Matthew 19

SCRIPTURE
²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, "What I'm about to tell you is true. It is hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is hard for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But it is even harder for the rich to enter God's kingdom."

OBSERVATION
Why would Jesus say it was impossible for rich people to enter the kingdom of heaven?

UNDERSTANDING
People who are rich (read all of us) tend to have a false security in their riches.  Because wealth can provide for many of our needs and wants, we tend to rely on our riches rather than depending on God.  There is this attitude of self-sufficiency that overtakes us.  When we have great material resources we tend to believe that we have no need for God.  The rich young ruler was earnestly desiring eternal life but in asking him to give it all away Jesus was checking to see if he was truly desiring the things of heaven over the things of this world.  As people who have been materially blessed we find that we are more closely tied to those earthly treasures than the heavenly ones. 

I believe that the young ruler was a seeker who desired eternal life but in the exchange that takes place Jesus points out the fact that the ruler thought that it was something that we could procure on our own terms.  "If I obey all the commands and if I have enough money I could buy the right sacrifices, and give away the right amount, etc so that I can have eternal life."  He was trusting in his wealth and good works to get him into heaven and that is just impossible.  It is impossible for us to be able to do those things on our own which is why God sent Jesus.

LIFE APPLICATION
Just like the rich man in the story Jesus confronts us today asking, what will you trust, riches or Me?  It is impossible for us to make it on our own, to buy our way in, to "good deeds" our way in, but Jesus reminds us of some great news as the story ends, "With man, that is impossible. But with God, all things are possible."