The Rich Young Ruler

Title ideas: A rich leader wants eternal life. Jesus explains how to get eternal life. Eternal life and suffering.

As Jesus and his friends walked, a young man who was a rich leader [in the community] met him and knelt in front of Jesus, honoring him. He said, “Good teacher, I want to live forever [with God]. Please tell me the good actions that I should do so that I might know that he will accept me (to belong to him)!”

Jesus said to him with kindness, “Only God is good! If you call me good, you are saying [knowing] that I am God.”

Then Jesus said, "But if you truly [certainly] want to know that God will accept you [to belong to him], think about God’s teachings that you know: ‘Do not murder! Do not grab another man’s wife [do not do adultery]! Do not steal! Do not lie! Honor your father and mother, and love other people as much as you love yourself!’"

The young man replied, "Teacher, I have always obeyed all those teachings since I was young. What else must I do?"

Then Jesus looked at the man intently [with kindness] and said, “You are doing well! But you have not yet learned a different attitude. Go home and sell everything you have and give the money to poor people. Then God will remember well your helping others. It will be like a treasure in heaven where God is. Then you should come to find me and begin to learn from [obey] me!"

That man was very sad when he heard that he should give all his things to help the poor people. He walked away without joy because he was very rich and he possessed [had / owned] many things [which he did not want to give away].

Jesus said to his disciples, "People who have many things strongly think those things are important to hold. It is difficult for those people to release their things and hold to God so they can belong to him.”

”Just like no large animal can go through the opening [eye] in a needle, so in the same way, a rich person who is holding to his things [possessions] cannot belong to God.”

The disciples were very surprised when they heard Jesus say that. So they asked him, "Then how is it possible for God to rescue [accept] any person [to belong to him?"

Jesus looked strongly at them and said, "It is not possible for people themselves to change their stubborn ways, but God can change people. Everything is possible for God [to change]!"

Peter said to Jesus, "We have released everything we possess so that we might follow you. What will we get for obeying you?"

Jesus said, "God will reward everyone who leaves their home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or things or land in order to follow [obey] me and to teach other people about my good message."

"They will receive many benefits [mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, houses and gardens] in this life. They will also endure persecution [suffering]. But in the future world [time] that is coming, they will live forever with God."