If we want to understand the story of the rich young man correctly, we need to look at the original situation. The man who ran up to Jesus was interested in what he had to do in order to inherit eternal life. He addresses Jesus with this question, calling him "the Good Teacher." But Jesus does not like high titles. He does not like this treatment, and He rejects it: "No one is good but God alone!" It is as if he is saying: "There is no need for any flattery! Do not call Me good! Save this word for God!" A teacher should always draw attention not to himself, but to God. Thus, "only the One God is good." Therefore, it is only from the good God that a young man can learn what good things he must do in order to inherit eternal life.

God expressed His will in the commandments of good human behavior. "You know 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 honor thy father and mother." Whoever fulfills this will of God is on the right path to eternal life. The young man received an answer to his question, and this conversation could have ended.

But the conversation continues, not because Jesus had anything else to add. The continuation of the conversation is due to the fact that the young man, it turns out, is still not satisfied with something, he still lacks something. He says: "Teacher! all this I have preserved from my youth."

This reaction of the young man attracted the favorable attention of Jesus Christ. He looked lovingly at the rich young man and saw that the fulfillment of the commandments did not fill his life, did not give his life a final meaning. For the fullness of life, he needed more. What did he lack? "One thing you lack: go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me!"

This call to the fullness of life, which is no longer lacking, has nothing to do with the original question of the inheritance of eternal life, which will come later, which is still far away. Jesus, on the other hand, is already offering the rich man a new life opportunity that will fill him completely—the opportunity to follow Christ. The life of a young man, in order to become "heavenly" right now and here, should not be limited to the fulfillment of the commandments.

Therefore, when Jesus suggests to the young man, "Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven!" He is not offering him an additional condition for entering eternal life. No, Jesus is only assuring the young man that the sale of his possessions will not bring him a loss! On the contrary, he will find imperishable treasures in heaven now and here.

"But the young man was troubled at this word and departed with sorrow, because he had a great possessions." Wealth prevented him from fulfilling the commandments, but from following Jesus, with Whom the Kingdom of Heaven had already descended to earth.

And so, since the young man was unable to accept Jesus' invitation to follow Him because of his wealth, the Lord now says in contrition: "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!" If the rich young man had followed Jesus, he would have entered the kingdom of God! "For the Kingdom of God is at hand!" it is already here! You just need to enter it! Already today! But... "How difficult it is for those who hope for riches to enter the Kingdom of God! 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."

This is a response to the "horrified" students. Their amazement is emphasized twice. And they were horrified because Jesus completely overturned the established Jewish moral standards. The richer a person is, the more likely it is that he will enter the Kingdom of God. The disciples immediately decided that if Jesus had told the truth, man had little chance of salvation at all. But when they are frightened and ask, "Who can be saved?" they confuse the concepts. After all, Jesus said nothing about salvation, that is, about the eternal life of a rich young man. Salvation was discussed at the very beginning of the conversation. Of course, no one is able to gain eternal life by himself: it is not in the power of man. Therefore, Jesus answers the disciples: "With men it is impossible." But then, at the beginning of the conversation, Jesus said to the young man about the possibility of his salvation by God: "You know the commandments," He told him. God's commandments are the way to eternal life. The one who keeps the commandments of God is saved by God! The inheritance of eternal life, that is, the salvation of man from the power of death, depends on God. That is why it is said: "With men this is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God."

But as long as we do not distinguish the Kingdom of God, which is already here, from eternal life, which is before us only after our death; until we understand that we are entering the kingdom of God today, if we truly follow Jesus, we will look upon wealth as a danger to eternal life. However, our Gospel account does not say that wealth in itself is a danger to eternal life. After all, the young man is rich, and since he keeps the commandments of God, he will inherit eternal life. No, the Gospel story through the mouth of Jesus Christ says that wealth is an obstacle to entering the Kingdom of God, here and now: "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."

But why is that?

Because the Kingdom of God has its own laws: "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a child will not enter it" (10:15). And again: "Whoever wants to be first, let him be the last of all, and the servant of all" (9:35). To live by such a revaluation of habitual values – and not only to preach and glorify – it is very difficult, almost impossible, for one who is unable to give up his wealth. That is why "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."

In the world today, and even more so in the world in which Jesus Christ lived, values were completely different! Let's look at our history from a slightly different angle:

Let us recall the calling of another man who was by no means poor, the publican Levi (Mark 2:14). "As he passed, he saw Levi Alpheus sitting at the toll-house, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he arose and followed Him." A rich young man comes to Jesus Christ on his own initiative. Jesus connects His call to follow Him with certain conditions. The publican Levi is called at the initiative of Jesus, and no conditions are given. In these stories, two initial situations are contrasted: Levi is a "sinner" and a rich young man, as he would be called in Palestine, is a "righteous man." While the publican Levi had no regrets about leaving his doubtful possessions, the rich young man could not part with his wealth, for he, in the spirit of the rabbinic ideas of his day, regarded his wealth as a reward from God for his righteousness. He keeps the commandments, that is, he is righteous, and for this God has rewarded him with wealth! If he parted from it, he would at the same time renounce his well-deserved righteousness.