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Author: Stephen Weller
680 words, 4 minutes read time

The Tension Between Wealth and Salvation

Scripture: Matthew 19:23, 25-26; Mk 10:23-25

In the previous lesson we looked at the conversation between the rich young ruler and Jesus that resulted from his question to Jesus about inheriting eternal life. In this lesson we will look at the response of Jesus to his disciples and the resulting conversation.

^{Mk 10:23} ‘And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ^{Mt 19:23} “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.”’

My time spent serving the Lord in other cultures has helped me understand this difficulty a rich person has in entering the kingdom of heaven. Those who have little have less to interfere with their reliance on the Lord for various needs. Being rich in the things of the world can deceive one into thinking that he or she needs nothing that God has to offer. They are fooled by their wealth into believing that they are self-sufficient and secure in it. They don’t realize that their wealth has instilled in them an attitude of pride that associates any reliance on God as a weakness.

Looking at the attributes of those who rely on their wealth, we find them to be the opposite of those of a child, which in the mind of Jesus is most important. This is seen in Matthew 18:1 – 4 ESV: ¹ ‘At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them ³ and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”’

When we gather to ourselves a collection of things that generates pride, but when we freely receive from God his provision that generates humility and a deepening relationship with him. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters. “We cannot serve God and money” but we can serve God and be good stewards over the wealth he gives us.

^{Mk 10:24} ‘And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ 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.”’

As the disciples showed amazement over the statement Jesus made about the difficulty a rich person will have in entering the kingdom of heaven, he makes the statement a second time and illustrates the difficulty with an example of a camel trying to get through the eye of a needle. There have been various explanations of what the “eye of a needle” was, but there is no reason not to assume it would be the eye of a needle one would sew with. This is simply a hyperbole to illustrate that such a thing “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27 ESV).

^{Mt 19:25} ‘When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”’

If wealth so hardens one’s heart towards God then, the disciples reasoned, “Who then can be saved?”

^{Mt 19:26} ‘But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”’

Conclusion

This resistance toward God goes deeper than material wealth. We are all born into this world with a resistance towards God: ¹⁰ ‘as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; ¹¹ no one understands; no one seeks for God. ¹² All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”’ Since no seeks for God, salvation would be impossible without God’s intervention. (Romans 3:10 – 12 ESV)