17Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
18So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"
20And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."
21Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
22But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
When this man runs up and calls Jesus good, it first seems that Jesus is rebuking him, that he shouldn't call Him good. But really, what Jesus is doing is questioning him. Jesus doesn't deny that He is good, He simply says no one but God is good. Is Jesus claiming his unity with God here?
There is one other piece of good news in this statement that I almost overlooked as I was first only seeing Jesus' statement that God is good. He says no one is good. We all know the commandments, yet no one is good. Jesus knows this, God accepts this. I think as a response to the question about what can be done to inherit eternal life, Jesus is saying no one is good. He does not expect anyone to inherit eternal life through what we do. This is good news, because when I worry that I am not worthy of eternal life, I can take consolation in the fact that no one is good enough for that.
What Jesus said next was not in anger or condescension, but in love. He gives this man additional guidance for how to live his life. He says go your way, sell what you have and give to the poor. Note he does not say "give it to the poor", but "give to the poor". He does not say it is "so he will have treasure in heaven", but "and he will have treasure in heaven". What need are the treasures on earth when he will have treasure aplenty in heaven?
Next he tells the man the same thing He said in Mark 8:34-38, that whoever wishes to come after Him must deny himself, take up the cross, and follow Him. He is demanding no more of this rich man than he does of everyone else.
I always imagined this man who left in sorrow, was unable to do what Jesus said. But as I read it now, I see the story isn't finished. Yes he went away sorrowful. But Jesus said "Go your way,...". Yes, he went away in sorrow, but that doesn't mean he didn't still follow through with what Jesus instructed. I like to finish the story in my mind with the rich man leaving in sorrow, possibly selling everything in sorrow (yes, it's hard to part with possessions, many of which have personal significance and fond memories), but started feeling joy in giving to the poor. Did this man do these things then come back to take up the cross and follow Jesus? We don't know, but I like to hope he did.