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

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'" And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God." And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 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." And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible." Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

- Mark 10:17-31

In yesterday's reading, Jesus discussed divorce, and the system of divorce given by Moses for the "hardness of heart" of the men for whom a simple certificate was all that was necessary to divorce a wife. He spoke of marriage as a union in which two become one flesh - "so they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." He then spoke of a little child which He received, rebuking the disciples for trying to keep the child away. "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." Christ points, not to Himself in His divine nature, but to God. Speaking as one human being to another, He focuses immediately on what is necessary, the one place we can go to find the Good, the Source of whatever we understand as good. In a sense, it is a reflection of what He has called the first great commandment: to love the Lord God with all our heart, and soul, and mind and strength. In the mystery and depth of this relatedness within us, we learn the good for our lives.

"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'" And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." Next we move to the commandments brought through Moses. What we regard as inspired, or prophesy, follows the inner focus on God. Jesus upholds the value of the Ten Commandments - He honors the Jewish spiritual heritage. He affirms this framework in the quest for righteousness and eternal life.

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. We are told, most significantly, that whatever Jesus proposes for this man comes out of love for him. Jesus' compassion takes him further in the quest for righteousness with the revelation of yet a new thing, the one thing he lacks. To give up his vast wealth for the kingdom is his requirement, an exchange of one great possession for another, a cultivation of this depth of detachment. To take up the cross for Him is to exchange our worldly life for the one to which He calls us. We don't know what it will require, but for this man the command was to sell all he had and give to the poor. In a sense, we are all called upon to give up all in our lives for Him, for whatever way we can best follow Him -- this is what it is to take up the cross. In this case, the distribution of these goods would go to the "least" or "little ones" among us, in change for "treasure in heaven." Just as we are asked to give up our grievances to God in order to find the best way to deal with them -- so we also give up, in a sense of detachment, the good things we have, in order to find God's treasures for us, a life in the kingdom. This isn't a universal command to poverty, it's a command for this man specifically. But to relinquish worldly goods for God's treasure is in a sense what we are all called to when we place our lives in the hands of God and make the commitment to seek to "follow Him" in all things.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God." And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 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." And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible." Perhaps what strikes the disciples most powerfully is the idea that the wealthy -- those at the top of the society, who can make the most contributions to the temple and play the greatest roles -- have a distinct handicap for entry into the kingdom of God. One needn't be wealthy, certainly, to have an over-attachment to money and possessions! But great wealth comes with its own burden in terms of attachment and identity. When the disciples ask, "Who then can be saved?" it may be with the recognition that regardless of status, one may be greatly attached to possessions, and whatever wealth one does possess. But with God, all things are possible. God helps us to come into His kingdom, and teaches us to place all things in His hands, to cultivate and practice a life of detachment. My study bible says, "Riches grip the heart like few other things. When people trust in money more than in God, refusing to return their wealth to Christ, they fail to gain eternal life."

So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." My study bible affirms, "Discipleship is radical self-denial, a total offering of oneself to God. This implies readiness to give up dear possessions or even relationships that stand in the way of following Christ." What I find essential in this paragraph is the affirmation of the power of God to return to us what we think we have lost. They may come in different forms, we may get blessings we haven't understood or counted upon, but God does return, in this exchange, what we give up. It may simply be in a different context, and in forms we don't expect. "That disciples will receive earthly rewards a hundredfold now in this time is not an absolute promise: countless saints and martyrs were not so rewarded," my study bible says. "However, God has a way of returning and multiplying earthly blessings along with persecutions to faithful men and women according to His will." A life in the kingdom isn't just a tranquil life of reward, but our rewards also come with persecutions. The world will throw at us what it can -- but side by side, we also live in the life of the "treasures of heaven" and whatever blessings we receive from God.

Speaking strictly for myself, I have found it necessary to give up a great deal of things in life, and at the same time -- just like the reading says -- there have been a great deal of blessings and rewards which I feel have come through God's love. I have also felt persecutions which may or may not have come about as a conscious response to my faith. But the promise of these words has rung true for me. Perhaps the most important thing here is the promise that with God, all things are possible. To make our way toward that kingdom may require that we give up all kinds of things we thought we needed, or couldn't do without. It's related to the teaching about giving up an eye or hand or foot in order to enter the kingdom "maimed" -- that this is better than being cast whole into the fire. Whatever we give up for this pearl of great price is worth the effort it may take to get there. Repeatedly we see the gospels asking us for a kind of exchange of one reality for another; we forgo a worldly sense of power or accomplishment or accumulation for a spiritual one. In exchange, we are blessed with things which give life meaning and value, rewards that surpass what we had previously understood. How does this manifest in your life? I can say this has been true in mine, and returned with glimmers of a joy and peace that may surpass worldly understanding. We must also add that to help others in any way we can is a very blessed way to find such joy and peace as well! There are all kinds of ways to give as an expression of the love God shares with us.