In Mark’s gospel the story of the man approaching Jesus as above is in a "child" Section which does not follow the patterns as used elsewhere in the gospels. This may account for multiple uses of the paragraph 'hook' "Jesus said" in the above passage.

Note that in Mark this person approaching Jesus is described as ‘somebody’, but is not described as being a young man as here in Matthew. Obviously the use of the phrase “young man” here in Matthew would be the basis for the story being described traditionally as “the story of the rich young man”. Scholars generally agree that both Matthew and Luke base much of their gospels on the text of Mark. But there are many subtle changes within the text in order to suit the theological interests of both later writers. Matthew is probably aware that a decision for discipleship (and the adult child?) is made between the times of one moving out of childhood and before one’s establishment in a

marriage. Note when Matthew gives a list of what one can leave in order to follow Jesus there is no mention of one leaving one’s husband or wife. This is because according to a position already taken by Jesus within this text, one’s husband or wife is part of one’s own body and one cannot be separated from them.

The ending of the latter paragraph or second section matches the ending of the paragraph before it. This match is obviously a deliberate one.

Also, within this section there is often a first and second part to the one major paragraph. The second part echoes and elaborates on the first part. This 'elaboration' compares with the repetition to be found in the verses of Jewish psalms.

4 Condemnation. . . .

20:17-20

They will deliver him

20:17-20 (When) Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem and he took the twelve aside privately. On the way he said to them. "Behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of man will

be delivered to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn him to death. They will deliver him to the nations to be mocked and scourged and to be crucified. On the third day he will be raised."

Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of man”. As mentioned previously this matches in with a key point of Christianity (c/f Reality Search) that Jesus is first of all the “adult child”.