"Why do you call me good?" Jesus
asked him. "Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know
the commandments: 'You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must
not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.'"
The man replied, "I've obeyed all these
commandments since I was young."
When Jesus heard his answer, he said,
"There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and
give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come,
follow me."
But when the man heard this he became very
sad, for he was very rich.
When Jesus saw this, he said, "How hard
it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, 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!"
Those who heard this said, "Then who in
the world can be saved?"
He replied, "What is impossible for people
is possible with God." Luke
18:18-27
What
is impossible for people is possible with God. It is impossible to even
keep the Commandments—like that rich religious leader claimed—without God’s
help. At least that is what I think and have experienced. That is especially
true if you follow Jesus’ teaching that to think something is the same as to do
it. As a man or woman thinks in their heart, so they are—that is what they do. For
deeper insight read Jesus Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, especially
considering verses 21-30.
 |
| Camel overlooking the Judean desert |
Have you ever thought about a camel going
through the eye of a needle? I laughed the first time I heard I heard that
phrase—thinking of the eye in a sewing needle. I thought it impossible—unless it
would be like a cartoon character—or now a computer generated scene. The “eye
of the needle,” actually refers to a camel going through a very small opening
or doorway in the wall surrounding an ancient city. The officials would close
and lock the gate through which everyone normally entered. If someone arrived
late in the evening when the main gate was locked then the man and his camel
would have to bend way over, with the camel down on its knees to go through a
very small doorway in the wall. That created a level of security for the walled
city inhabitants. Security is safety. Safety is life. Even life for a rich
person has to be secure…and have some sacrifices. We seek security in our
homes, workplaces, and everywhere.
What do you think? E-mail me (mhunacek@aol.com) or comment on this web
page and let me know what you think about the rich having a harder time with salvation.
“Who in the world can be saved?” and "What is impossible for people is
possible with God."
Prayer
~ Jesus, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our
inner man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16. Create in me a clean
heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 51:10. I know all things are possible with You.
Daily
Bible Reading: Luke 18
©
2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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