And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' question, "Why do you call me good?" isn't a denial of his own goodness, but a gentle challenge to the young man's understanding. He's prompting him to realize that true, absolute goodness originates solely from God, and by extension, to grasp Jesus' divine identity. This interaction pushes beyond a superficial compliment to confront the core of who Jesus is and where true goodness resides.
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
English Standard Version (ESV)
A wealthy young man approaches Jesus with a sincere question about how to gain eternal life, viewing Jesus as a "good Master." Jesus responds by challenging the young man's flattering address, prompting him to consider the absolute nature of goodness, which belongs to God alone. This interaction immediately precedes Jesus' instruction on the commandments and his subsequent test of the young man's willingness to relinquish his possessions and follow him.
A wealthy young man runs to Jesus, calling Him 'Good Master.' It seems like a compliment, but Jesus' response is a powerful redirect. Why?
Jesus doesn't shy away from the title 'Master' or 'Teacher.' But the word 'good' is another matter. He asks, 'Why do you call me good?' His point isn't to deny His own goodness, but to highlight that true, absolute goodness belongs to God alone. The young man likely meant 'good' in a human sense, like a 'good teacher.' Jesus uses this moment to probe deeper, pushing the man beyond surface-level compliments to consider the ultimate source of all goodness: God himself. It’s a gentle but firm way of establishing His identity and pointing to the divine standard.
The young man's question is about doing something to inherit eternal life. Jesus' response, by pointing to the Law, reveals a hidden trap in this approach.
When Jesus directs the young man to the commandments, He isn't saying that keeping the Law is the way to earn eternal life. Instead, He’s exposing the impossibility of truly keeping it perfectly. The Law, when understood in its fullness, reveals our sinfulness and our inability to meet God's standard on our own. The young man thought he had kept the Law, but Jesus' subsequent challenge – to sell all his possessions – shows that the Law's demands go deeper than outward actions, touching the heart and hidden desires, like greed. This highlights that no one can achieve perfect righteousness through their own efforts to 'do' good.
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agathos · Greek Adjective
Refers to moral excellence, integrity, and absolute purity. In a biblical context, true goodness resides ultimately and exclusively in the nature of God, who is the standard and source of all moral perfection.
This encounter with the rich young ruler happens during Jesus' public ministry, as He moves towards Jerusalem and His ultimate sacrifice. His questioning of the ruler's use of 'good' underscores His divine identity and challenges superficial notions of righteousness, setting the stage for His own suffering and redemption.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee and Judea
Jesus traveled and taught throughout Galilee and Judea, attracting large crowds and demonstrating His divine authority through miracles. This period saw the formation of His closest disciples.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Enters Jerusalem for Passover
Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, a pivotal moment leading up to His crucifixion. This event heightened tensions with religious authorities.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Arrest and Trial
Following the Last Supper, Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and subjected to trials before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate.
c. 30 AD
The Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is crucified and then resurrected on the third day, the cornerstone event of Christian faith.
This verse, stating 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might,' underscores the absolute, all-encompassing nature of true love for God, which Jesus implicitly points to when the rich young ruler claims to have kept the commandments but is then asked to give up all his possessions.
Psalm 16:2The psalmist declares, 'I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good beyond you.”' This echoes Jesus' response to the ruler, emphasizing that true goodness and ultimate value reside solely in God, positioning Jesus as the ultimate good the young man should seek.
Romans 3:23Paul's statement, 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,' provides the theological backdrop for Jesus' question, highlighting that no human, apart from God, possesses inherent goodness and thus cannot 'earn' eternal life through their own efforts.
1 Timothy 6:10The warning, 'For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils,' directly illuminates Jesus' subsequent test for the rich young ruler. It shows how attachment to wealth can be a fundamental obstacle to prioritizing God and following Him.
Matthew 19:17This parallel account in Matthew includes Jesus' immediate follow-up, 'But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments,' which Jesus uses to transition from the ruler's superficial understanding of 'good' to the deeper demands of God's law and the impossibility of humanly achieving it perfectly.
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,…
cambridgeMark 10:18: "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."
18 . Why callest thou me good? ] The emphasis is on the “why.” “Dost thou know what thou meanest, when thou givest Me this appellation?” If we combine the question and rejoinder as given by St Matthew and St Luke it would seem to have run, Why askest thou Me about the good? and why callest thou Me good? None is good save One, God . Our Lord does not decline the appellation “good.” He repel…
Jesus' question, "Why do you call me good?" isn't a denial of his own goodness, but a gentle challenge to the young man's understanding. He's prompting him to realize that true, absolute goodness originates solely from God, and by extension, to grasp Jesus' divine identity. This interaction pushes beyond a superficial compliment to confront the core of who Jesus is and where true goodness resides.
A wealthy young man approaches Jesus with a sincere question about how to gain eternal life, viewing Jesus as a "good Master." Jesus responds by challenging the young man's flattering address, prompting him to consider the absolute nature of goodness, which belongs to God alone. This interaction immediately precedes Jesus' instruction on the commandments and his subsequent test of the young man's willingness to relinquish his possessions and follow him.
A wealthy young man approaches Jesus with a sincere question about how to gain eternal life, viewing Jesus as a "good Master." Jesus responds by challenging the young man's flattering address, prompting him to consider the absolute nature of goodness, which belongs to God alone. This interaction immediately precedes Jesus' instruction on the commandments and his subsequent test of the young man's willingness to relinquish his possessions and follow him.
"And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." — Jesus' question, "Why do you call me good?" isn't a denial of his own goodness, but a gentle challenge to the young man's understanding. He's prompting him to realize that true, absolute goodness ori…
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Last reviewed October 2026