Matthew 19:24-25
"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Why were the disciples so astounded by Jesus' words concerning the difficulties of the wealthy entering the Kingdom of God? According to information found at www.biblicalhebrew.com, the Jews believed that prosperity was a sign of God's blessing. Their incredulity stemmed from the notion that if the rich couldn't be saved, then how in the world could anyone else be?
Jesus understands, however, that wealth, while in and of itself is not evil, can all too easily become an earthly distraction, the same as any other sin. People of substantive means enjoy power and prestige in society. These accolades can tempt them to forget that God is the only one large and in charge. They focus on their worldly treasures in lieu of the eternal treasures of Heaven, and that seals their fate.
Or, does it? In Matthew 19:26, Jesus states that what seems impossible for man to accomplish is not impossible for God. While man can establish a temporal sense of happiness and security in life, only God can provide true joy and ultimate salvation. He can melt the hardest of hearts and place a right spirit within them. The catch? We need to seek Him first. We need to choose Him as Master over everything in our lives. We need to believe that He, and only He, is mighty to save!
Readings
Psalms 66, 67 or 19, 46
1 Samuel 4:12-22
James 1:1-18
Matthew 19:23-30
Well said.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie, 'The Godfather', a common idea is repeated. "This is business not personal" is the basic philosophy of those who treat life as a game and the people around them as merely pawns. Sadly, this philosophy has been adopted by the powers on Wall Street who say they are only in the business of maximizing shareholder value and they cannot be held to a higher standard. I think this is the mentality that Jesus fought against. Everything we do is personal! Life is not a game! What separates the Christian from the gangsters and the heartless business men, is that the Christian knows the truth about what is really important while we are here on earth and behaves accordingly.
ReplyDeleteAmen, David! Very well said in return!
ReplyDelete