23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “Again I say to you, 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.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Sad as this story is, it serves a good purpose—we do well to learn from the struggles and failures of others. The wealthy young man was confronted with the stranglehold of his own wealth. The desire for eternal life was choked out by his possessions which possessed him! The dark recesses of the soul are easily enticed, as Judas found also out when he betrayed his master, the One who had words of life, for a mere bribe.
The lesson is obvious—discipleship and wealth do not easily mix. Jesus said it straight out, then He used a common proverbial expression—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 idea that the “eye of a needle” referred to a small city gate through which a camel could barely squeeze through, as is commonly taught, is historically questionable. But the idea of this expression is quite obvious if not picturesque.
The disciples realized the lesson was not just about the wealthy. Reflecting the common notion that wealth was a sign of God’s blessing and poverty a sign of God’s displeasure, they respond with an incredulous, “How then could anyone be saved?” Jesus affirmed their conclusion—with men this is impossible but with God it is very much possible. That is true not just for the wealthy, but for all people.
Some lessons are to be learned here. The less worldly wealth a person has, clearly the less hindrance there will be to following Christ. “It should be a satisfaction to them who are in a low condition, that they are not exposed to the temptations of a high and prosperous condition” (Matthew Henry). Even if it is hard we for some, it is still impossible for all, apart from God. As Jesus says elsewhere, salvation cannot come about by a person’s own efforts and accomplishment, but comes only to those who are “…born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).
Finally, Jesus refers to the life of those who follow Him using four different descriptions: eternal life (16), kingdom of heaven (23), kingdom of God (24) and salvation (25). What a tremendously, wealthy life!
Lord, thank You that the way of salvation has been made possible, though my efforts were a total failure. I trust You and follow Your Son, the Lord Jesus.
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