Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 18:22

"And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." — Luke 18:22 (ASV)

Jesus now moves to the heart of the tenth commandment by leading the ruler to face his attitude toward his possessions. Paul himself recognized his sinfulness when he became aware of the thrust of the command against covetousness (Romans 7:7–8). Jesus goes on to say what is still needed to produce righteous perfection. By the act of giving away his goods, the ruler would have shown himself rid of the sin of greed, and by following Jesus, he would have indicated his allegiance to God.

The command to sell everything (cf. 14:33) and give to the poor is difficult to interpret as well as to apply. This does not seem to be a universal requirement; it seems rather to be designed particularly for this man to shatter his covetousness. Such an act would also benefit others, as his wealth would be dispensed among poor people (cf. 6:30–31). Even this is insufficient, however, unless the ruler truly follows Jesus.