Mark 10:23- 27 “Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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." 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
In Mark 10:23-27 Jesus once again demonstrates His capacity to turn each individual experience or encounter that He and His disciples face into an opportunity for the broader life principles that it contains to be brought forth as teaching points. “How hard is it for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” With this response Jesus identifies that this is not an isolated incident. He uses this young man’s struggle to communicate the message that this problem is common to all who possess wealth. Through this Jesus implies the message. It is very difficult to possess wealth without that wealth possessing you!
Human nature attaches immense pride issues to the possession of wealth and status in our cultures. It has been so for thousands of years as can be seen by the reaction of the disciples to Jesus’ statements. They were amazed at these words and are brought to ask the question “who then can be saved?” It is as if they are asking the question: “Can only the poor be saved?” “Must every disciple give everything away?” To this Jesus gives a clear and direct response: “it is difficult for someone with wealth to follow, but not impossible!”
In 1 Cor 1:26-29 Paul speaks of the nature of the calling of God. “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.” When it comes to the issue of those with wealth and stature receiving the kingdom of God it is an issue of not many! God’s intention is that no man can boast before Him and there is such an ego attachment to wealth and position that it is hard for most of those who have these things to humble themselves and surrender control of these things to God. Perhaps if the rich young ruler would have turned immediately in obedience to begin to sell his things the Lord would have stopped him like the angel did with Abraham when he saw that Abraham was prepared to respond with absolute surrender. We cannot know but the test of the heart is in the surrender and the victory is won before the actions are ever taken!
Paul further addresses this issue of pride in 1 Cor 4:7 where he confronts man’s tendency to boast. Paul quickly puts all that we have in both position and possession into its proper context with three short sentences. “Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” James adds emphasis to this principle in James 1:16-17 where he writes “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” We have nothing that we did not receive and therefore a right heart before God in regard to these things is to be able to live the words of Jesus in Matt 10:8 “Freely you have received, freely give.”
It is this principle that the rich young ruler had forgotten or perhaps never knew. It is entirely possible that He was raised, like many of us, in a home that loved and feared God but never acknowledged that the good things we have in life have all come from God and His goodness, not from our hard work and talents. In many homes there is a false concept that “we have done it!” when in reality the truth is found in Deut 8:18 which says “remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”
It all comes from God!
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