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< STRONG Maybe the command to ULTIMATELY leave and follow Jesus isn't for everything and everyone. (Biblical)

Luke 5:28,29: And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.

If Levi really LEFT everything so as to lose it all, then what about the money to afford the feast at his house? Realistically, it appears that he dropped what he was doing when Jesus called him, left it behind and followed Jesus. He didn't leave his home or family.

>> Jesus said to the rich man to sell everything and give it to the poor. 

Luke 18:18:  And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 18:19:  And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Luke 18:20:  You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'"
Luke 18:21:  And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth."
Luke 18:22:  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
Luke 18:23:  But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
Luke 18:24:  Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
Luke 18:25:  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."
Luke 18:26:  Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"
Luke 18:27:  But he said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." 

< STRONG That instruction was ONLY to that man and in order to point out his love of money. 

No where else in the Bible is anyone told or commanded to sell all of their possessions and leave everything they have. This was a case where Jesus was pointing out that the young ruler was being held back by his love of money. The young ruler claimed to have kept all of the commands (which we know is a lie because no one can keep all of the 10 commandments perfectly), so Jesus showed where the man's heart truly lied-- with his money/possessions.

-JM

>> But Jesus said that the rich man couldn't get to heaven. 

For Jesus said in Luke 18:25, "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." 

< STRONG Yes, because the rich tended to be slaves to their money.

The rich, as we see in the verses above, tended to put their trust in their money and material wealth. We know that if we really follow God, we put our trust in Him, not in our own wealth/abilities. We also know that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim 6:10). Greed is an evil trait. We cannot be greedy, with money as our master, and serve God as well (Matt 6:24). We only have one master, and hopefully it's nothing other than God!

-JM

< STRONG But notice that the apostles said that "Then who can be saved?"

This implies  (according to the apostles) that if even the rich can't get to heaven, then certainly no one can be saved. 

And by this, Jesus implied that no one can get to heaven, except by God.  And so it's not by man's works that they can get to heaven, but by God's grace.