All the synoptic gospels narrate the encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler. At the outset of their conversation, as recorded in Luke 18:18 and Mark 10:17, the man addresses Jesus as “good teacher.” In response, Jesus questions him, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus then declares that there is no one good except God. This response may seem like Jesus is denying his divinity, that he is Emmanuel, God incarnate.
Matthew presents the interaction slightly differently. The young man inquires of Jesus, “What good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” (Matthew 19:17). Once again, Jesus questions why he is asking about “good” when God alone is good.
In both versions, Jesus is not making a statement about himself, either implicitly or explicitly. His affirmation that God alone is good does not imply that our belief in Jesus as the Son of God is incorrect. Instead, Jesus is posing a crucial question about the man’s use of the term “good.” What the man seems to state casually holds much greater significance than he realizes. Jesus aims to emphasize the gravity of the word “good.”
If good truly applies only to God, then it is not that we find good only in God and nothing else, but that the good we encounter everywhere is God’s presence in everything. Jesus is the good teacher in ways that the man fails to comprehend. Indeed, the good things he believes he must do to attain eternal life are more mysteriously good than he knows.
Jesus is guiding the man to become aware of God’s constant presence, which has profound implications for his inquiry about how to inherit eternal life. The young man has asked about the necessary actions he must take. He may be approaching the matter transactionally, believing that he must perform certain deeds to inherit the life he desires. By instructing him to sell his possessions and follow him, is Jesus aligning himself with the ideas of the young nobleman?
No, for Jesus, God is good and his goodness is present everywhere. The life of God, a life of infinite quality, surrounds us, both within and without. The goal is not to acquire something as a reward for our efforts, but rather to awaken to the reality of this divine goodness, of which the young man speaks thoughtlessly.
While we may think Jesus is suggesting that one follow the commands in order to obtain this extraordinary life, adhering to the commands opens us to a life that is already available to us, but from which we may have unknowingly distanced ourselves. To sell his possessions, give to the poor, and follow Jesus is not a prerequisite to obtaining the life God gives, but a participation in that very life. This is a way of living that will open him up to what is already there.
Everywhere Jesus speaks of a movement from darkness to light, from blindness to sight, from being lost to being found, and from being dead to being alive—all metaphors for transformation and entering the kingdom. The kingdom is already present within us and accessible to everyone if we know how to receive it.
This is why the first exchange between Jesus and the young man about his use of the word “good” is not a preliminary matter before talking about keeping commands and obtaining the life God gives, but the actual basis for the latter discussion. God alone is good, and is ever-present. Good actions are not the means to obtaining the end we seek, not even selling our possessions and giving to the poor will make us good. Instead, they are themselves a participation in the good of eternal life which we are seeking.
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