What the Bible says
“Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”
Matthew 19:21 (KJV)
“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
Matthew 19:22 (KJV)
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:21 (KJV)
The one thing he lacked
The young man said he had kept the commandments since his youth. Jesus did not argue. He went straight to the place where the man's heart was really anchored. Wealth was not the problem in itself; it had become what he could not live without.
Not a rule for everyone
Jesus did not ask Zacchaeus, Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea to sell everything. He asked this man, because this was his idol. The question for us is not 'how much do I own?' but 'what could I not let go of if he asked?'
Impossible — but not with God
The disciples were shocked and asked who then could be saved. Jesus answered that with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Letting go of what holds us is not something we manage by willpower; it is something God does in us.
Common questions
Do Christians have to sell everything they own?
Jesus gave this command to one man whose wealth ruled his heart. Scripture calls all believers to generosity and to put God first, not to a single rule about possessions.
Is this the same man Jesus loved in Mark 10?
Yes. Mark 10:21 adds that Jesus, beholding him, loved him — the challenge came from love.