Does Jesus really expect us to sell all of our stuff and give the money to the poor? Don't drink the kool-aid just yet. In this passage Jesus was determining whether this rich ruler's treasure lay with God or with money. He was examining the ruler's orientation to God by directly confronting him with the very thing that was hindering him- his wealth. Zacchaeus, the short little guy who climbed the tree to see Jesus, was also a wealthy man yet Jesus does not command him to give away his money.
The early church had many writings about Jesus. The most popular ones and the ones that were deemed the most authentic made the cut when they compiled the bible in 325 AD. The other writings became known as apocryphal. One of those the Gospel According to Hebrews gives a bit more insight on this particular incident.
In that account, Jesus initially tells the rich ruler to obey the law and the prophets. The man replied, "I've done so." Jesus then tells him to sell his things. This causes the rich man to scratch his head a bit. "Why do you say that you have obeyed the law and the prophets? For it is written in the law, 'You must love your neighbor as yourself.' There are many brothers of yours who are dying of hunger, and your house is full of many good things, and not one single thing goes out of it to them."
The secret and the tragedy of this rich ruler was that he was selfish. He was rich, and yet he gave nothing away. His real god was comfort, and what he really worshipped were his own possessions and his wealth. That is why Jesus told him to give it all away.
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