A person is able to abide by God’s commandments and still be tied to their material possessions.

Often,
the human ego devises sinful situations which are seated in our efforts to defeat the fear of death and
add stability to our lives with the help of material goods.

God asks of us to be completely released from the things which keep us tied down to the world, writes a
professor of theology. The young ruler had defeated the love of the flesh, but had been defeated by the
love of money. He loved money. An attachment to material wealth can be the greatest obstacle to our
entry into the Kingdom of God.

It is a gift, even a great gift, when we become unhooked from money.

The Lord asked the ruler to distribute his wealth to the poor. This was unheard of for the Jews.

Christ asked him to do something great, but he also gave him great rewards: “you will have treasure in
heaven.”

The young ruler could not bear this exhortation , and “went away sorrowful.” (Matt. 19:22)

St John Chrysostom says in one of his sermons that it is easier for someone to give of their own blood
rather than deny their own money, “so that to throw money away is much greater than the act of
spilling one’s own blood.”

The verbose young ruler swallowed his tongue when confronted with the Lords’ command. He become
silent, glum and cold and left for his home without accepting the saving words of Christ.