As Jesus invites the rich young man to follow Him, He gives the man a piece of comfort: “if you wish to be perfect” (Mt. 19:16). The “if” tells us that this young man is not yet perfect. In fact, many ancient Christian read this passage and thought that the young man was not even keeping the commandments as well as he claimed—why else would he be sad at the prospect of giving to the poor, when love of neighbor is already commanded? Yet Jesus still invites him to follow him, still holds out the possibility of the “if.”
What Jesus said to the rich young man, He says to us as well: “if you wish to be perfect.” So often, we think that following Christ means we have already become perfect; we cannot be married, or a parent, or a priest, or a vowed religious, unless we are already perfect. But these are not the rewards for perfection, they are the means by which we attain Christian perfection. Take comfort in the possibility Jesus holds out with His “if,” embrace your vocation with all your imperfections, and be led by Jesus to the state of Christian perfection.