A rich ruler inquires about the pathway to eternal life (18:18–30). Jesus immediately questions the ruler about calling him good, stressing that only God is good. Jesus is not admitting sinfulness here, nor is he leading the ruler to the realization of his divinity. He is initially directing attention away from himself to God, reminding the ruler that all goodness comes from him. The five commandments cited focus on those that deal with social relationships (18:20). Jesus implies that eternal life comes from obedience to the law. There is no reason to doubt the truthfulness of the ruler’s assertion of obedience to the law; Jesus does not accuse him of blatant hypocrisy. Instead, he probes deeper. The ruler has placed one thing above G…