Skip to main content

The Rich

             Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

            When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

            Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:24-26)

 

            There are some who say that “the eye of a needle” refers to a small gate in the city walls, which would allow a camel to pass through it if the camel were unloaded of all cargo and basically crawled through on its knees. The first problem with this is that no such gate existed. The second problem is that the notion that the wealth had to be removed from its back and had to humble itself by crawling on its knees still meant that it was possible for the camel to do of its own power and will.

            Even long before the Jews were a nation, Job suffered at the hands of those who thought that the rich were blessed by God, and the poor were sinners being punished by Him. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount showed that He rejected that notion, because the poor own the kingdom, and the meek inherit the earth, and even in today’s passage, He noted, “…but with God all things are possible.”

            The rich man doesn’t need to give up his wealth, but he does need to be able to give up his wealth if Jesus asks him to. That’s the problem with the kingdom of God, we have to choose between it and our idols. No matter how one might describe someone as “rich” (in terms of money, education, fame, influence, strength, etc.), it’s only natural to depend on that wealth. When one does so, they become addicted to it and enslaved by it. It’s only by the grace of God that one escapes that sort of addiction. Put another way, man can’t accomplish entrance into the kingdom of God by himself, but the kingdom of God can’t be entered by someone planning on retaining citizenship in another kingdom. God doesn't share His place in our hearts.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more