Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
In this answer Jesus is not offering a way of salvation based on poverty, but showing what the young man’s obstacle is on the path to perfection and eternal life. It is as if he says, “As long as material things are your Lord, you cannot follow me fully.” The phrase “to be perfect” here does not mean to be without sin, but to be wholly devoted, with an undivided heart, with no barrier in one’s relationship with God. Jesus’ demand to sell his possessions and give to the poor is directed not to everyone as a law, but specifically to the healing of this young man’s spiritual condition. In his heart, wealth stood in first place, not God. Jesus shows that the true treasure is in heaven, and only the one who is ready to leave the earthly will find the heavenly. On the other hand, the invitation “come and follow me” comes as the way of salvation: the complete surrender of the heart and the person’s bond with God. In its deep nature, this word was an answer to the young man’s question about how to have eternal life.