But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
he went.
Matthew 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Matthew 14:9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
Judges 18:23,24 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company? …
for.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Psalm 17:14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
he went away in sorrow
The young man's sorrow indicates a deep internal conflict. His reaction is not one of anger or defiance but of sadness, suggesting he understood the gravity of Jesus' request but was unwilling to comply. This sorrow can be seen as a fulfillment of Jesus' earlier teachings about the difficulty for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:23-24). The young man's departure highlights the cost of discipleship and the challenge of prioritizing spiritual wealth over earthly riches.
because he had great wealth
The mention of his great wealth underscores the central issue of the narrative: the challenge of wealth as an obstacle to spiritual commitment. In the cultural and historical context of first-century Judea, wealth was often seen as a sign of God's favor, yet Jesus turns this notion on its head by suggesting that wealth can be a hindrance to spiritual growth. This echoes the teachings found in Proverbs 11:28 and 1 Timothy 6:9-10, where the dangers of trusting in riches are highlighted. The young man's wealth symbolizes the broader theme of idolatry, where material possessions can take precedence over one's relationship with God.
• Jesus had just given a clear command: “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.” (Matthew 19:21).
• The young ruler’s ears caught every word, yet his heart weighed them against earthly security. Hearing alone never suffices; true discipleship demands response (see Matthew 7:24-27; James 1:22-25).
• He had approached Jesus eager for eternal life (Matthew 19:16), but the moment obedience required sacrifice, enthusiasm faltered.
• “Sorrow” reveals a conflicted soul—recognizing truth yet refusing to embrace it (compare Mark 10:22).
• Unlike Peter, Andrew, James, and John who “immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 4:20), this man chose distance from Christ.
• Scripture distinguishes between godly sorrow that leads to repentance and worldly sorrow that leaves one unchanged (2 Corinthians 7:10). His grief was worldly; it mourned loss of comfort, not loss of fellowship with the Savior.
• His possessions possessed him. Jesus later warned, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Matthew 19:23).
• Wealth itself is not condemned—many faithful saints were rich (Genesis 13:2; Job 1:3). The issue is attachment. “You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
• Riches promise security, status, and pleasure, yet they are uncertain (1 Timothy 6:9-10, 17). The young man’s refusal exposed an idol—one that eclipsed his desire for eternal life.
• Proverbs 11:28 reminds, “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.” His trust lay in gold, not God.
Matthew 19:22 shows a man who valued temporal wealth over eternal treasure. Hearing Christ’s call, he walked away grieving, chained by riches he could not release. The verse warns that possessions, when enthroned in the heart, can turn seekers into sorrowful deserters—reminding every believer that wholehearted surrender to Jesus surpasses every earthly gain.
(22) He went away sorrowful.--St. Mark adds "sad," i.e., frowning, or as with a look that lowered. The word is the same as that used of the sky in Mark 16:3. The discipline so far did its work. It made the man conscious of his weakness. He shrank from the one test which would really have led him to the heights of holiness at which he aimed. Yet the sorrow, though it was a sign of the weakness of one whose heart was not yet whole with God, was not without an element of hope. A mere worldling would have smiled with cynical contempt, as the Pharisees did when they heard words of a like tendency (Luke 16:14). Here there was at least a conflict. On the common view, that we can know nothing more of the questioner, it might seem as if the failure was final. On that which has been suggested here, we may believe that the Lord, who "loved" the seeker after eternal life in spite of this inward weakness, did not leave him to himself. The sickness, the death, the resurrection of Lazarus, may have been the discipline which proved that the things that are impossible with men are possible with God. We are at least not hindered by any chronological difficulty from placing those events after the dialogue with the young ruler.Verse 22. - When the young man heard that saying. Such an injunction was wholly unexpected; it completely staggered him; it appealed to the one point in his character which was weak and imperfect. He would have endured any amount of legal requirements or of vexatious and painful observances; he would gladly have become a disciple of Christ; but the previous sacrifice was too great; he could not make it; not that he was specially covetous or avaricious, but his heart was set on his riches; he had a wealthy man's tastes and position and self-confidence, and he could not bring himself to cast away these even at Christ's word. Such supreme self-denial, such absolute devotion, he would not embrace. So he went away sorrowful. He saw the right road, but he turned away from it. Without any further word, casting aside all hope of the saintly life, yet grieved and dejected at the thought of what he was losing, he returned to his home. It was hard to disobey the wise and loving Teacher who had endeavoured to lead him to the noblest aims and the highest ambition; but it was harder to follow his severe counsels. The evangelist gives the reason of this unhappy decision. For he had great possessions; η΅ν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά: erat enim habens multas possessiones; he was one that had many possessions, or had and continued to have, implying possession and retention (comp. Luke 5:18, "he continued in retirement"). This fact was the snare that trapped him, the stumbling block over which he fell. The possession of riches proved fatal to saintliness. It is this truth that our Lord emphasizes in the following discourse. They who tare unconscious of having been tried as this young man was tried may condemn him as worldly, covetous, and insincere. A true Christian, who knows his own heart, may well feel that he can throw no stone at this defaulter; that he, any more than the Jew, could not give up all that he held dear for Christ's sake; that, bad the alternative been set before him in this blunt, palpable fashion, he too would have gone away sorrowful.