When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
Parallel translations
- WEB But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions.
- KJV But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
- NKJV But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
- NASB But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
- NLT But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The man walks away grieving because he was very wealthy. His sorrow shows that his possessions held first place over Christ.
Overview
Confronted with the true cost of following Jesus, the rich young man chooses his wealth and departs in sadness. His response demonstrates that riches can be a god that enslaves even sincere, moral people. The account warns that nothing—however good—may be held above Christ, and it sets the stage for Jesus' teaching on the danger of riches.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Matt 6:24No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
- Ezek 33:31So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.
- Matt 13:22The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Mark 10:22But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
- Eph 5:5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
- Matt 16:26What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Col 3:5Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
- Mark 6:26The king was consumed with sorrow, but because of his oaths and his guests, he did not want to refuse her.
- Matt 14:9The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted
- Luke 18:23But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy.
- Ps 17:14from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.
- Judg 18:23–24When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
- Dan 6:14–17As soon as the king heard this, he was deeply distressed and set his mind on delivering Daniel, and he labored until sundown to rescue him.
- John 19:12–16From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 19:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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