In Matthew 19:16-22, a young man approaches Jesus, eager to know what good deed he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus first tells him to keep the commandments, which the young man confidently claims he has done. But when Jesus asks him to go further – to sell all he has, give to the poor, and follow Him – the man walks away sorrowful.
The sadness that grips the young man isn’t just about losing his wealth. It’s the sorrow of realizing that he was not ready to give up what he valued most. He wanted eternal life, but he was clinging tightly to the things of this world. His sorrow shows us a deep truth about the human heart: we often desire the good, but we are afraid to let go of the lesser things that hold us back.
This passage invites us to reflect on our own lives. What are the things we hold dear, the things we think we can’t live without? Are they leading us closer to God, or are they pulling us away? The young man’s sorrow wasn’t just about parting with possessions; it was about the realization that he wasn’t yet free.
His sorrow reminds us that true freedom, true joy, comes when we are willing to let go of everything for the sake of following Christ. If we find ourselves sorrowful when faced with the idea of giving something up, perhaps it’s a sign that we need to reexamine our hearts. The invitation of Jesus is not one of loss, but of gaining something far greater— a life lived in the fullness of God’s love. The young man went away sorrowful because he chose to hold on to what was temporary, missing out on the eternal joy that Jesus was offering.
In our own lives, may we learn to release what binds us, so that we can accept the freedom and joy that come from following Christ wholeheartedly. Let us not walk away sorrowful, but with a heart open to the fullness of life that Jesus offers.
Zabenthung Dominic 
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