Clearly not an Altruist
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
“If you wish to be perfect…” we are always living our lives to be better people, to be more perfect in our excellency- VERY Aristotelian!
We have the potency of perfection through our own actions, our actions leading then not to potentiality but actuality. Our actual perfection comes from our potent desire to act with excellency.
The integrity of value held in the sale of selling is fully respected by Jesus, but the love shared unto another is held as an even greater value.
Love Thyself
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Let the love of thyself guide the love for others, for it is thyself who is acting with love.
The Highest Value of Love
I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
Other Mentions
Mark 10: 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Luke 12: 33 Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.
Luke 18: 22 l When Jesus heard this he said to him, “There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
