“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’ Then Peter said to him in reply, ‘We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’” (Matt 19:23-30, The Gospel for 8/19) In this passage, Jesus turns the common understanding of wealth upside down. Up to this point, it was considered a sign of God’s favor, and the apostles might have been expecting to gain wealth once Jesus came into power and his earthly kingdom was established. But, they are finding out that Jesus’ true Kingdom isn’t earthly and the wealth they will receive isn’t what they are expecting. The riches of the world make it difficult to enter God’s Kingdom because they turn our hearts toward that world rather than toward God. For man it is impossible to enter the Kingdom carrying his great wealth. But when we submit to the Lord and commit to him, he can save us and teach us what we are called to do with our worldly wealth. We must become detached from that wealth, in order to freely enter God’s Kingdom and receive a “hundred times more” in eternal life. As the final verses indicate, this detachment may need to be from even more than just material wealth. For the sake of Jesus’ name and his Kingdom, some are called to give up the wealth of relationships that may hinder their adherence to Christ and to his call for them. The bottom line is that God alone saves us and brings us into his Kingdom. Anything or anyone that leads us away from seeking and serving him must be given up and offered as a sacrifice. This humility of detachment may make us last in the ways of the world, but it will lead us to be first in experiencing the Kingdom and bring us the riches of eternal life in union with Christ!
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 03:45:32 +0000
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