Key Verse: Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were astonished at his words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.”(Mark 10:23-25 CSB)
Recently, a woman from South Carolina won the Mega Millions jackpot valued at $1.5 billion dollars. Choosing to remain anonymous, she opted for a one-time payment of just under $890 million, the single largest lottery payout in U.S. history.
For most of us, it is hard to even fathom what it would be like to have access to that kind of money. Think about all that you could do with that wealth. Imagine the options that would be available to you.
In ancient Jewish culture, many people equated riches and wealth with the blessing of God. Just as “the Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life more than the first” (Job 42:12) through the abundance of his possessions, people believed that prosperity was an indicator of God’s favour.
Jesus, however, warns us that this kind of prosperity theology can be very dangerous. Wealth can actually become a barrier to entering the kingdom of God. As the rich young ruler turned and walked away from Jesus, Jesus looked around and said something shocking to His disciples: “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (v.23). The disciples were astonished at his words. So Jesus said it again, this time comparing it with the image of a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle.
The camel was one of the largest known animals in that day. It was almost comical to envision a creature that large with all it’s humps trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle. This wouldn’t be easy for a camel to do. It would actually be impossible!
Jesus’ point is not to elevate poverty over prosperity. He is not condemning wealth necessarily. Rather He is warning us about the danger of trusting in something other than God. He is seeking to expose the affections of our heart.
Elsewhere, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
Similarly, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy to “instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God” (1 Timothy 6:17).
Be on guard today against the temptation toward greed. Do not be led astray from your devotion to God by the deceitfulness of riches. “One’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Place your confidence in God alone. Pursue Jesus. Nothing else. Nothing more.
Prayer: Father God, guard my heart from the deceitfulness of riches. Help me not be led astray from you through the pursuit of temporal pleasures. Instead, draw my heart in to find it’s true satisfaction and joy in you alone. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
