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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. 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." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. therefore what shall we have?" 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. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
- Matthew 19:23-30
Yesterday, we read that little children were brought to Jesus that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 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." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
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. 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." When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. therefore what shall we have?" 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. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Of today's entire reading, my study bible notes: "Various interpretations have been suggested for the impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle: e.g., that the word was not camel, but 'rope'; or that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which the camel might barely squeeze. (The Talmud uses a similar expression, 'for an elephant to go through the eye of the needle.') But whoever the phrase refers to, it displays the difficulty of salvation for those who are attached to riches. The disciples and others who give all will receive a hundredfold in the Kingdom."
Yesterday, we read the beginning of this reading in which we receive this saying from Jesus, "It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 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." What makes it hard? Certainly there's a clear implication here that attachment to material things becomes a kind of obstacle to entering this kingdom. For one thing, wealth would tend very strongly to define a person's place in life -- and in that sense, becomes easily a sort of idol, a false way of seeing the self. In a deep state of prayer before God, what is there that defines us of possessions and wealth? What we also read about in both yesterday's and today's reading is an exchange. Jesus had offered the young man a place with Him, but the young man had to leave all behind, sell what he had and give it to the poor, and then come to follow Him. There is an exchange clearly established in today's reading, when Peter asks, "See, we have left all and followed You. therefore what shall we have?" Jesus offers authority and power (they will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel), the receipt of a hundredfold more than what they have given up, and eternal life -- just as He offered the young man "treasure in heaven" in yesterday's reading. Again, we read of an exchange, implying a kind of parallel power, authority and wealth that makes up this Kingdom. Perhaps an attachment to great wealth makes it more difficult to make this exchange, to treasure the wealth of the Kingdom. Jesus seems to speak here from a place of compassion for the wealthy young man; we must remember that in Mark's Gospel, we're told that Jesus loved him. And I think that's the place where we have to go in today's reading. What could be analogous to the image of a camel squeezing its way through the eye of a needle? It seems to me that to enter into this Kingdom, we're all asked to shed many things. Through the process of faith and its power to change us, we may be asked on this journey to let go of many things. Perhaps it's no accident that we're speaking of great wealth here, while forgiveness asks us to give up "debts" that others owe to us! It really seems to me that Jesus emphasizes what each of us must leave behind in order to truly enter this Kingdom. The apostles have left all of their lives behind; for the wealthy young man, the sorrow was too great to leave all behind. In other readings, Jesus teaches "let the dead bury the dead." In the same reading, He says, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Elsewhere, He teaches that His brother and sister and mother are those who do the will of His Father in heaven. Great wealth, being so linked to family and position (and this young man is called a "ruler" elsewhere), would perhaps make all of this vision even more difficult -- the exchange of one identity for another. It seems to me that we are all asked to leave things behind on the journey of faith, perhaps not quite so literally as this young man was. But God will call on each of us to go through our own small places and leave things behind that we may treasure, in the journey of faith. Ways of defining ourselves that we cling to -- even old hurts and difficulties (including those debts we pray about forgiving) are baggage we may carry around with us that God calls on us to leave behind. In this great exchange of one worldly point of view for Jesus' point of view on just who we are and who we are called to become, there is one thing that He teaches us in today's reading that is of the greatest importance: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." It is God that makes it possible for us to do the work of full membership in this Kingdom, who teaches and helps us leave behind what needs to be left behind, who fills us with treasure and identity and true image, and grace that shows us the way. Are there things that it is time for you to let go of? Things can stand in the way of dependence upon God rather than something else, like an idol, or an addiction, which may come in so many forms. Clearly, Jesus understands our difficulties! What's your treasure that may be a stumbling block to a greater realization of God's love? The "way" for the young man was to sell all he had and give it to the poor, and then to come and follow Jesus. God's grace gives us each our "way" every day. What is His way for you?
