The story of the rich young ruler appears in the middle of two other stories which teach complete dependency upon Christ. In the preceding passage, Christ invites the children to come to Him while teaching his Apostles that the kingdom of heaven will be received by those who become like children, i.e., those who come to Him in love and complete trust. In the passage following the story of the rich young ruler, we read that the Apostles had left everything to follow Christ, and in that sense, they became like children, completely reliant on the Lord. The story of the rich young ruler appears between the two, giving further light in the Lord’s teaching about discipleship: we ought to desire one thing above all things, Christ Himself – and give ourselves completely to Him.

A child needs a provider, but the rich young ruler was completely self-sufficient. A child relies on their parents, but he relied on his wealth and his virtues. In other words, a self-reliant mindset and a desire for things of this world is precisely the condition that makes us unlike children, and therefore far from the Kingdom of God. The Lord calls us not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink; nor about our body, what we will wear, for our Father knows the things we need before we ask Him. Rather, we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to us (Matthew 6:33). Jesus calls the rich young ruler, reliant on his wealth and virtue – “all these I have observed from my youth” – to do the one thing that was keeping him from following Christ. Jesus looking at him, loved him (Mark 10:21) and said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Sometimes when we are pleased with our accomplishments, especially with the notion that we are keeping the commandments, that we are “good Christians,” and we may even think that we have a right to salvation. However, it is relatively easy to follow rules; but rules and commandments do not in themselves grant us the Kingdom of God. Only childlike trust in Christ, utter dependence on Him, and selfless love for Him and others can bring us to the Kingdom. The Lord knew that this young man was following the commandments of the Old Testament. He knew that he desired more, but there was one thing that kept him away from the perfect way of serving God. He could not give himself completely to God yet because he also desired his riches very much. And yet, the Lord is full of mercy, love, and compassion for him. He knows that not only this young man but everyone can be saved – and that is what the Lord desires. Jesus teaches us that, although we are all struggling daily with worldly matters we must give everything to God, including our struggles, hence the saying, “Let go and let God.”

We are struggling for a better life on earth, and this is not a sin. But it is not enough. We must completely give ourselves to Christ, to the Gospel, and one another. We must put ourselves and all our desires, all our anxieties, all our concerns in His divine hands and let Him lead us on our path to salvation. The Lord loves us without reservation and He has already freed us from the bondage of sin and death. However, our response to His love requires honest repentance, complete devotion, and loving discipleship. We need to reorient our hearts and our whole lives to follow Him who is Love; in this way, we will become like “children of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36) and put our reliance and hope completely in Christ, which is the path of joy and peace that brings us to the Kingdom of God.

The George Papaleas Chapter No. 367 of Ahepa was founded in 1950 and has been a part of the St. Spyridon Church community for over 70 years. Ahepa is a global organization, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1922 with Chapters in Canada, Greece, and Europe. As the largest organization of Greek Americans in the country, its membership is comprised of both Hellenes and Philhellenes.

Its mission is to promote Hellenism, education, philanthropy, civic responsibility, family, and individual excellence.

Contact: George Patsalos, membership chair at george@jamaica.net

Phone: (212) 795-5870 or Email: office@saintspyridon.net

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