What is the meaning of Matthew 19:20? All these I have kept Jesus had just listed several of the commandments (Matthew 19:18-19: “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”). The young man’s reply shows sincere moral effort, yet also a blind spot: • A commendable record – much like Paul’s pre-conversion claim that he was “faultless” as to legal righteousness (Philippians 3:6). • Still insufficient – “Whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10); “no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law” (Romans 3:20). • The law’s purpose – to point out sin and lead the honest heart to recognize its need (Galatians 3:24). said the young man Matthew calls him “a young man,” Mark notes that he “ran up and knelt” (Mark 10:17). Youthful zeal meets sincere reverence, yet with an overconfidence God must lovingly expose. • Self-assessment often differs from God’s assessment: “All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD” (Proverbs 16:2). • Even the diligent Pharisee could pray, “I fast twice a week and pay tithes” (Luke 18:11-12), but Jesus warned that such self-reliance leaves one unjustified (Luke 18:14). • Only Christ sees the heart accurately. “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mark 10:21) — love that tells the truth. What do I still lack? In spite of outward obedience, something inside whispers, “There must be more.” • Restlessness of an unregenerated heart: Solomon confessed that even after every achievement, “everything was meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). • Poverty of spirit Jesus commends: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The rich young ruler senses the poverty but doesn’t yet grasp its cure. • Jesus soon pinpoints the lack: “You still lack one thing. Sell all you own… then come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22). Eternal life is found not in further doing but in wholehearted attachment to Christ (1 John 5:11-12). summary Matthew 19:20 captures the tension between diligent morality and true salvation. The young man’s claim, “All these I have kept,” shows impressive outward conformity, yet his honest question, “What do I still lack?” reveals an inner void only Jesus can fill. Scripture consistently affirms that law-keeping cannot justify; instead it drives the seeker to recognize need and embrace the Savior. |
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