possessions
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
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. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall 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 someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10)
I think its quite obvious from scripture that Jesus intentions were to shock and challenge his listeners. Even the disciples were in awe saying "who then can be saved?" This may not be the reaction you or I would have but we shouldn't be surprised....this kind of thinking is still prevalent in some circles of the faith. The root of it comes from the understanding that to be wealthy is a sign of Gods favor, and is to be coveted above most things. With it come standing and respect, the ability to be generous. If you think that Gods sole desire for your life is to prosper you materially then I'm afraid we worship different Gods and yours is not the God I see in Jesus. Yes riches are a blessing, as is every good gift. The heart of christian teaching on wealth is this; Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. As Paul says "I have learned to be content with much and with little". The trouble with earthly riches is that they are so transient and ultimately become a snare for us because we can come to put our trust in them. Jesus says we cannot serve 2 masters.
The other teaching we struggle with is the turning the other cheek/loving enemies one....it makes no sense and is just not practical. Jesus commanded us to give to all who ask, give and not hold back. No wonder he lost so many followers. You see Jesus said that the person is blessed who does not love their own life so much as to shrink back from death, and those who seek to save their lives will lose them. We MUST review our priorities! let me ask us all a question; WHEN WAS FOLLOWING JESUS EVER PRACTICAL (and when I say practical I believe that most of us understand that we really mean convenient). Even when Jesus himself had gone (phew, no more setting out on the road with no purse or sandals) one of the first works of the Holy spirit was to unify the believers and cause them to have ALL THINGS IN COMMON. That is that there was no heightened sense of ownership. In other words they were loving God with all their heart (and not putting personal gain before their worship of him) and their neighbor as themselves. In short Gods kingdom had come and his reign was evident. We pray frequently in the lords prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" and yet I have to ask the question...are we willing to let him be our King and are we willing to do his bidding and renounce worldly goods over loving our neighbors.
We wonder why the church is so ineffective....may I suggest it might just be because we fail to accept the hard teaching of Jesus and thereby do not, in fact serve him as we cannot serve two masters. When the king is on the throne....the kingdom is working and running smoothly! Can we really say like Peter
“We have left everything to follow you!”
Peter was able to say this with full integrity and so Jesus next words must have carried a real encouragement to him rather than pie in the sky. He says;
“Truly I tell you,” 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 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The thing that heartens me is the very human reaction Jesus has to this rich young man..from anyone else it seem smug but from the lamb of God it resonates to my core; Jesus looked at him and loved him....this always precedes any call for us to lay something down and it does so now. Give to all who ask you. Give and do not hold back.
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. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall 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 someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10)
I think its quite obvious from scripture that Jesus intentions were to shock and challenge his listeners. Even the disciples were in awe saying "who then can be saved?" This may not be the reaction you or I would have but we shouldn't be surprised....this kind of thinking is still prevalent in some circles of the faith. The root of it comes from the understanding that to be wealthy is a sign of Gods favor, and is to be coveted above most things. With it come standing and respect, the ability to be generous. If you think that Gods sole desire for your life is to prosper you materially then I'm afraid we worship different Gods and yours is not the God I see in Jesus. Yes riches are a blessing, as is every good gift. The heart of christian teaching on wealth is this; Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. As Paul says "I have learned to be content with much and with little". The trouble with earthly riches is that they are so transient and ultimately become a snare for us because we can come to put our trust in them. Jesus says we cannot serve 2 masters.
The other teaching we struggle with is the turning the other cheek/loving enemies one....it makes no sense and is just not practical. Jesus commanded us to give to all who ask, give and not hold back. No wonder he lost so many followers. You see Jesus said that the person is blessed who does not love their own life so much as to shrink back from death, and those who seek to save their lives will lose them. We MUST review our priorities! let me ask us all a question; WHEN WAS FOLLOWING JESUS EVER PRACTICAL (and when I say practical I believe that most of us understand that we really mean convenient). Even when Jesus himself had gone (phew, no more setting out on the road with no purse or sandals) one of the first works of the Holy spirit was to unify the believers and cause them to have ALL THINGS IN COMMON. That is that there was no heightened sense of ownership. In other words they were loving God with all their heart (and not putting personal gain before their worship of him) and their neighbor as themselves. In short Gods kingdom had come and his reign was evident. We pray frequently in the lords prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" and yet I have to ask the question...are we willing to let him be our King and are we willing to do his bidding and renounce worldly goods over loving our neighbors.
We wonder why the church is so ineffective....may I suggest it might just be because we fail to accept the hard teaching of Jesus and thereby do not, in fact serve him as we cannot serve two masters. When the king is on the throne....the kingdom is working and running smoothly! Can we really say like Peter
“We have left everything to follow you!”
Peter was able to say this with full integrity and so Jesus next words must have carried a real encouragement to him rather than pie in the sky. He says;
“Truly I tell you,” 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 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The thing that heartens me is the very human reaction Jesus has to this rich young man..from anyone else it seem smug but from the lamb of God it resonates to my core; Jesus looked at him and loved him....this always precedes any call for us to lay something down and it does so now. Give to all who ask you. Give and do not hold back.
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