Walking Away From Jesus
- Elijah McSwain
- Oct 14
- 14 min read
10/13/2025
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Matthew 19:16-24 NKJV — Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The timeframe in which we live is an age of skepticism. Individuals tend to be very skeptical of concepts, ideas, circumstances, situations, and other people. Skepticism is an attitude characterized by doubt, unbelief, distrust, reluctance, uncertainty, suspicion, and hesitation. Skepticism has taken the world by storm as people are held captive by a number of things. Humanity is uncertain about things that surface online, whether they are actually true or a false narrative has been created to distort or conceal the truth. People are hesitant to believe everything they hear from news outlets as concerns grow over the narratives and agendas being promoted. Undoubtedly, distrust is increasing across many parts of our government where people do not know what to believe. Skepticism is also apparent in dating relations when a person is in a committed relationship but still maintains an active single profile online. Suspicion is rampant in the world today to the point where it is hard to know who can really be trusted. In many of these cases, there are valid reasons to be cautious in an unpredictable, fickle, and ever-changing world.
However, when it comes to divine matters concerning God, there shouldn’t be any skepticism in trusting Him.
Unbelief deeply affects individuals, leading them to question the Lord’s power, deity, character, existence, and sovereignty. Here are a few questions that are asked, which cause people to dwell in the realm of doubt, disbelief, and distrust in God.
Who is God?
Is God real?
Does God exist?
If He exists and He is the essence of good, then why does evil exist?
If God is so loving, why does He allow me to experience bad things?
How can we trust God?
How can we rely on God if no man has seen God at any time?
Unfortunately, this type of thought pattern and mindset is a key factor under the umbrella of skepticism that leads people to walk away from Jesus. In this passage, we see a classic example of skepticism, doubt, distrust, and reluctance. The rich young ruler came to the right place regarding His inquiry about eternal life. He went to the right person. He received the right answer, but he reacted with the wrong response. Like the rich young ruler, you may have questions to which you inquire of God. I urge you to come to Him, receive the right answer, but do not respond the wrong way. As we consider the theme ‘Walking Away from Jesus’, let's observe his mixed philosophical theology about salvation, his reluctance to confess his spiritual condition, and his reluctance to forsake materialism.
A Mixed Philosophical Theology About Salvation
In verse sixteen, the rich young ruler approached Jesus and asked Him, “Good teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life?” The phrase “shall I do” is translated as poi-e-o. It describes acts he believed he could do to gain eternal life. His theological understanding of salvation was flawed and tainted. He assumed that salvation was based on human effort. He had a systematic impression that salvation was a product or reward based on human performance. Thus, this merit-based philosophy was only confined to external conformity and not internal transformation. His understanding of eternal life led him to conform externally to God’s law. His standard for heaven did not require internal change through spiritual transformation.
However, external conformity to God’s law does not produce internal transformation.
A person can externally attempt to live by the law of God through human effort but be void of God’s Spirit internally. Hence, the attempt to live godly is vain because it is a life that is absent of God’s presence. However, those who have truly experienced an internal transformation of the soul will align outwardly with God’s law. In simplicity, internal transformation leads to external obedience to God, as it reflects who governs our hearts.
As revealed in verses seventeen and eighteen, “Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? There is no one good but God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Bruce Hurt expressed, “The young man's question at first glance seems innocent, even eager! After all, there were hundreds of commandments in the Torah (613, traditionally), so his question might be a way of narrowing down which ones Jesus considered most important. It's as if he is asking, "What’s the minimum required of me to get into heaven? Give me the checklist so I can be good enough.” As do all the non-Christian religions, this young man is emphasizing rule-keeping over relationship, duty over devotion, doing over being. In other words, he might be hoping Jesus will give him a short, doable list — something he can check off, which reveals his performance-based mindset: “Tell me the rules I need to follow, and I’ll follow them.” Recall that his original question was “What must I do?” Now, he asks “Which ones?”, staying in that same task-oriented frame — as if eternal life can be earned by ticking off commandments. His question also clearly implies that he does not grasp the deeper issue, that the heart of his problem is his heart! In other words by asking “Which ones?” he is showing that he is thinking externally (actions, works), while Jesus will now take aim at the real issue, which is internal, the allegiance of his heart.” 1 Salvation is not a matter of what rules we keep in order to be in a right standing before God.
Eternal life is contingent on the reality of Jesus’ sinless life and atoning sacrifice on the cross.
To possess a distorted view of God’s gracious act at the cross is an attempt to diminish His chosen method of salvation. Everlasting life is not dependent on worldly systems or human actions. God has already done the work through Christ. His sacrifice is the means by which we can receive salvation through conviction, repentance, belief, and confession in the work of Christ at the cross. Romans 10:9 declares, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Human philosophy and theological misinterpretation do not determine or constitute God’s method of saving lost souls. The rich young ruler took a legalistic approach to salvation based on works. Hence, it is revealed in his question, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” His understanding was similar to that of the people mentioned in Romans 10:2-3. He had a zeal for God, but not based on knowledge. Because he was ignorant of God’s righteousness, he tried to establish his own righteousness. Therefore, he would not submit to God’s righteousness. It is important to note that God has eternally defined the standard for salvation biblically. Salvation is not achieved through good works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) is written, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Romans 8:3-4 (NKJV) states, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 3:20 (NKJV) states, “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”
Titus 3:4-7 (NJKV) reveals “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Salvation comes from God. Don’t allow your mixed theological views about God to lead you to turn away from Jesus.
Reluctance To Confess His Spiritual Condition
In verses seventeen to twenty-two of the text, the attitude of the rich young ruler was revealed. Matthew 19:17-22 (NKJV) states, “So He said to him, [b]“Why do you call Me good? [c]No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Jesus used the commandments as the foundation to test the heart of the rich young ruler. If he failed in one area of upholding the law, then he failed in the area of perfection that the law required.
Stuart Weber implied, “He did not understand that God required absolute perfection. He seemed to presume that God graded on a curve and that his “goodness” was better than many. Jesus let this man know that anything less than perfection is no “good” at all. A righteous man would have to keep all of the commandments perfectly. The man, grasping for possibilities, assumed that there must be some special set of commandments that made a person particularly righteous.” 2
He believed that strict compliance with the law constituted his right to be granted eternal life. He believed that because he kept the commandments of not murdering, not committing adultery, not stealing, not bearing false witness, and because he honored his father and mother and loved his neighbor, he was morally right. To clarify, you can be morally right but spiritually dead. Moralism has no saving authority on one's life. You can try to follow God’s law in a legalistic way, but lack the life of the lawgiver. You can be passionate about the things of God, but have the wrong motives. In Jesus’ declaration to the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give to the poor, then you will have treasure in heaven, and come and follow Me, was not a means to achieve salvation through effort.
MacArthur affirmed that “Jesus was not teaching salvation by philanthropy; but He was demanding that the young man give Him first place. The young man failed the test.” 3
The rich young ruler claimed, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I lack? Jesus said, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor.” The fact that the rich young ruler walked away sorrowfully showed that he did not truly love his neighbor as he claimed. Failing to love one’s neighbor in this way showed he was not willing to follow the words of Jesus. More importantly, it confirmed his spiritual state as a sinner. The essence of not following God’s law revealed the state of his heart. In his refusal to obey Jesus, it was revealed that he was not blameless under the law. He was guilty of loving his possessions and lavish lifestyle more than his neighbor. He lacked the measure of true faith to deny himself and totally surrender to the will of the Lord.
His reluctant attitude led him to turn away from Jesus because he was unwilling to accept Jesus' teachings. This idea of giving up what he worked so hard for seemed foolish to him. Thus, he was unable to see the bigger picture that true riches come from the Lord. His approach to life enabled him to dismiss the decree of Jesus by prioritizing his own way of living over that of Christ.
Jesus’ purpose in instructing the young man in this matter showed him that he needed a higher standard of righteousness than his own.
If he had heeded Jesus’ offer, then the imputation of divine righteousness would have been granted to him had he confessed his sins when confronted with the truth. Jesus showed him the error of his ways, yet he chose to walk away, as he was unwilling to change. He failed to allow the truth to transform Him. His logic consumed him because his mixed theological understanding of salvation imprisoned him. When Jesus presented a different reality, he could not accept it because it did not align with his own moral view of right and wrong. Therefore, he ignored his spiritual condition by walking away from the giver of eternal life.
The rich young ruler, like many people today, want all the blessings associated with eternal life but fail to trust Christ by taking Him at His word. People turn away from Jesus because they don’t want to live by His terms. They believe their way of living is more beneficial than Christ’s way. Thus, they possess an obstructed view of sin. They do not sense the seriousness of their sin. Often, walking away from Jesus is the end result. As a result, their self-imposed approach to life causes them to feel as though they are right in their own eyes.
Such individuals are spiritually deceived, and the ultimate outcome is that they are deprived of a wonderful Savior. Many people today are reluctant to confess their sins when confronted with the truth. Self-righteous attitudes allow individuals to diminish God’s view of sin. Therefore, they fail to confront the reality of their sinful nature.
Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV) states, “There is a way that seems right to man, But its end is the way of death.”
Skepticism and reluctance to trust Jesus will cause people to be stubborn about admitting sin. It causes some to justify wrongdoing. It attempts to validate self-proclaimed methods of moral uprightness. Skepticism and reluctance lead people to reject Jesus, undermine what the Lord has established as right and wrong, and demonstrate unbelief in God's absolute truth that governs life.
Spiritual blindness forms a barrier that keeps people away from Jesus.
But as the Lord reveals a person’s iniquities and shortcomings, it is essential to understand the adverse effects of sin, so that a person will gladly be the beneficiary of eternal life through Christ.
Reluctancy To Forsake Material
Verse twenty-two captures that the rich young ruler placed his stock in material possessions as he walked away from Jesus sorrowfully. George Ladd wrote, “This young man had conscientiously observed the law from his youth. However, one obstacle stood in his way, and this was his attachment to his wealth. Therefore Jesus told him to do something He had never commanded another: to dispose of his goods and follow Jesus in discipleship (19:22). The young man on hearing this turned away, for he was not ready to pay that price.” 4 It's safe to assume that he believed his possessions gave him security. But he failed to realize that true security is found in Jesus.
He was skeptical of Christ’s offer because he couldn't see past this material world to share in the blessed hope Jesus offers.
Instead of adhering to Matthew 6:33, which mentions seek first the kingdom of God and all of His righteousness, and all these other things in the form of materialism will be added. The rich young ruler took the inverse perspective, choosing materialism over the kingdom of God and all its righteousness. The wealthy man decided to trust in the uncertainty of riches that others could steal, that rust could corrode, and moths could destroy (Matthew 6:19-21). His heart was focused on the riches of this world, so that revealed where his treasure was. Matthew 6:21 (NKJV) declares, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
He was blind to heavenly treasure because he was imprisoned by his earthly treasure.
Psalm 49:6-11, 17 (NKJV) proclaims, “Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations;
They call their lands after their own names. For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.”
Material things are confined to this material world. The rich young ruler was so obsessed with material possessions that he completely missed the concept of eternity.
After all, when we leave this world, people will be fighting over what we have accumulated over the years. 1 Timothy 6:7 (NKJV) highlights “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” I have never seen a U-Haul follow a hearse to the cemetery. Therefore, we need to possess the mindset of the songwriter who composed these words, I would rather have Jesus than silver and gold. Luke 12:21 (NKJV) confirms “He who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
David McKenna mentioned, “Wealth is a human value with a voracious appetite which binds a person to earth.” 5
Are you willing to exchange the temporary things of this world for eternity? Materialism is often a stumbling block for many people who believe that wealth is the main focus of life. Because of the position of the rich young ruler’s heart, Jesus declared in Matthew 19:23-24 (NKJV) “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” William MacDonald affirmed, “The rich man’s response prompted Jesus to observe that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Riches tend to become an idol. It is hard to have them without trusting in them. Our Lord declared that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” He was using a figure of speech known as hyperbole-a statement made in intensified form to produce a vivid, unforgettable effect.” 6 Bruce Hurt further adds, “The simple teaching is that it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Jesus' point is that entrance into the kingdom of heaven is impossible unless God's Spirit does a work of grace in a person's uncircumcised heart and such a work is especially difficult for those who are bound to this temporal earth by they wealth.” 7
Don't get lost in the temporary. It can cause you to miss eternity.
Don't hold a tight grip on the world, as it can cause skepticism and lead you to hell because you chose the world over Jesus. The desire for wealth and the finer things in life has led many people astray. Matthew 16:26 (NKJV) notes, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" I urge you to prioritize Jesus instead of the idol of materialism. I urge you to come to Jesus for the salvation of your soul.
Jesus is the greatest treasure ever known to mankind.
Notes
Weber, Stuart K. 2000. Matthew. Vol. 1. Holman New Testament Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
The MacArthur Study Bible
Ladd, George Eldon. 1960. “Matthew.” In Matthew–Revelation, 3:57. The Biblical Expositor. A. J. Holman Company.
The Believer’s Bible Commentary
