“He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.” Luke 1:53
Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when He said, “…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?” Matt.19:24. Does it mean God does not want us to have riches? Does it mean He is against wealth?
The truth is, no. Jesus stated that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom because of the clinginess that wealth tends to bring. You do not want to lose it, and you might be willing to do anything if it means you stay in that position of wealth. God does not like that at all. A verse that better explains His stance on wealth is Mark 10:24, “And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
In other words, it is hard for those who TRUST in riches, and the power it brings, to enter the kingdom of God. Whatever it is in your life, no matter how important it is, that you cannot let go of is what the term riches signify.
For the young man who came to ask Jesus what he should do to follow Him—Matt. 19:16-22 (21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”) He could not let that go, not even for Jesus (22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions). But for you, it might not be your possession. It could be a particular ideology or something that has caused you to have considerable influence. It could even be your dear parents or spouse.
Whatever it is you cannot let go of, that you hold so tightly, which makes you consider a second place for Jesus in your life, those are the riches that make it hard for you to enter the kingdom of God. You cannot relegate God to second place by holding on to some precious thing, tangible or intangible, and expecting to fully experience the Kingdom of God. This is why it is important to surrender yourself.
We must get to that place where whatever God asks of us is doable, whether it injures flesh or diminishes us in the sight of men.
The question is, “What is that thing God should not even attempt to ask for, or else…?”
Prayer
- Father, please help search my heart if there be any idol therein. Purify me, Lord.
- Dear Lord, I ask that you strip away my trust in earthly things and teach me to only trust in you.
- Please, give me the grace never to hold anything in my heart higher than you.
This is our message for today, and we hope you were blessed. We’d also love to hear from you; please comment below.
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Have a blessed day!
