The Gospel passage tells of the story of a young rich man who approaches Jesus to know how he may inherit eternal life. Like many Jews, he has faithfully observed the laws and seeks more wisdom. Jesus begins to answer him by pointing out the commandments as prescribed in the Decalogue. The response of the young man, however, makes it clear that the way of the Law has left him unfulfilled. He remains inwardly unsatisfied and feels there is some higher demand which he must fulfill.

The young man soon learns from Jesus that the way to eternal life is costly. He is asked to give up the very foundation of what makes him feel most secure - his wealth - and to find his security in Jesus' word. Unfortunately, the young man cannot face the hard challenge. He turns down Jesus' invitation to become his disciple. Truly, this is one of the saddest stories in the Gospels. It is a story of the refusal to discipleship!

To Jesus, the indispensable condition of enter into life is to love God and to love one's neighbour. In effect, Jesus is saying that in order to gain eternal life, it is not enough for us to be guided by laws and doctrines. We must also positively love our neighbour and share our goods with him or her. Therefore, what Jesus asks of us is not the giving up of something regarded as evil in itself (riches), but rather, the unconditional giving of our love for one another, and especially for the poor and marginalised.