Matthew 19:21 - The Rich Young Man: Perfect or Problem?

Mat.19:21; The Rich Young Man: Perfect or Problem?

Mat 19:21 (NLT)  Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go 
and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will 
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 

A wealthy man came to Jesus, concerned about whether he was on 
the right path. He was wealthy, and, according to him anyway, he had 
managed to keep every law required of him. So Jesus got right to the 
heart of the matter by telling him to get rid of his wealth. This 
zeroed in on a fact that the man couldn't see for himself - that his 
unwillingness to give up his wealth showed that he wasn't even keeping the 
first of the Ten Commandments, to not let anything be more important 
than his relationship with God (Exodus 20:2-3). 
Jesus doesn't ask you to sell everything you own, but he does 
ask you to get rid of anything in your life that adversely affects 
your relationship with God. Consider where you focus your time and 
energy. The focus of your life establishes your priorities. Jesus says 
to make him your priority. When you do, you won't need to fret 
about whether you're doing enough. Instead, you'll be doing just what 
he calls you to do. [The One Year Bible for New Believers re Luke 
18:18-25] 

Wise are the words of the martyr Jim Elliot who said, "He is no 
fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."  
What is the Lord requiring of you?  Do you need to heed His words 
from this passage?  For this man, there didn't seem to be a middle 
ground, no compromise.  The Lord still permits no compromises today. 
Anything more precious to you than God must be given away immediately. If 
you will it, God will give you the strength to do it, and come into 
a right relationship with Him! [In His Time; Walk With Wisdom]