Rich people and Jesus

Jesus makes a disturbing comment in Matthew chapter 19:23-24. He said, “…a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven…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.”

Jesus said these words after a rich man came to Him, asking what must he do to have Eternal Life. Evidently, the man knew there was something missing in his life, despite his many possessions and status. The rich man’s question to Jesus also indicates a false belief that one can go to heaven based on one’s works.

Jesus told the rich man to keep the commandments. Jesus mentioned some of them to the rich man and the rich man said he had kept them all. Then Jesus told the rich man to sell all of his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. The rich man could not do so because He loved his possessions more than he loved God.

Let’s be clear, nowhere in the Bible are we told to sell our possessions and give the proceeds to the poor, in order to be saved and have Eternal life. By asking the man to sell his possessions, Jesus was forcing the man to examine his heart and determine his priorities.

Has Jesus ever forced you to examine your heart and determine your priorities? You may not be as rich as the man in this story, but when compared to others, you are rich. Most of us, compared to a homeless person, are rich. When compared to someone who is unemployed, we may be rich. Even when compared to a coworker, we may be rich. When we have a lot of possessions compared to someone who has very little we may look rich in their eyes.

When Jesus Christ says it is hard for a rich person to get into heaven he is referring to this divine truth said by him: “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Many of us have the tendency to believe those who have much are blessed by God to have what they have and thus heaven is secured for them. This is a far cry from the truth. God often blesses us so we can be in a position to bless someone else. Are you being tested by the Lord to see where your heart and priorities are? If you haven’t been, trust me, you will be!