Matt 19:21, 27-28; Mark 10:21, 28; Luke 18:22, 28

Texts Associated words/motifs Context

Matt 19:21, 27-28

16 “eternal life” (zwh.n aivw,nion) 21 “go, sell, give, then come and…” 23-26 impossibility for mortals to enter the kingdom and possibility of God

27 “have left everything and …”

28 “at the renewal… when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of glory”; “you…will sit on twelve thrones”

29 “left,” “receive a hundredfold,” “will inherit eternal life” (zwh.n aivw,nion)

19:13-15 little children and the kingdom of heaven

20:1-16 hired laborers in the vineyard 20:17-19 Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection

20:20-23 the cup to drink

307

Davies and Allison, Matthew, 2:670. Cf. “Denying oneself,” in Hebrew expression, is “hating one’s own life.”

308

The pericopes need to be interpreted as a coherent unit because the account of the rich young man and the dialogue between Jesus and Peter including the disciples are closely linked. For the detailed observation on the textual differences among the texts of the Gospels, refer to Bock, Luke

9:51-24:53, 1476-91.

Mark 10:21, 28

17 “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (zwh.n aivw,nion)

21 “go, sell, give, then come and…” 23-27 impossibility for mortals to enter the kingdom and possibility of God

28 “have left everything and…”

29 “who has left… for my sake and for the sake of the good news”

30 “receive a hundredfold in this age,” “with persecution,” “in the age to come eternal life” (zwh.n aivw,nion)

13-16 little children and the kingdom of God

32-34 Jesus’ death and resurrection 35-40 the cup that I drink you will drink

Luke 18:22, 28

18 “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (zwh.n aivw,nion)

22 “sell all, distribute, then come…” 24-27 impossibility for mortals to enter the kingdom and possibility of God

28 “we have left our homes and…”

29 “who has left,” “get back much more in this life,” “in the age to come eternal life” (zwh.n aivw,nion)

15-17 infants and the kingdom of God 31-33 Jesus’ death and resurrection 34 the disciples’ inability to understand

The contribution of these texts to the significance of following Jesus is that avkolouqei/n is associated with zwh.n aivw,nion. Eternal life is identified as the ultimate goal of following in the dialogue between Jesus and the rich man, and as the reward in the subsequent conversation between Jesus and Peter.

Before paying attention to the fact that he is rich, the texts state that the man has made tremendous efforts to attain zwh.n aivw,nion (Matt 19:16, 20).309

The urgency in his soul and the sincerity in his pursuit for eternal life are hinted at in the action that he “ran up and knelt before him” (Mark 10:17).310 Jesus recognized the man’s truthful and hard endeavor to enter God’s kingdom.311 Jesus wanted “him on board.”312 Yet, astonishingly the man failed to enter God’s kingdom,313 but left grieving at Jesus’ demand that he had to sell all his

309

Matt 19:16, 20 dida,skale( ti, avgaqo.n poih,sw i[na scw/ zwh.n aivw,nionÈ ...pa,nta tau/ta evfu,laxa\ “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? ... I have kept all these.”

310

In the Scriptures, this is the only person who knelt down before Jesus begging for the way to find eternal life. He petitioned like those who had tremendously painful human situations such as a man with leprosy or the fathers who had sick or dying children.

311

Scrutinizing his inner being with a careful searching look, Jesus is duly impressed and loves him (Mark 10:21). France, Mark, 403.

312

Ibid.

313

The young man’s search for eternal life seems earnest. Yet, he fails to gain eternal life. Is it because he failed in renunciation of his possessions, or is it because he was approaching the matter of entering the kingdom of God with the wrong perspective?

possessions, give to the poor, and follow him.

Does the passage teach that affluence is the barrier to entering the kingdom of heaven? Is Jesus’ command to sell all possessions and give to the poor universal for any follower of Jesus? As R. T. France comments, “[t]he following dialogue with the disciples leaves little room for concluding that this particular rich man was exceptional; Jesus’ words are starkly universal, hence the disciples’ dismay.”314 It is a universal command, not for this rich man or some spiritual elites only. Yet, wasn’t it true that some followers of Jesus still retained their possessions while following Jesus, and Jesus was supported by their possessions? In fact, the question begins at the point of the man’s approach for eternal life. Is eternal life obtainable by doing something good, by human works, such as by the reckless surrendering of all possessions? Does Jesus mean that the man can obtain eternal life by doing radically good deeds? Jesus’ answer to him, “one thing you lack,” which implies, do this and you will have treasure in heaven, appears to support that idea. But, that is not the case.

What applies universally to all followers of Jesus is not selling and giving one’s possessions as a good work to inherit eternal life and the kingdom of God. What applies universally to all followers of Jesus is that it is impossible for mortals to attain eternal life by any good works, but possible only by God. It is already hinted by Jesus’ initial reply that no one is good but God alone (Mark 10:18; 18:19).

Jesus’ immensely harsh demand to this sincere seeker of eternal life gives a whole different perspective on the kingdom of God and the way to inherit eternal life. It is never a matter of prioritization. The costs of following Jesus and the radical motions entailed in following Jesus, observed in the previous passages, never indicate that anyone can obtain zwh.n aivw,nion when one makes a radical decision and sacrifice to follow Jesus with precedence over former living or family ties. To have eternal life is not something human beings can attain by human will power and capability, or by making great efforts in the same way humans achieve things in this world (cf. John 1:13).

A camel passing through the eye of a needle (Matt 19:24; Mark 10:25) connotes not simply difficulty, but impossibility (para. avnqrw,poij tou/to avdu,nato,n evstin, Matt 19:26).315 Whether rich or poor,316 for mortals to enter the kingdom of heaven is impossible by means

314

Ibid., 400.

315

France (Mark, 404) explains its meaning: “The grotesque idea of a camel going through the eye of a needle is a proverbial way of stating the impossible: a rabbinic saying (b. Ber. 55b; cf. also b.

B. Mes. 38b; b. ‘Erub. 53a) uses an elephant going through the eye of needle (along with a date palm

made of gold) as an image of the impossible…”

316

See Bock, Luke 9:51-24:53, 1486. “The disciples interpret Jesus’ remark that the rich will

of their own innate ability (para. avnqrw,poij avdu,naton, Mark 10:27). Entering God’s kingdom is something beyond the capacity of human prioritization or determination or making sacrifice for it. It is possible by God’s own operation alone317 as is confirmed by Jesus’ own statement (para. de. qew/| pa,nta dunata,, Matt 19:26; avllV ouv para. qew/|\ pa,nta ga.r dunata. para. tw/| qew/|, Mark 10:27).

The Synoptic texts, however, do not spell out further the details of the operation of divine power in God’s own equation of the kingdom, unlike Pauline writings (cf. Rom 8:2-4), that how “For God all things are possible” with regard to inheriting eternal life, and that how those who follow Jesus can inherit eternal life. Thus, we end further consideration except to mention that God’s formula definitely works somehow in the life of those who follow Jesus. One certain thing is that inheriting eternal life by following Jesus is not a mathematical equation that humans can control. It is dependent on God’s own mathematics of salvation because the kingdom and eternal life are, after all, his. Human decisive action in radical renunciation of one’s possessions, former life, family ties and duties, and even one’s own self is not the controlling factor. It is utterly dependent on God’s own mysterious work that exerts for the followers of Jesus (cf. Eph 1:20; 2:5, 6). With the insight of this point, the significance of following Jesus is lifted up to be a radically different new dimension that goes beyond human capacity.

Although Matt 19:21, 27-28; Mark 10:21, 28; and Luke 18:22, 28 communicate the profound implication that entering the kingdom of God utterly depends on God’s operation, these texts do describe what followers do and what recompense is for them. As to what humans must do, “left everything/homes” (Matt 19:27; Mark 10:28; Luke 18:28) is juxtaposed with “followed you” (hvkolouqh,same,n soi) in Peter’s saying, in contrast to the rich man’s response. The verb “left” (avfi,hmi) is repeated in Jesus’ affirmation with the list of the things the followers have left (kai. pa/j o[stij avfh/ken..., Matt 19:29). As for the recompenses, they are incomparable to what they left behind. “Much more” or “a hundredfold” will be paid

find it impossible to enter the kingdom to mean that everyone will find it impossible to enter. … Ti,j (tis, who) is general, so the premise and implications of Jesus’ remark is that it is not just rich people who are in trouble, but all people (Plummer 1896:426 and Fitzmyer 1985:1205 compare it to Num 24:23).”

317

As a theological insight, France (Mark, 406) comments on the mathematics of divine power beyond human calculation: “[I]t is impossible. But that impossibility is then placed on the debit side of the human/divine balance. What human beings cannot do, God can. They have considered the criteria for entering God’s kingdom from a human perspective, and from that perspective those criteria, as Jesus has now set them out, cannot be met. But if it is God’s kingdom, we are not limited to human calculation.”

back in this age, and in the age to come they will inherit eternal life (kai. zwh.n aivw,nion klhronomh,sei, Matt 19:29), the very object which the rich man sought but failed to attain. In addition to these, the Matthean text adds the kingly privilege that those who have followed Jesus will sit on twelve thrones when the Son of Man will be seated on the throne of his glory (Matt 19:28; cf. 16:27). Yet, Jesus’ followers will also face persecution in this life before they join their Master’s glory (Mark 10:30).

Those who follow Jesus inherit zwh.n aivw,nion (Matt 19:29) which the rich young man failed to acquire (Matt 19:16, 22). It seems that the followers attain it by renunciation and because they left those things behind (Matt 19:27, 29), but as a matter of truth, according to the principle of the kingdom (Matt 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27), it is God’s work and power that enables them to surrender all the valuable things in this life, follow Jesus (h`mei/j avfh,kamen pa,nta kai. hvkolouqh,same,n soi, Matt 19:27), and receive zwh.n aivw,nion. It is what Jesus’ followers receive as a gift of inheritance from God, not what they attain.