Mark 10:17-27 “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”
In dealing with the rich young ruler Jesus uses humor, sarcasm, irony, and hyperbole. He loves this young man and wants him to be saved. Therefore, He teaches the young man that (1) Jesus is God; (2) that he cannot trust in money to save him, for only trusting in Jesus will save him; and (3) that it is totally impossible for anyone to save himself, but it is possible with God. When Jesus said, “sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,” He was not saying that the ruler could be saved that way. Jesus knew that the young ruler loved his possessions more than he loved God and life eternal. He was simply pointing that out. Jesus was talking about a real needle and a real camel when He taught that it is totally impossible for a rich person to take his money to heaven with him or to save himself. Thank God, there is no one who is impossible for God to save! But a person must trust in Christ, alone, for salvation. John 3:16