Note: This series is written as a first-person narrative to present Jesus in the context he walked in with the unknown disciple that narrates introducing my thoughts and sparking more ideas with his questions. Enjoy.
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
A common question to rabbis about the life to come.
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.“
“Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’“
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.“
At this, the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth.
We looked at each other. It’s hard to walk away from everything. We had done it, so we knew. He just loved his money and possessions more. Eternal life was just one more thing to attain, maybe?
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.“
When we heard this, we were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at us and said, “With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are 
possible.“
Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Jesus said to us, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.“
I thought about that as we walked.
Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31
A Ronin's Journey 