18 And a certain ruler questioned him, saying, 'Good teacher, what having done—shall I inherit life age-during?' 19 And Jesus said to him, 'Why me dost thou call good? no one 'is' good, except One—God; 20 the commands thou hast known: Thou mayest not commit adultery, Thou mayest do no murder, Thou mayest not steal, Thou mayest not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.' 21 And he said, 'All these I did keep from my youth;' 22 and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, 'Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things—as many as thou hast—sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 18:18-22
Commentary on Luke 18:18-30
(Read Luke 18:18-30)
Many have a great deal in them very commendable, yet perish for lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which would part between him and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet do leave him. After a long struggle between their convictions and their corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their God, not their wordly gain. Their boasted obedience will be found mere outside show; the love of the world in some form or other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak too much of what they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered for Christ, as Peter did. But we should rather be ashamed that there has been any regret or difficulty in doing it.