Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing. If you want to be perfect, go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then take up the cross and follow Me.”
This verse brings together Christ’s love and the strictness of His demand. The Lord looks at him and loves him, meaning that His word does not come from rejection, but from saving mercy. The words “You lack one thing” uncover the central bondage of his life: he had kept many points of the law outwardly, but his heart was tied to wealth. This command of Christ is not a general rule for all people, but a specific call that exposes the idol of this particular man’s heart. The Lord offers him a heavenly treasure in exchange for renouncing earthly treasures. The words “Take up the cross and follow Me” show that eternal life is not merely moral improvement, but the path of personally following Christ, with self-denial, faith, and complete surrender.