Can a Rich Man Enter Heaven?
(Read Matthew 19:16-30 below or in your Bible before proceeding)
From the beginning of the passage, the young man was interested in what outward action he could do to gain eternal life. He says “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus, in order to make it perfectly clear that only through Him can eternal life be gained, told the young man to do the very action that He knew would not be so easily achieved by the young man is on his own. He says, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Jesus told the young man exactly what to do to be saved, but the young man chose to walk away in sorrow. Jesus clarifies to the disciples that it was only impossible for the young man to relinquish his possessions because he lacked faith in Jesus, “With man this is impossible,” He says, “but with God all things are possible.” The young man’s faith was instead in works, and his treasure was his possessions.
Many of us have a tendency to operate just like this young man. The Lord may say outright that we need to give up our money or possessions and give to the poor, but many times we hold more hope in the idea of becoming materially rich than we do in our eternal position with Christ. There are some of us who will not even entertain the idea of living a materially poor life in Christ, and Jesus sees our sorrow and disappointment as we go away from Him towards earthly riches because we have dreams of big possessions that we have not yet even obtained. For others of us, it’s not possessions that we hold onto but other things that He has requested that we give up in order to be perfect before Him. But in the same way, He sees our sorrow as we walk away from an opportunity to be pleasing in His sight for the sake of temporal things.
He gives us hope, however, in saying that with God all things are possible. Of course it’s hard for a man to forsake riches, but with God, a man can and will be able to do whatever it takes to please God. Maybe that request won’t be to “sell what you possess and give to the poor” for everyone, but if that is indeed the one thing that will cause you to walk away from Jesus in sorrow, you can trust that He can see and is aware of that and that He is not pleased. With this being said, get in your mind that one thing that you are holding onto hope for apart from Christ, and imagine that He asked you to give it up–to sell it, to deny it, to get rid of it, to walk away from it, to leave it behind and follow Him, would you walk away in sorrow? Or would you submit with gladness in order to be pleasing in His sight? Jesus told His disciples that “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” We can gather from this scripture that while there is a glorious reward for forsaking all for Christ, placing one’s hope in tangible gain may very well cause those who pursue being “first” here on earth to be “last” for eternity. Seek God and submit to His will, let’s not walk away in sorrow. Be blessed.
Matthew 19:16-30
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
