17 Καὶ ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ εἰς ὁδὸν προσδραμὼν εἷς καὶ γονυπετήσας αὐτὸν ἐπηρώτα αὐτόν- Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, τί ποιήσω ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;
And, Jesus taking the road, someone running up to him, having knelt before him, asked him, “Good master, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ- Τί με λέγεις ἀγαθόν; οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός.
Then Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but the one god.
19 τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας- Μὴ φονεύσῃς, Μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, Μὴ κλέψῃς, Μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς, Μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς, Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα.
You know the commandments: you shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not deceive your neighbor, honor your father and your mother.
20 ὁ δὲ ἔφη αὐτῷ- Διδάσκαλε, ταῦτα πάντα ἐφυλαξάμην ἐκ νεότητός μου.
And he said to him, “Master, all this I have kept from my childhood.”
21 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἐμβλέψας αὐτῷ ἠγάπησεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ- Ἕν σε ὑστερεῖ- ὕπαγε ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ δὸς τοῖς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι.
Then Jesus, having looked at him in the face, loved him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go, all you possess sell it and give it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven and at that moment follow me.
22 ὁ δὲ στυγνάσας ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ ἀπῆλθεν λυπούμενος, ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά.
But this one, having taken on a gloomy air at this word went away sad, indeed, he owned many possessions.
23 Καὶ περιβλεψάμενος ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ- Πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσελεύσονται.
And looking around, Jesus said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who possess riches to reach the kingdom of god.”
24 οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἐθαμβοῦντο ἐπὶ τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν ἀποκριθεὶς λέγει αὐτοῖς- Τέκνα, πῶς δύσκολόν ἐστιν [τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ χρήμασιν] εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν·
But, the disciples wondered about his words. Then Jesus, replying again, said to them, “[My] children, how hard it is [for those who trust in riches] to enter the kingdom of god.
25 εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστιν κάμηλον διὰ τῆς τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσελθεῖν.
25 It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god.”
26 οἱ δὲ περισσῶς ἐξεπλήσσοντο λέγοντες πρὸς ἑαυτούς- Καὶ τίς δύναται σωθῆναι;
26 Then the disciples were stricken even more, saying to one another, “And who can be saved?”
27 ἐμβλέψας αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει- Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατον ἀλλ’ οὐ παρὰ θεῷ, πάντα γὰρ δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ.
Having looked at them in the face, Jesus said, “For men it is impossible, but not for God; indeed, all things are possible for God.”
If someone thinks he can buy divine benevolence, this is not possible, because it’s a gift. The gift of life that is offered to a child, even before it comes into the world. That’s why Jesus addresses the apostles here as “tekna”, children, as if to say: “You are my children, God’s beloved children, why fear? Even if you give up your riches your father will take care of you.”
So there’s no money to buy God’s love; it’s ours in advance, for it is he who has called us to life. This is only possible to God. We don’t have to deserve it, but to recognize it and trust in it.