The encounter between Christ and the rich young man reveals several things about the young man: He was eager, respectful, kept the Commandments (at least in the letter) and believed in the afterlife. But Christ perceived that the young man's love of the world and his riches was a great deal stronger than his desire to follow God. Christ, by means of hyperbole (many theologians try to rationalize this away), indicates that riches (or any other physical temptation) pose a great hindrance to salvation. We need to examine ourselves, determining what it is in this world from which we would have difficulty extracting ourselves.