He answered and said to Him, “Teacher, I have done all these things from my youth. now what do I still lack?”
This answer shows his moral sincerity, but also the limits of self-knowledge. He had probably kept the commandments carefully at the visible level of his conduct and did not see himself as an obvious lawbreaker. Yet he still did not see the spiritual depth of the law, which required not only outward observance, but perfect love toward God and toward one’s neighbor. His question, “what do I still lack,” reveals that even within outward piety his heart was not fully at rest; he sensed that something was missing, but he had not yet recognized its root. His condition was like the condition of religious people who can say that they have not committed great sins, and yet at the same time have not recognized the idols of their heart. As we will see next, Jesus does not expose him in a harsh way, but in love leads him to the place where his real problem would be revealed.