The Sorrow Of Rejecting The Lord

In Matthew's Gospel, this man is called young (Matt. 19:20), and Luke's Gospel identifies him as a ruler (Luke 18:18). The rich young man is the opposite of a helpless, dependent child. He is both affluent and influential.

From this account, we learn that when we come to Jesus, we must put away our other gods, whether possessions, position, power, a person, or a passion! This truth highlights that Salvation is to be entered through responsive faith and obedience and received as a gift. The rich man is an example of one who tried to enter it by doing something. It is impossible for anyone who trusts in anything else to get into heaven!