Dear Explorer,
We looked at the incident between the rich young ruler and Jesus yesterday. Now, we'll look at what Jesus taught the disciples afterward and see if we can find some answers.
Read Matthew 19:23-26
And
Read Mark 10:23-27
Notice that the disciples were amazed at Jesus' teaching. Why?
Remember that in Jesus' time (and often today), people believed that if you were rich you were in a right relationship with God. They could not imagine it being any other way. We talked about this belief on Day 71 and Day 73.
Much of their society was built around the rich just as it is today. The rich could buy anything they wanted.
Jesus says that that's not how God works.
Read Luke 18:24-27
So, does Jesus say that the rich cannot be saved?
No – He says it is hard but not impossible! But there's some background that might help clarify this statement.
There is a city gate leading into Jerusalem that is called the Needle's Eye. It is a small gate used as a night entrance – much smaller than the main gates. The only way you could get a camel through that gate would be to totally unload his baggage, have it kneel on a board, then men would have to pull it through the gate. So…. It was very difficult, but not impossible.
Does Jesus say that everyone must sell everything to be saved?
No. But we cannot buy a relationship with God with money. And we must make sure that our desire to obey Jesus is more important to us than our riches.
The rich young ruler felt that he would lose his lifestyle, his friends, and his position of prestige in the community if he gave away his riches. He decided he wanted these things more than obedience to Jesus. So, money was his “god”, his idol. He chose it instead of Jesus.
I believe the only reason Jesus asked the young man to give up his wealth was because He already knew his heart. Jesus wanted him to realize that he had made money his god and was serving and obeying it because money was his master – not God.
It is really hard to transfer our trust in riches to complete and total trust in Jesus.
Who then can become a follower of Jesus?
Jesus answers and says that salvation is not a man-made thing where you just join a club, or sign on the dotted line. No. Salvation is supernatural and can only be accomplished by God. When you invite Jesus into your God-shaped vacuum, amazing things begin to happen. Supernatural things. In fact, later, we'll discuss that you become a totally new creation.
In His service, dale
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