Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “`You shall not murder, ‘`You shall not commit adultery, ‘`You shall not steal, ‘`You shall not bear false witness,’ `Honor your father and your mother,’ and, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Mat 19:16-22 NKJ)

Known as the rich man, because he had great possessions. He comes to Jesus, looking to see what he needed to do to inherit eternal life.  This young man was a success in this age and wanted to be a success, a somebody in the age to come. Jesus responds to his question by telling him to keep the commandments. The young man responds by asking which ones, after all, there are 613 commandments? Jesus picks out five and saves the sixth till last. “`You shall not murder, ‘`You shall not commit adultery, ‘`You shall not steal, ‘`You shall not bear false witness,’ `Honor your father and your mother,’ and, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Well, let’s look at the sixth commandment:

21 `You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’ (Deu 5:21 NKJ)

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Jesus knew that this young man was covetous, he valued material things, money, position.  There is no place for the material in the life to come.  So strong was this young man’s hold on his stuff that he would walk out on the future.