“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
There was indeed a direct connection between the good and eternal life. This man sensed that Jesus had a more complete explanation of that connection than he could find elsewhere. But most likely he didn't know why he thought that. If Jesus was just another man like any other, with an opinion, however informed or interesting, why ask him? But since, in fact, Jesus was not like any other person, he attempted to draw out what was implicit in the young man's question.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
The commandments Jesus specifically mentioned were those pertaining to love of neighbor, the second tablet of the ten commandments. It was as though he was expecting the answer the young man gave, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus seemed to give him the benefit of the doubt, that he sincerely had kept those commandments, so that he could go on to help him to see what he still lacked.
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
The young man had kept the second tablet of the law. But the place where more was needed was specifically in regard to the first. It related to Jesus, and why Jesus was an authority capable of speaking to the question. Jesus was himself the One who was good, and it was therefore by following him that the young man could hope to possess eternal life. In this way he could fulfill the first tablet of the law that pertained to love of God. Once there had been an encounter with Jesus fulfilling or not fulfilling those commandments was determined by one's response to him. He could decide to follow him and find joy, or else go away sad, trying to salvage what he could out of his old life. But there was no way to simply ignore the encounter and still honor God in the way God desired. There was no way to the Father except through the Son. To follow Jesus was to honor everything good in the law, and to find fulfillment of all that the young man had already embraced so far. But to turn aside was akin to giving up, seeing the fully realized ideal he had always desired, but determining that it was too difficult.
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
We can be on the path, doing many things well, and still end up walking away because of our attachments to things of this world. Sometimes the things we are asked to surrender will present us with the illusion that they are somehow worthy competitors to the joy of knowing Jesus and living with him forever. We, especially we who do have worldly abundance, must be especially careful to prioritize heavenly treasure. We must be cautious about becoming so attached to anything on earth that we would ever consider walking away from Jesus just to keep it. In the final analysis such things only present the appearance of goodness. God alone is truly good. He himself is the only reward worth seeking with all our hearts.
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (see John 17:3).
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