persecution a hundredfold more houses, and brothers and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children; and lands, but in the age to come eternal life. And many will be the first last, and the last first.

Though Peter left a little for Christ's sake, yet even this little he calls "all." Evidently, even few have the bonds of partiality; and therefore he is worthy of blessed, who forsakes little. Peter alone asked Christ, but the Lord gives a common answer for all: anyone who leaves his wife or mother. He does not say this so that we leave our parents helpless or separate from our wives, but teaches us to prefer pleasing God to everything carnal. Inasmuch as the preaching of the Gospel caused strife between people, so that the children had to renounce their fathers, the Lord also says: whoever forsakes carnal kinship and all carnal things for the sake of the Gospel, will receive all this a hundred times more in this world, and eternal life in the future. Therefore, will he not receive a hundred times as many wives? Yes, though the accursed Julian sneered at it. For, tell me, what benefit does the wife bring in her husband's household? In general, she takes care of food and clothing for her husband, and in this respect fully provides for her husband. See how it was with the apostles. How many wives took care of providing them with clothing and food, and served them, so that they themselves cared for nothing but word and teaching! In the same way, the apostles had many fathers and mothers, as were all those who loved them and cared for them with all their hearts. Peter left one of his houses, and afterwards had (as his own) all the houses of his disciples. Even now he has bright houses throughout the whole earth — churches in his name. And even more importantly, the saints inherited all this in exile, that is, being persecuted for the faith in Christ, and in cruel sufferings, but their sufferings were not a disgrace to them. For they, who seemed to be the last in the present age, because of the sorrows and persecutions they endured, will be the first in the age to come, because of their strong trust in God. The Pharisees who were first became the last, and those who left everything and followed Christ became the first.