What Money Can't Buy
Scripture: Mark 10:23-27
"23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 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! 26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
Observations:
After watching a wealthy young man walk away with his possessions intact but his soul at a loss Jesus uttered the words recorded here. The fact that the rich man in the story seemingly walked away from Jesus' invitation to follow Him was not what "amazed" the disciples (vs. 26); instead it was the idea proposed by Jesus that the Kingdom of God was virtually inaccessible to those, who like the rich young man, cared more about and trusted more in their money than God. According to Jesus both here and elsewhere, a person's love for God and love for thier money are always two forces in direct opposition to each other (Matthew 6:24), so much so that Jesus always required those following Him to choose a side. Furthermore, Jesus also pointed out the total inability of every person to overcome this reality on their own apart from God's help. What's even more disturbing is that Jesus stated very clearly that each person's eternal destination is contingent upon which master is truly in control of their life (Matthew 6:25; Mark 10:24-25). Amazingly, Jesus didn't make any room for a middle of the road response to this issue. A person's money/possessions were then and are now the physical representation of their time/work/life and typically define who you are as a person. But according to Jesus, a right relationship with God also demands a right relationship with money.
Application:
The truth Jesus drives home in both Matthew and Mark is that His followers our lives should no longer be defined by temporal things like money and all it represents but rather by our relationship with Him and our place in His Kingdom. In the truest sense, a true relationship with God begins the moment we surrender complete control over our lives to Christ and by turning away from our sins to acknowledge His Lordship as the only Savior (Romans 10:9). The love of money/possessions is no less sinful than any other sin we must repent of in order to receive God's forgiveness. In fact, the very reason so many people miss out on a real relationship with Christ is because loving money and our stuff is culturally and socially acceptable and not really considered a "sin" at all. Perhaps the reason Jesus pointed out that this issue is so difficult is because there's no need for God when you already have everything money can buy. But what we can't afford to miss is the fact that a right relationship with God can't be bought "humanly speaking" but instead can only be realized until we are willing to come to terms with the fact that, "..you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own." (Luke 14:33). Following Jesus requires that we recognize that we own nothing (including ourselves) and acknowledge that we were "bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20). The Kingdom of God only becomes accessible as you "give up your life for my sake, [for then] you will save it." (Matthew 16:25).
Prayer:
Father, forgive me for pursuing things instead of seeking You. I choose today to put my trust in You fully as my source and provider. Teach me to value that which is eternal and to surrender control fully to You in every way. By Your grace I yield myself to You as the Lord and Master of all that You have entrusted to me. I surrender all to You for Your Kingdom. Amen.
"23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” 24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 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! 26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
Observations:
After watching a wealthy young man walk away with his possessions intact but his soul at a loss Jesus uttered the words recorded here. The fact that the rich man in the story seemingly walked away from Jesus' invitation to follow Him was not what "amazed" the disciples (vs. 26); instead it was the idea proposed by Jesus that the Kingdom of God was virtually inaccessible to those, who like the rich young man, cared more about and trusted more in their money than God. According to Jesus both here and elsewhere, a person's love for God and love for thier money are always two forces in direct opposition to each other (Matthew 6:24), so much so that Jesus always required those following Him to choose a side. Furthermore, Jesus also pointed out the total inability of every person to overcome this reality on their own apart from God's help. What's even more disturbing is that Jesus stated very clearly that each person's eternal destination is contingent upon which master is truly in control of their life (Matthew 6:25; Mark 10:24-25). Amazingly, Jesus didn't make any room for a middle of the road response to this issue. A person's money/possessions were then and are now the physical representation of their time/work/life and typically define who you are as a person. But according to Jesus, a right relationship with God also demands a right relationship with money.
Application:
The truth Jesus drives home in both Matthew and Mark is that His followers our lives should no longer be defined by temporal things like money and all it represents but rather by our relationship with Him and our place in His Kingdom. In the truest sense, a true relationship with God begins the moment we surrender complete control over our lives to Christ and by turning away from our sins to acknowledge His Lordship as the only Savior (Romans 10:9). The love of money/possessions is no less sinful than any other sin we must repent of in order to receive God's forgiveness. In fact, the very reason so many people miss out on a real relationship with Christ is because loving money and our stuff is culturally and socially acceptable and not really considered a "sin" at all. Perhaps the reason Jesus pointed out that this issue is so difficult is because there's no need for God when you already have everything money can buy. But what we can't afford to miss is the fact that a right relationship with God can't be bought "humanly speaking" but instead can only be realized until we are willing to come to terms with the fact that, "..you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own." (Luke 14:33). Following Jesus requires that we recognize that we own nothing (including ourselves) and acknowledge that we were "bought at a price" (1 Corinthians 6:20). The Kingdom of God only becomes accessible as you "give up your life for my sake, [for then] you will save it." (Matthew 16:25).
Prayer:
Father, forgive me for pursuing things instead of seeking You. I choose today to put my trust in You fully as my source and provider. Teach me to value that which is eternal and to surrender control fully to You in every way. By Your grace I yield myself to You as the Lord and Master of all that You have entrusted to me. I surrender all to You for Your Kingdom. Amen.
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