Eternal Life - Impossible for the Rich and for All
Eternal Life – Impossible For the Rich and for All.
Eternal Life – Impossible For the Rich. This means most in Americans and the rest of the West and the rich in most developing countries are in jeopardy of seeing God and being saved. By all standards, compared to the man who Jesus spoke to in Matthew 19, most of us in the West are very rich. Jesus makes the following comparison, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, 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.” Vs. 23-24
Do you still want to get rich? There is nothing wrong with being rich, except if your wealth/money owns you. Jesus demanded the rich man to sell all he had to follow him. That also applies to all of us. For this man it may have been literal because his wealth possessed him instead of him possessing wealth because, “when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Vs.22. For us, anything that will posse us instead of Jesus, we still cannot follow Jesus. What has possessed you and me today? Is it wealth, pride, family background, academic achievement, children, parents, spouse or lack of spouse, past successes, etc.?
Make no mistakes. There is cost to following Jesus but Jesus repays at the end as He promised to Peter. “29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[k] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Vs.29.
Also, let us note that in this passage, we are again reminded that we must come to God like little children. Jesus loves the little children because they trust Him with absolute trust without holding back. The children see clearly that Jesus loves them and they love Him back. They are not worried who is around them because they just run to the arms of Jesus. Let’s run to Jesus with total abandonment.
Do you have those whom from all outward appearances they look impossible to be saved and be reconciled to God? In fact, the gist of this encounter with Jesus is to make clear to us that it is impossible for any human to be saved from the wrath of God. It is only possible with God and it was made possible on the Cross. So, all our good obedience to God’s commands which we can never score 100% or all our possessions whether rich or poor cannot save anyone. Let’s stop trying and start trusting in what God has already done on the cross to please Him. For without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Father, help us to trust you today. Thank you for making it possible that we can relate to you because all our sins have been paid for on the cross. Help us to trust every minute of the day because you love us so much. Open the eyes of those who are yet to know you so they can see and believe and trust you. Help us to tell others about your love for them. Amen.
Matthew 19: Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good[e] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good?[f] No one is good but One, that is, God.[g] But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”
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 your mother,’[h] and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”[i]
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.[j] What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
With God All Things Are Possible
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, 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.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, 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 wife[k] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Eternal Life – Impossible For the Rich. This means most in Americans and the rest of the West and the rich in most developing countries are in jeopardy of seeing God and being saved. By all standards, compared to the man who Jesus spoke to in Matthew 19, most of us in the West are very rich. Jesus makes the following comparison, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, 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.” Vs. 23-24
Do you still want to get rich? There is nothing wrong with being rich, except if your wealth/money owns you. Jesus demanded the rich man to sell all he had to follow him. That also applies to all of us. For this man it may have been literal because his wealth possessed him instead of him possessing wealth because, “when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Vs.22. For us, anything that will posse us instead of Jesus, we still cannot follow Jesus. What has possessed you and me today? Is it wealth, pride, family background, academic achievement, children, parents, spouse or lack of spouse, past successes, etc.?
Make no mistakes. There is cost to following Jesus but Jesus repays at the end as He promised to Peter. “29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[k] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Vs.29.
Also, let us note that in this passage, we are again reminded that we must come to God like little children. Jesus loves the little children because they trust Him with absolute trust without holding back. The children see clearly that Jesus loves them and they love Him back. They are not worried who is around them because they just run to the arms of Jesus. Let’s run to Jesus with total abandonment.
Do you have those whom from all outward appearances they look impossible to be saved and be reconciled to God? In fact, the gist of this encounter with Jesus is to make clear to us that it is impossible for any human to be saved from the wrath of God. It is only possible with God and it was made possible on the Cross. So, all our good obedience to God’s commands which we can never score 100% or all our possessions whether rich or poor cannot save anyone. Let’s stop trying and start trusting in what God has already done on the cross to please Him. For without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Father, help us to trust you today. Thank you for making it possible that we can relate to you because all our sins have been paid for on the cross. Help us to trust every minute of the day because you love us so much. Open the eyes of those who are yet to know you so they can see and believe and trust you. Help us to tell others about your love for them. Amen.
Matthew 19: Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good[e] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good?[f] No one is good but One, that is, God.[g] But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”
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 your mother,’[h] and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”[i]
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.[j] What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
With God All Things Are Possible
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, 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.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, 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 wife[k] or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
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