| “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:35, 36 |
Our blessed LORD Jesus reflects on how hard it often is for the rich to enter the
kingdom of GOD . That our riches are a distraction and hard to share if one
becomes consumed by them and puts their trust in them and not Him. Let us look
at (Mark 10:17-29) and them examine what we as Christians must do with our
riches on Earth. “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his
knees before him.”Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not
steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother."
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at
him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At
this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus
looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the
kingdom of God !" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God ! It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God ." The
disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be
saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with
God; all things are possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left everything
to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or
brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes,
brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and
in the age to come, eternal life.”
The wealthy man had come to Jesus seeking what he must do to "inherit eternal
life". After hearing Jesus' response, Mark wrote that the man "was sad at that
saying, and went away grieved". He was sad and he was grieved because Jesus'
response was not the answer he had hoped for. He didn't realize that greater
wealth then he had ever dreamed of could be his if he accepted Jesus' answer. He
was as the seed sown amongst thorns. Reference (Mark 4:18,19) “Still others, like
seed sown among thorns, hear the word;but the worries of this life, the
deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the
word, making it unfruitful”, He was acquainted with accumulating "great
possessions" but he was not acquainted with laying up "treasure in heaven". He
may have known "the commandments" but he didn't know the Word of GOD.
The disciples' believed from what they had been taught before the Lord brought
them into His camp, that if even the rich cannot be saved, who can? But the verdict
is that even the rich, not only the rich, will find it impossible to save themselves,
but only by His work done for us on the cross, because we know “with God all
things are possible”.(Mark 10:27) His disciples’ believed that wealth and prosperity
were a sign of God's blessing (Leviticus and Deuteronomy). So their unbelief is
more along the lines that, if the rich, who must be seen as righteous by God
evident by their blessings, can't be saved, who can be?. Some of us Christians
have turned this around to portray wealth as a hindrance to salvation, which it can
be – but no more so than many other things, when the message is that salvation is
impossible for all men for it comes from God alone.
I find it interesting that before Jesus gave him his answer, the Scripture says
that Jesus "loved him". That is always why the word is sown. That is why the word
is sent. But too often it is rejected. Jesus wasn't desiring to deprive this rich man
of his wealth. Jesus was showing him the way into the kingdom of GOD . Jesus
was offering him treasures vastly superior to any that moth and rust could corrupt.
Jesus states this three times, as if trying to drive the point home to His disciples,
Jesus said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of
GOD...how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of
GOD...It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man
to enter into the kingdom of GOD". For Jesus to declare this warning three times,
speaks loudly to those who have ears to hear. The desire for riches is not to be
underestimated in its ability to deceive and divert one from the narrow way that
leads unto eternal life with Christ Jesus.
Many people living in the Bible lands at the time when the Gospels were written
erroneously believed that all wealth was a blessing from GOD. They figured if one
was poor, that they must surely be cursed by GOD, but if one was rich they must
surely be blessed by GOD. This is why the disciples "were astonished out of
measure, saying among themselves, who then can be saved?" (Mark 10:26). They
thought that if the rich found it difficult to enter the kingdom of GOD , what
chance did the rest of them have? Much of Jesus' teaching endeavored to correct
the false assumption that wealth is always a blessing from GOD. The truth is more
the other way. Usually the pursuit of wealth insulates us from the workings of
GOD in our lives. It can choke the word sown in our hearts and rob us of eternal
treasures our heavenly Father desires for us to obtain. Hence, it is difficult (not
impossible) for a rich man to enter the kingdom of GOD . Many stumble at this and
are sad and go away grieved, having found no answer that pleases them. A few
however are willing to set aside secondary pursuits and seek with all their heart to
know HIM who knew us "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). Rich
or poor, we were chosen by the Lord God for His purpose and His glory so being
that as it may, let us glorify and (Mark 11:30,31) love our Lord God with all our
hearts, souls, minds, and strength, as well as love our neighbors as we love
ourselves. Be diligent and pray always to do His will with in your lives with your
material blessings. Trust in Him brethren, He will be your guide to treasures that
await you in the Kingdom of GOD .
“A faithful man will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.”
(Proverbs 28:20)
kingdom of GOD . That our riches are a distraction and hard to share if one
becomes consumed by them and puts their trust in them and not Him. Let us look
at (Mark 10:17-29) and them examine what we as Christians must do with our
riches on Earth. “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his
knees before him.”Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not
steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother."
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at
him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and
give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At
this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus
looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the
kingdom of God !" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God ! It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God ." The
disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be
saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with
God; all things are possible with God." Peter said to him, "We have left everything
to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or
brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes,
brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and
in the age to come, eternal life.”
The wealthy man had come to Jesus seeking what he must do to "inherit eternal
life". After hearing Jesus' response, Mark wrote that the man "was sad at that
saying, and went away grieved". He was sad and he was grieved because Jesus'
response was not the answer he had hoped for. He didn't realize that greater
wealth then he had ever dreamed of could be his if he accepted Jesus' answer. He
was as the seed sown amongst thorns. Reference (Mark 4:18,19) “Still others, like
seed sown among thorns, hear the word;but the worries of this life, the
deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the
word, making it unfruitful”, He was acquainted with accumulating "great
possessions" but he was not acquainted with laying up "treasure in heaven". He
may have known "the commandments" but he didn't know the Word of GOD.
The disciples' believed from what they had been taught before the Lord brought
them into His camp, that if even the rich cannot be saved, who can? But the verdict
is that even the rich, not only the rich, will find it impossible to save themselves,
but only by His work done for us on the cross, because we know “with God all
things are possible”.(Mark 10:27) His disciples’ believed that wealth and prosperity
were a sign of God's blessing (Leviticus and Deuteronomy). So their unbelief is
more along the lines that, if the rich, who must be seen as righteous by God
evident by their blessings, can't be saved, who can be?. Some of us Christians
have turned this around to portray wealth as a hindrance to salvation, which it can
be – but no more so than many other things, when the message is that salvation is
impossible for all men for it comes from God alone.
I find it interesting that before Jesus gave him his answer, the Scripture says
that Jesus "loved him". That is always why the word is sown. That is why the word
is sent. But too often it is rejected. Jesus wasn't desiring to deprive this rich man
of his wealth. Jesus was showing him the way into the kingdom of GOD . Jesus
was offering him treasures vastly superior to any that moth and rust could corrupt.
Jesus states this three times, as if trying to drive the point home to His disciples,
Jesus said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of
GOD...how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of
GOD...It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man
to enter into the kingdom of GOD". For Jesus to declare this warning three times,
speaks loudly to those who have ears to hear. The desire for riches is not to be
underestimated in its ability to deceive and divert one from the narrow way that
leads unto eternal life with Christ Jesus.
Many people living in the Bible lands at the time when the Gospels were written
erroneously believed that all wealth was a blessing from GOD. They figured if one
was poor, that they must surely be cursed by GOD, but if one was rich they must
surely be blessed by GOD. This is why the disciples "were astonished out of
measure, saying among themselves, who then can be saved?" (Mark 10:26). They
thought that if the rich found it difficult to enter the kingdom of GOD , what
chance did the rest of them have? Much of Jesus' teaching endeavored to correct
the false assumption that wealth is always a blessing from GOD. The truth is more
the other way. Usually the pursuit of wealth insulates us from the workings of
GOD in our lives. It can choke the word sown in our hearts and rob us of eternal
treasures our heavenly Father desires for us to obtain. Hence, it is difficult (not
impossible) for a rich man to enter the kingdom of GOD . Many stumble at this and
are sad and go away grieved, having found no answer that pleases them. A few
however are willing to set aside secondary pursuits and seek with all their heart to
know HIM who knew us "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). Rich
or poor, we were chosen by the Lord God for His purpose and His glory so being
that as it may, let us glorify and (Mark 11:30,31) love our Lord God with all our
hearts, souls, minds, and strength, as well as love our neighbors as we love
ourselves. Be diligent and pray always to do His will with in your lives with your
material blessings. Trust in Him brethren, He will be your guide to treasures that
await you in the Kingdom of GOD .
“A faithful man will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.”
(Proverbs 28:20)
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| By Rev. Mark E. Vatcher |
