Sorrowful Riches.

We've heard this many times…

It's easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven.  Here is the verse in the Bible that is taken from…

Mat_19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Using our imaginations, even for those who are imaginatively challenged it doesn't take much to comprehend the impossibility of a camel fitting through an eye of a needle. Sure, in our crazy world we can imagine someone creating a giant needle with an eye big enough for a camel to walk through and thereby making this verse inapplicable to them, but God isn't so easily fooled.

Let's read the entire surrounding passage concerning the rich man.

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 

Mat 19:22  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 

Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 

Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 

Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 

Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

Mat 19:30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. 

A rich man earnest wanted to know what he had to do to have eternal life. Jesus didn't start out by telling him to sell everything, to no longer be rich. Jesus told him to keep the commandments.  To be clear, the rich man asked Jesus which ones. This isn't so strange if you think about the zillion commandments piled upon the Jewish people. The rich man wanted to know which commandments. Did he keep the royal law, the dietary law, the sacrificial laws, ceremonial laws or were there some new commandments he didn't yet know of that needed keeping. Jesus didn't hesitate to let him know which commandments, he started reciting the royal law of the ten commandments, the commandments that had been written with the finger of God, the commandments which had a place in the Ark of the Covenant which resided in the Most Holy Place in the Holy Temple, those obviously very special commandments that were set apart in a unique way so they wouldn't get lost among all the other commandments, all the other laws.

How did the rich man reply to this? He'd kept all those commandments since he was little. So what does he lack, what would keep him from eternal life?

Jesus didn’t dispute the man's words. Jesus didn't point to any of the ten commandments and reveal where the man fell short in keeping them. Jesus assented to the statement made in fact. The rich man kept all ten of the commandments from the royal law. Jesus did answer his question though about what he lacked.

Jesus told the rich man that he should sell what he had and give the money to the poor and he would have heavenly treasure and then- come to follow Him.

Being rich he needed to make himself poor in the material world.

Being rich he needed not to have any of those accumulations but rather have treasure in heaven.

There is no heavenly bank for our possessions upon earth.

The truth that we take nothing with us is fully realized. Even those who are buried with treasures are at risk for those treasures being taken from them by grave robbers. And even if they do have a grave filled with possessions it does them no good at all, none. Only those alive can utilize possessions. A dead person has no will of their own whatsoever. The only power a dead person possesses is what the living allow them to have in carrying out wishes they left behind. A dead man cannot carry out a single wish after death.

We take NOTHING with us.

Yet… we can have heavenly treasure that nothing can take from us.

Jesus wanted the rich man to comprehend that all his riches would not guarantee him eternal life. The man could choose temporal life with his riches, or choose to give up those riches and follow Jesus.

Instantly the rich man was filled with sorrow as he walked away from Jesus, why? Because Jesus asked of him something he couldn't bring himself to do. Sure, he could keep all the royal law easily, he was raised to do so, but to give up his riches and with them his entire way of life? Sorrowing the man walked away, choosing to forsake eternal life for the possessions of his temporal life.

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE, by the WILL, by the LOVE of God!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!!