And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This man didn't just ask Jesus a question; he ran and knelt before Him, showing an intense eagerness and reverence that went beyond a casual inquiry. It reveals his deep longing for something more, even as his understanding of how to attain it was fundamentally flawed.
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Jesus continues his journey, setting out on the road, a man suddenly runs up to him. This prominent figure, described as a ruler and young, kneels before Jesus, addressing him as "Good Teacher" and earnestly asking how he can gain eternal life. This encounter immediately follows Jesus' blessing of the children and sets up a crucial dialogue about what truly qualifies someone for God's kingdom.
This man runs to Jesus with an urgent question: 'What must I do to inherit eternal life?' His approach reveals a common human tendency.
This young man, a figure of some status and wealth, comes to Jesus with a burning desire for eternal life. His question, 'What must I do?', highlights his foundational assumption: that eternal life is something to be earned through action or merit. He dreams of paying a price or performing a deed that will secure this ultimate inheritance.
Jesus, in His response, doesn't immediately dismiss the idea of 'doing.' He points him to the commandments. This isn't to suggest that perfectly keeping the law earns salvation (as Calvin notes, no one can perfectly keep it, and true righteousness comes from faith), but rather to show the young man the standard of righteousness God requires. It's a diagnostic tool, intended to reveal his need for something beyond his own efforts. The young man’s conviction that he has kept them, however, shows he hasn't grasped the depth of the law or his own inadequacy.
The young man calls Jesus 'Good Teacher,' but Jesus’ response redirects him immediately. Why the correction, and what does it reveal about true goodness?
When the young man addresses Jesus as 'Good Teacher,' Jesus asks, 'Why do you call me good?' This isn't a denial of His own goodness or divinity. As scholars like Calvin and Meyer point out, Jesus is using this moment to draw attention to the ultimate source of all goodness: God. He's essentially saying, 'If you recognize goodness, ultimately that goodness belongs to God alone. Let's talk about the standard of goodness that comes from Him.'
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This interaction highlights a crucial point: the young man is approaching Jesus with a human-centric view of goodness and salvation. Jesus redirects him to the divine standard. True goodness, in its absolute sense, resides only in God. Jesus' question serves to humble the young man's assumption and prepare him to understand that inheriting eternal life isn't about finding a 'good teacher' to give him a formula, but about aligning himself with the absolute Goodness of God.
Jesus’ final instruction to the rich young ruler is surprisingly simple, yet deeply challenging. What does it truly mean to 'follow Me'?
After the young man insists he has kept the commandments, Jesus looks at him with love and presents a further challenge: 'One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you own and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.'
This isn't just about giving up possessions; it's about reordering his entire life around Jesus. As the commentators note, Jesus isn't adding a new rule to the Law, but probing the young man's deepest allegiance. The attachment to his wealth represents a stumbling block, an idol that prevents him from truly following. To 'follow me' means to abandon the security and identity tied to his riches and to embrace a life of dependence on Jesus, ready to bear the cross, as Mark later records.
The man’s sorrowful departure shows that while he wanted eternal life, he wasn't willing to pay the price of absolute surrender and discipleship that Jesus demanded.
Understand the original words
didaskale · Greek Noun
A title of respect for a religious instructor. While it denotes one who teaches the law, in the Gospels, it is often used by seekers to address Jesus before realizing his full identity as Lord or Messiah.
aiōnios zōē · Greek Noun Phrase
Life that is qualitatively and quantitatively different from natural physical existence; it refers to the life of God himself, which is unending and characterized by holiness, righteousness, and eternal fellowship with Him.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus' public ministry
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples, often drawing large crowds.
Early 1st century AD
Jewish religious landscape
Judaism was diverse, with various sects like Pharisees and Sadducees holding different views on the Law, the Messiah, and the afterlife.
Early 1st century AD
Roman occupation of Judea
The Roman Empire maintained control over Judea, creating political tension and influencing daily life and religious observance.
This passage highlights the choice between life and death, echoing the young man's earnest question about how to obtain eternal life.
Psalm 119:105The psalmist describes God's word as a lamp to his feet and a light to his path, reflecting the young man's search for divine guidance on the way to eternal life.
Matthew 7:13-14Jesus contrasts the narrow gate and difficult path to life with the wide gate and easy path to destruction, paralleling the young man's desire for the right way to eternal life.
Romans 3:20This verse states that no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law, which speaks to the ultimate inadequacy of simply keeping commandments to inherit eternal life, a truth the rich young ruler struggles with.
1 Timothy 6:10This verse warns that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, directly addressing the underlying issue that prevented the rich young ruler from following Jesus.
ellicottMark 10:17: "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
(17-27) And when he was gone forth. —Better, as He was going forth. (See Notes on Matthew 19:16-26 .) Running, and kneeled to him.—Another of St. Mark’s vividly descriptive touches. The adjective “good,” which is wanting in the better MSS. of St. Matthew, is the true reading here. St. Mark and St. Luke give the word “inhe…
calvinMark 10:17-22: "And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
- And, lo, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17. Who said to him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but God alone? [614] but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18. He saith to him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not murder,…
This man didn't just ask Jesus a question; he ran and knelt before Him, showing an intense eagerness and reverence that went beyond a casual inquiry. It reveals his deep longing for something more, even as his understanding of how to attain it was fundamentally flawed.
As Jesus continues his journey, setting out on the road, a man suddenly runs up to him. This prominent figure, described as a ruler and young, kneels before Jesus, addressing him as "Good Teacher" and earnestly asking how he can gain eternal life. This encounter immediately follows Jesus' blessing of the children and sets up a crucial dialogue about what truly qualifies someone for God's kingdom.
As Jesus continues his journey, setting out on the road, a man suddenly runs up to him. This prominent figure, described as a ruler and young, kneels before Jesus, addressing him as "Good Teacher" and earnestly asking how he can gain eternal life. This encounter immediately follows Jesus' blessing of the children and sets up a crucial dialogue about what truly qualifies someone for God's kingdom.
"And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”" — This man didn't just ask Jesus a question; he ran and knelt before Him, showing an intense eagerness and reverence that went beyond a casual inquiry. It reveals his deep longing for something mor…
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Last reviewed October 2026