Good and God does not mean it is the same thing. There are many who do good yet do not know God and their are many who do know God but their good is not God. God's goodness is seen when we are abiding in Christ for it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. But, we must be able to recognize that choosing good is not the same as choosing God. We must choose God for anything to come forth that is truly good.
We see in this passage a rich ruler referring to Jesus as "Good teacher", Jesus himself said none is good but God alone. I expect that this ruler considered himself a really good person. Jesus went down the list of all the commandments and this ruler claimed to have obeyed them all. Expecting Jesus to now speak highly of his good works the rich ruler was surprised to hear Jesus say you still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, then come and follow me. This is something the ruler could not do!
We can think we are so good compared to others, but our righteousness is as filthy rags compared to God's righteousness. So how good are we really? Until we can answer not really good at all, God cannot use us. This ruler was good only to the point where he could remain comfortable. It was not bad that he had a lot of money it was bad that the money ruled him. That is why Jesus said "it is harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." See to commit our lives to Jesus takes surrender, we must be willing to let go of it all. When we are in a place of being comfortable and not needy we tend to feel fine on our own. It is in a place of brokenness that the majority of us find God.
In a nation that embraces being comfortable and is prosperous compared to most, as verse 26 says "who than can be saved?" Jesus replied "what is impossible with man is possible with God." God has a way of breaking us and bringing us back to Himself, this Nation I believe is in this time as we see with the economic collapse, natural disasters, terrorist threats, moral decline, etc.
The disciples said "that they unlike the ruler have left everything to follow Him." Jesus responds that those whom sacrifice for the Kingdom of God will receive many times more in this life and the life to come." For the bible says "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Once we get to the point that nothing has a hold on us then God can give us anything and it won't become an attachment but we will use it for His purposes. It is sad that much of what God has given us we take and use for our own gain.
Can we unlike the ruler let go of anything that God asks of us, or are we bound in our own good works?
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