Matthew 19:21-22

19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money ¹  to the poor, and you will have treasure ²  in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich. ³ 

[19:21]  ¹ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:21]  ² sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

[19:22]  ³ tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, kthma) is often used for land as a possession.