Matthew 19:20

KJV

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

KJV (with Strong's)

The young man {G3495} saith {G3004} unto him {G846}, All {G3956} these things {G5023} have I kept {G5442} from {G1537} my {G3450} youth up {G3503}: what {G5101} lack {G5302} I yet {G2089}?

Complete Jewish Bible

The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; where do I still fall short?"

Berean Standard Bible

“All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”

American Standard Version

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I observed: what lack I yet?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 19:20 captures the confident assertion of a wealthy young man who believes he has meticulously observed all the Mosaic commandments from his earliest years. Despite his outward adherence to the Law, his follow-up question, "what lack I yet?", reveals a profound underlying spiritual dissatisfaction and an unconscious awareness that his diligent obedience has not brought him the complete assurance or fulfillment he seeks in his pursuit of eternal life.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a pivotal moment in the well-known encounter between Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler, recorded in [Matthew 19:16-30](/matthew/19-16-30 "The Rich Young Ruler"). The narrative begins with the young man's earnest question to Jesus: "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" ([Matthew 19:16](/matthew/19-16 "Matthew 19:16 - The Rich Young Ruler's Question")). Jesus first challenges his understanding of "goodness" and then directs him to keep the commandments. The young man's response in verse 20 is a declaration of his perceived righteousness, setting the stage for Jesus' subsequent, more radical command to sell his possessions and follow Him ([Matthew 19:21](/matthew/19-21 "Matthew 19:21 - Jesus' Challenge to the Rich Young Ruler")), which ultimately exposes the young man's true spiritual impediment. This entire exchange is immediately followed by Jesus' teaching on the difficulty of the rich entering the kingdom of heaven and His disciples' question about who then can be saved, leading to the profound statement that "with God all things are possible" ([Matthew 19:26](/matthew/19-26 "Matthew 19:26 - With God All Things Are Possible")).

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In first-century Judaism, strict adherence to the Mosaic Law was widely considered the path to righteousness and divine favor. Many devout Jews, particularly Pharisees and those influenced by their teachings, strove for meticulous obedience, believing it would secure their standing with God and their inheritance of eternal life. Wealth was often viewed as a sign of God's blessing, making the young man's status even more indicative of his perceived favor. The question "what lack I yet?" reflects a common human tendency to seek a quantifiable measure of spiritual success, often rooted in a works-based understanding of salvation. This mindset, prevalent in the religious culture of the day, stands in stark contrast to Jesus' radical call for complete surrender and heart-level devotion, which transcended mere external compliance.

* **Key Themes:** Matthew 19:20 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the Gospel of Matthew and broader biblical theology. It highlights the theme of **self-righteousness versus true righteousness**, demonstrating how human effort, even sincere and diligent, falls short of God's perfect standard. The young man's confidence in his law-keeping, contrasted with his underlying sense of incompleteness, underscores the **limitations and purpose of the Law**. While the Law is holy and good, it serves primarily to reveal sin and humanity's inability to achieve salvation through works, thereby pointing to a deeper spiritual need for divine intervention, as articulated in [Romans 3:20](/romans/3-20 "Romans 3:20 - The Law Reveals Sin"). Furthermore, this verse sets the stage for the theme of the **cost of discipleship**, showing that genuine commitment to Christ demands more than external obedience; it requires a radical reordering of priorities and a willingness to surrender everything, including cherished possessions and self-reliance, to follow Jesus.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **young man (Greek, _neanískos'_):** This term (G3495) refers to a youth, typically under forty years of age. Its use here emphasizes the individual's relative inexperience in life, yet his confident assertion of lifelong obedience. It highlights that even from a young age, he had dedicated himself to religious observance, making his perceived spiritual standing all the more significant in his own eyes.
* **kept (Greek, _phylássō'_):** Derived from G5442, this verb means "to watch, to be on guard," and by implication, "to preserve, obey, or avoid." When the young man says he has "kept" the commandments, he implies a diligent, careful, and consistent observance, as if guarding them meticulously. This word underscores his earnest effort and the high standard of his external performance.
* **lack (Greek, _hysteréō'_):** From G5302, this word signifies "to be later," "to be inferior," or more commonly, "to fall short," "to be deficient," or "to be in want." This is the most crucial word in the young man's statement. Despite his confident declaration of obedience, his use of *hysteréō* reveals an inherent sense of incompleteness or deficiency. He is not merely asking for more tasks, but rather expressing an internal awareness that something fundamental is still missing from his spiritual life, preventing him from achieving full satisfaction or eternal life.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"The young man saith unto him,"**: This phrase establishes the direct and confident response of the rich young ruler to Jesus' earlier instruction to keep the commandments. It immediately signals his readiness to declare his perceived spiritual achievements.
* **"All these things have I kept from my youth up:"**: Here, the young man confidently asserts his lifelong, meticulous adherence to the commandments Jesus had just listed (and implicitly, the broader Mosaic Law). The phrase "from my youth up" (Greek: *ek moû neótēs*, G1537 G3450 G3503) emphasizes the duration and consistency of his obedience, suggesting a deep-seated commitment to external righteousness from an early age. He believes he has fulfilled all the requirements.
* **"what lack I yet?"**: This pivotal question, using the Greek word *hysteréō* (G5302), reveals the young man's underlying spiritual void. Despite his outward confidence and diligent observance, he senses an incompleteness. He is not asking for more commandments to keep, but rather expressing a deep, perhaps unconscious, awareness that his efforts have not yielded the full assurance or eternal life he seeks. It betrays a spiritual hunger that external performance cannot satisfy.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several literary devices to convey its profound meaning. **Irony** is prominent, as the young man confidently declares his perfect obedience ("All these things have I kept") yet immediately asks, "what lack I yet?" This juxtaposition highlights the ironic truth that his perceived completeness is, in fact, incomplete. There is a **contrast** between his outward performance and his inward spiritual state; he appears righteous but feels a void. The question "what lack I yet?" functions as a **rhetorical question** that subtly undermines his preceding boast. While framed as an inquiry, it serves to express his genuine, though perhaps unarticulated, spiritual hunger and the inadequacy of a works-based righteousness, setting the stage for Jesus to reveal the true "lack" in his heart.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The young man's confident assertion and subsequent question in [Matthew 19:20](/matthew/19-20 "Matthew 19:20 - The Rich Young Ruler's Claim") underscore a fundamental theological truth: human effort, no matter how diligent or sincere, is insufficient to earn eternal life or achieve true righteousness before God. His "lack" is not a missing commandment but a missing heart—a heart fully surrendered to God and His kingdom above all else. This interaction profoundly illustrates that the Law, while holy and good, was never intended as a means of salvation but rather as a mirror to reveal humanity's sinfulness and utter inability to meet God's perfect standard. It exposes the futility of self-righteousness and points to the necessity of a righteousness that comes from God alone.

* [Romans 3:20](/romans/3-20 "Romans 3:20 - The Law Reveals Sin"): "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
* [Galatians 2:16](/galatians/2-16 "Galatians 2:16 - Justification by Faith"): "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
* [Philippians 3:9](/philippians/3-9 "Philippians 3:9 - Righteousness Through Christ"): "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The rich young ruler's encounter with Jesus serves as a powerful mirror for contemporary believers, challenging us to examine the true foundation of our faith and assurance. Are we, like him, subtly relying on our good deeds, moral uprightness, or religious observances as a means to earn God's favor or secure our eternal destiny? His confident declaration, followed by his revealing question, prompts us to ask: Do we outwardly conform to Christian standards while an inner voice still whispers, "what lack I yet?" This internal spiritual hunger often points not to a need for more rules or greater effort, but to a deeper need for complete surrender to Christ and a recognition that our righteousness is found in Him alone. The verse calls us to consider what "things" we might be holding onto—be it wealth, status, comfort, self-reliance, or even our own perceived goodness—that prevent us from fully embracing Christ's radical call to discipleship and experiencing the abundant life He offers. Our greatest "lack" is not in our doing, but in the complete devotion of our hearts and lives to the One who perfectly fulfilled the Law on our behalf.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What is the ultimate foundation of my assurance of eternal life? Is it my performance, or is it Christ's finished work on the cross?**
* **In what areas of my life might I be confidently "keeping" external rules or religious practices while neglecting a deeper, more profound heart issue or a call to radical obedience?**
* **If Jesus were to ask me, "What lack you yet?", what "one thing" might He reveal that I am holding onto, preventing me from fully following Him?**

### FAQ
**Question?**

Answer: From his own perspective, and likely from the perspective of his peers, the young man had indeed meticulously kept the commandments externally. He was a devout and morally upright individual according to the letter of the Law. However, Jesus' subsequent challenge in [Matthew 19:21](/matthew/19-21 "Matthew 19:21 - Jesus' Challenge to the Rich Young Ruler")—to sell all his possessions and give to the poor—revealed that he had not truly kept the spirit of the Law, particularly the commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" ([Matthew 19:19](/matthew/19-19 "Matthew 19:19 - Love Your Neighbor")) and, more fundamentally, to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind" ([Matthew 22:37](/matthew/22-37 "Matthew 22:37 - The Greatest Commandment")). His unwillingness to part with his wealth exposed an idol in his heart, demonstrating that his obedience was ultimately incomplete and his righteousness self-derived, not truly God-centered. The Law's purpose is not to enable perfect keeping, but to expose sin and the need for a Savior, which it effectively did in this encounter.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The rich young man's poignant question, "what lack I yet?", finds its ultimate answer and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The young man sought to earn eternal life through his own diligent adherence to the Law, believing that one more good deed or one less deficiency would secure his salvation. However, his "lack" was not a missing commandment to obey, but the very righteousness of God that only Christ could provide. Jesus, the perfect Law-keeper ([Matthew 5:17](/matthew/5-17 "Matthew 5:17 - Jesus Fulfills the Law")), lived a life of flawless obedience, perfectly fulfilling every demand of the Law that humanity could not. His atoning death on the cross provides the complete and sufficient righteousness that the Law demands but that no human effort can achieve ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Our Righteousness")). Eternal life is not earned by human merit but is a free gift received through faith in Him ([John 3:16](/john/3-16 "John 3:16 - God So Loved the World")). The young man walked away sorrowful because he could not surrender his idol of wealth and self-righteousness, failing to grasp that the true "treasure in heaven" ([Matthew 19:21](/matthew/19-21 "Matthew 19:21 - Treasure in Heaven")) was found not in his possessions, but in the person of Christ Himself. His inability to part with his earthly treasures prevented him from embracing the one who offers genuine spiritual completeness and the abundant life ([John 10:10](/john/10-10 "John 10:10 - Abundant Life")) that transcends all human striving.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Galatians 3:24

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Philippians 3:6

Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Mark 10:20

And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

Mark 10:21

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Luke 18:21

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Luke 18:22

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Romans 3:19

¶ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.