With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible

 

 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  Christ 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 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."  My study Bible tells us that there have been various interpretations suggested for this impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  Among the various theories suggested is included the idea that the word was not "camel" but "rope" (for these words sound alike in Aramaic), or that the "eye of a needle" was a name used for a particular city gate, through which a camel might just squeeze if it were first unloaded of all its baggage, which symbolizes wealth.  There is also an expression in the Talmud "for an elephant to go through the eye a needle."  Whatever this phrase refers to, my study Bible says, it expresses the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  This is made clear by the response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"  But by God's grace, even what is impossible with men can come to pass.  

 

 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."   My study Bible has a very illuminating explanation for what it means to judge in this context.  It quotes St. Ambrose of Milan as saying of Christ's judgment, that "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  These apostles, it says, will not judge with earthly judgment, but rather by the very witness of their own lives.  As God's kingdom begins with the Resurrection of Christ, so the authority of judgment is already given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth.  See also Matthew 16:19; Luke 22:30; John 20:23.

 

 "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."  My study Bible says that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom asserts that this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  My study Bible says that it also means one must accept that unbelieving family members may cut of ties due to the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but in a spiritual sense -- the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  

 

Jesus' words about it being "easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" affirm for us the interpretation of yesterday's reading, in which Jesus told a rich young ruler (whom He loved) that if he wanted to be perfect he should, "go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure heaven; and come, follow Me."  In accordance with my study Bible, the problem with an abundance of riches is not in the riches themselves, nor even in ownership, but rather in the attachment to riches that is so common to humanity.  That is, such attachment becomes a stumbling block to salvation, as it leaves a person tied to the possessions in ways that may become a hindrance or obstacle to following and seeking Christ in all things.  It affirms the need for grace and the working of the Holy Spirit ("With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible") and it is yet another image of the life of the Cross, in which we will be called upon to separate from ourselves even things we consider quite dear if they stand in the way of Christ's directions for us.  In the New Testament, prominent and wealthy Jews, members of the Sanhedrin, became devoted followers of Christ (Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea) so the problems is not ownership or wealth per se, but rather when love of money (or anything else) keeps us from loving God as fully as we're called.  The disciples confess here in today's reading that they "have left all and followed You."  For them, that included the things Jesus mentions here, such as "houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands."  In each example we're taught something about the life of the Cross that each of us may be called to in faith, and each in our own way, with our own particular cross for salvation.  We note again that the rich young ruler in yesterday's reading (see above) was not an immoral person, neither was his wealth immoral, nor used for immoral purposes.  Quite the opposite, he was a person who had observed the commandments of the Law the whole of his life.  But Christ calls us to "perfection" ("if you want to be perfect"), and for that the impossible becomes possible through the grace of God.  And there we come to the expression of judgment that Christ makes in today's reading, and what it means to judge according to my study Bible.  This is not about "passing judgment" on someone else, but simply about living a life as an example and standard that sets a bar.  In and of itself, this is what Jesus means by "judging."  The life of the kingdom that we are all called to, even here and now in this world as my study Bible points out, is made possible through grace.  God calls us each in a particular way, and makes that path possible for each of us.  May we be truly grateful.

 

 

 

Who then can be saved?

 

 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 the 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 the and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  There have been various interpretations of Christ's image of a camel going through the eye of a needle suggested throughout the history of the Church.  For example, that the word was not camel, but actually "rope" (it sounds similar in Aramaic); or that the eye of a needle was the name of a city gate through which a camel could barely squeeze if it were first unloaded of all of its baggage, which symbolizes wealth.  In the Talmud there is also the expression "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  My study Bible explains that whatever the phrase refers to, it displays the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  This is evidenced by the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?"  But with God's grace, even what is impossible to human beings can come to pass.

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."  My study Bible refers to commentary by St. Ambrose of Milan, writing about a similar passage in Luke 22:30.  He wrote, "Christ judges by discerning the heart, and not by examining deeds.  So also the apostles are being shaped to exercise spiritual judgment concerning faith, and in rebuking error with virtue."  The apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but by the witness of their own lives.  Since God's kingdom begins with the Resurrection of Christ, my study Bible adds, the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (see also Matthew 16:19, John 20:23).  

"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."  My study Bible comments here that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  Again, we cite St. John Chrysostom, who teaches that this refers to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means losing one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, my study Bible says, but in a spiritual sense; that is, the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.

Jesus' teachings seem to be harder than ever, when we look at the world which has grown so immeasurably greater in terms of the material things we're offered in life.  Since the medium I use to communicate my blog is the internet, we can simply look at technology alone and start to understand how much more we are offered in terms of consumer goods than anything that Christ and His contemporaries could possibly imagine.  Well, perhaps our Lord would have the capacity to know this, but He was born into and preached for quite a different world than the one we live in.  It is doubtful that even the wealthiest people in the world at the time that Christ lived could have dreamt of what in the West we might consider standard features of dwellings we live in today (for example, indoor plumbing).   So, when Christ speaks of the difficulties for a wealthy person to enter the kingdom of heaven, He is not talking about the abundance of things we have today which we can purchase -- or which a wealthy person can purchase.  He's actually speaking of people who live a life of less wealth than even people of fairly modest means in the West today; that is, people, for example, who could not dream of walking into a supermarket and finding fruits and vegetables from far beyond the place they lived, let alone the assortment of manufactured goods -- even the least expensive goods -- that are widely available to us today.  Nevertheless, the disciples are still stunned at this message; they still "get it."  When they ask, "Who then can be saved?" it is clear that the disciples, although they do not come from wealthy backgrounds, understand the difficulties posed in Jesus' statement.  All of these factors, and especially our modern highly consumerist-oriented society, point more than ever to the difficulties about which Jesus speaks in His highly illustrative phrase about a camel going through the eye of a needle.  This isn't simply about people with high incomes, but about anyone for whom attachment to possessions becomes the main understanding of identity.  That is, it is Christ who must give identity, before whatever it is we consume:  whether that includes the latest skateboard, the best pair of shoes, the most impressive house, or whatever else we rely on to define ourselves, the importance of Christ's teaching is that the more we depend upon possessions to define us, the harder it will be to dwell within the kingdom of heaven.  Instead, we can orient ourselves to use whatever wealth we have for God's purposes, in the context of a prayerful life and reliance upon God to show us how to use what we have, and to live righteous lives.  

 

 

Who then can be saved?

 

 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 

 

 Yesterday we read that Jesus Galilee and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan.  And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.  The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."  In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.  So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "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."  And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

 

  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."  My study Bible writes that this man doesn't come to test Jesus, but to seek advice from one he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Christ's response does not deny that He is God, but is designed to lead the rich man to this knowledge.  To observe the commandments formally does not make a person righteous before God, it adds.  This man had an earnest desire for eternal life, and he sensed that he still lacked something.  Therefore, he continues to press Christ for the answer.  

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.  This man lacks one thing.  To be perfect, my study Bible says, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  Nothing is gained unless the sacrifice is given freely.  The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  Because wealth had such a grip on this rich man, his only hope is to sell and give away his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom comments that giving away possessions is the least of the instructions Jesus gives here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

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."   My study Bible explains that there have been various interpretations suggested for the impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  For example, that the word was not camel, but "rope" (which sounds similar in Aramaic); or that the eye of a needle was actually the name of a city gate through which a camel might squeeze if it were first unloaded of all of its baggage, symbolizing wealth.  There is even an expression in the Talmud:  "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever the phrase indicates, it is an expression of the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached the riches.  Clearly the disciples understand it, as we can see from their response:  "Who then can be saved?"  But, my study Bible says, with God's grace, even what is impossible to human beings can come to pass.

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."  My study Bible remarks that Christ does not command believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom suggests that this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means that one must accept that unbelieving family members may cut off tie because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly senses, my study Bible explains, but in a spiritual sense:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  

When Peter says, "See, we have left all and followed You," he is indicating the start of a new life in the faith of Christ.  While the apostles themselves clearly have taken on this new life in an extraordinary way, following a life of faith can offer to all of us a number of ways in which we take up a "new life" in Christ.  We often overlook that Jesus does not merely tell this man to sell all that He has and to follow Him.  He says to him, "Come, take up the cross, and follow Me" (italics added by me for emphasis).  The story of the Cross is the story of transformation and new life.  It is the story of death and Resurrection:  dying to an old way of life in some way, and a resurrection in the new life offered by Christ.  What Jesus recommends for this rich young man, whom He loved we are told, is necessary for him to break away from his old life.  Possessions take a powerful hold on people to the point at which they themselves become identified with the possessions.  Possibly this rich young man who kneels before him is a person with titles and property, and great inherited wealth.  This would suggest that family, titles, position and all the rest that goes with his great possessions defines who he is within the society.  What Christ asks us is to find our identity in our devotion to Him.  This does not mean that we will all be asked to make the kind of radical external transformations that the disciples have done, or that this particular man is asked to make.  But in one way and another, we might find that our faith asks of us to make some hard choices, especially around the things we are more attached to than we are attached to Christ.  As my study Bible indicates, there will be relationships tested:  there are those that are healthy and support our faith and what is best for us in life; but there might also be those that do the opposite, that seek to take us in a direction that is harmful or self-destructive or abusive, and therefore not supported by our faith and what is best for us.  There are relationships -- and attachment to possessions -- that will take us in a destructive path, one that limits who we are and excludes where our faith would lead us.  Whatever it is, a life of faith and prayer will often lead us to make changes in life, choices that others around us won't necessarily be happy with or expect of us.  These are the sacrifices of the cross.  But Jesus also asks us to see the new life in Him and the blessings of that life, the new way forward and beyond what we know.  There are times when the cross we bear seems like a terrible burden; the things we are asked to choose seem unbearable in terms of the disruptions they may cause in life, or family members that make the strange changes in us seem like onerous trauma.  We may no longer go along with what they want of us, or easily accept ways of life that are in some way abusive or harmful.  But we mustn't let this bearing of our cross obscure the great blessings we are given -- even when it's hard to see the forest for the trees.  Peter begins to ask from this perspective on behalf of all of the disciples, "See, we have left all and followed You," just as the bewildered disciples earlier ask one another, "Who then can be saved?"  These responses reassure us that even those who will be the pillars of His Church have had the same responses we do, and borne the same difficulties in carrying their own crosses.  Yet each serves as an example of devotion, having found throughout their own lives the great rewards and richness of life that made them continue in service to Christ, to the Church, and in faith.  So each of us will find the rewards of a life in Christ, a life of prayer and the blessings that come with our own cross.  For He calls us forward, not back, to a life of rewards beyond what we leave behind, and it is there we also will find our own resurrection in Him.  St. Paul indicates this is a daily process when he writes, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  Each day we give our lives to Him in prayer and worship, and we find our way forward; this is the life of the Cross.  Let us walk in His light and find His blessed way of life for ourselves.

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "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 a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For 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 those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

- Luke 18:15-30

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "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."   My study bible says that infants are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  It quotes Theophylact commenting on this section:  "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  This man does not come to test Jesus, but rather he is asking advice from someone whom he considers to be a good Teacher.  Jesus' response doesn't deny He's God, but rather He's leading this ruler to understand the foundation of "goodness," and to the commandments of God.

And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  To credit this man and his character, we are given to understand that he has an earnest desire for eternal life and he senses that he still lacks something, so he continues to press Jesus for an answer.  My study bible notes that here, as with the Pharisee in yesterday's reading, above, formal observance of commandments doesn't make one righteous before God.  This understand couples with Jesus' earlier statements about entering the kingdom as a little child.

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.   My study bible says that to be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  This is the one thing the ruler lacks.  Nothing is gained unless the sacrifice is given freely.  But the specifics of how each person will follow Christ is different for each person.  Since wealth has such a grasp on this rich ruler's identity, his hope was to sell and distribute his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom suggests that giving away his possessions is the least of the instructions from Christ here.  To follow Him in all things is not only a greater but a more difficult calling.

But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For 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 those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."   The image of a camel going through the eye of a needle is one for which many people have suggested possible interpretations.  Perhaps the word for camel is similar to one for rope (in Aramaic), thus introducing an analogy.  Perhaps the eye of a needle was the name of a tiny city gate through which a camel might squeeze if it were relieved of all its baggage, which would symbolize wealth.  There is also a similar expression in the Talmud:  "For an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But however we wish to explain this saying, one thing is clear (and Jesus' linguistic brilliance assures that we will be drawn to it over and over again), that a camel passing through the eye of a needle conveys the impossibility of salvation for anyone who is attached to riches.  The difficulty this conveys for people (for how many feel no attachment for whatever wealth they have?) is evidenced in the seemingly stunned response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"  But with God's grace, even what is impossible with men is possible with God.

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."   The disciples reflect on the sacrifices that they have made.  My study bible suggests that Jesus is not telling believers that they need to divorce spouses or abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.   It also tells us that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith ( see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Here Jesus promises believers many times more houses or relatives, not necessarily in an earthly but a spiritual sense, as my study bible puts it, of "fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship."

Losing family or possessions (things connected with our "worldly" lives) is always a sad and hard thing.  But Jesus doesn't speak here of leaving things behind that are unnecessary to our well-being or rather to our lives of faith to One whose healing and counsels are always "wholistic"; that is, concerned with the whole lives of His flock.  Our Teacher is not a severe aesthete, does not call us all to a kind of severe asceticism, but rather to a life that is truly healthy -- meaning that our concerns, lives, actions, aims, and plans for ourselves fulfill all of who we are:  soul, spirit, mind, strength.  Nothing should be left out.  When we're asked to make some sort of sacrifice, it is never to the detriment of the fullness of life, but rather in order to enhance it, protect it, and fulfill new possibilities in terms of who we are and who we can be in His sight.  For this rich ruler to leave his possessions to the poor not only means "treasure in heaven," as Jesus says.  It also means an expanded life, understanding, and identity as a disciple of Christ.  We don't know what this rich ruler may have become or found for himself as a disciple, but we can understand that even for the greatly desired gift of eternal life, he seems unwilling to make the sacrifice that Christ suggests for him.  This isn't so much a failure to make a sacrifice as it is a loss for the young man of something much better and richer.  It tells us that we may be asked to give things up when we can't see around the corner or into the future what it is that we will gain in our lives as a result.  The richness of a blessed life isn't so much in the material things we gain as it is in the whole fabric of life that is enhanced and given beauty which is palpable to us in a deeply internal sense.  C. S. Lewis refers to this beauty as Joy (see this article from the Guardian on a recently-discovered letter in which Lewis writes about Joy, and also his book, Surprised by Joy).  We have only to look at the apostles themselves to understand the difference in their lives between the time they were fishermen, for example, to the destiny they would find as Christ's disciples and apostles.  We don't know what the road holds for us when we make sacrifices.  We're not given absolute assurances and promises about what the journey ahead will hold or will be like.  Sacrifices, let us note, are not minimized in the Gospels.  It's clear to Christ how deeply difficult for the rich ruler the sacrifice is that Jesus has suggested that he make in order to find the great gift of eternal life with Him.  Even the disciples note what they have left behind in order to follow Him.  Thus, we have the great tension of faith.  Let us be reminded of Jesus' words in such matters.  Recently we've read that He's taught,  "Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" and "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  In chapter 9, He taught, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (see this reading).  Never does He minimize the difficulty of sacrifice, but the fullness of life to which He calls us is only possible through such sacrifices, as the attachments He calls us to give up to follow Him are those things that stand in the way of the life He offers, the joy and the beauty of participation in God's love in the way He has made possible for us.  Let us remember that grace calls us forward, just as it compelled Christ in His great mission in our world, out of a life as Jesus of Nazareth.  He was the first, and we are all called to take up our crosses and follow Him.

With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible

 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 of 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."   In yesterday's reading, we discussed the idea of attachment to riches.  My study bible notes here the various interpretations that have been given for the image in Jesus' expression, "a camel to go through the eye of a needle."   Some cite the Aramaic word for camel which sounds like "rope" -- that gives the saying a type of analogous quality.  Some suggest that the eye of a needle is referring to a small city gate  through which a camel could squeeze if it were first unloaded of all its baggage, which would symbolize wealth.  There is an expression in the Talmud "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle" which is quite similar to Jesus' expression.  But all of these have one thing in common -- the image of great difficulty, or rather impossibility, of salvation for those who remain attached to riches.  My study bible notes the response of the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?" as evidence that Jesus' words seem to preclude salvation.  That they are greatly astonished seems to suggest how deeply this saying may affect each of us.  Here, Jesus' rather shocking pronouncement becomes a moment for teaching:  by God's grace, 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 of 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."  My study bible says that Jesus isn't commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom suggests that this statement teaches about the struggle to keep one's faith under persecution, even when it may mean losing one's family.  It also suggests acceptance of the possibility that family members may seek to cut off ties with those whose faith is unacceptable to them (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  My study bible says that believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  Many who are first will be last once again gives us a note of humility in His teaching to these first followers.

Once again Jesus gives us a kind of exchange in His teachings.  We exchange one thing for another in faith.  He spoke to the rich young ruler of "treasures in heaven" that he would have by selling what he had and giving to the poor.  It's a sense in which what we give away returns to us "a hundredfold," a spiritual sense.  But the inner riches of the spirit -- linked to "treasures in heaven" -- also translates into riches in this life.  That is, the "treasures in heaven" teach us about values that are truly important and essential and which are added unto us.  The internal wealth of a generous spirit, for instance, translates into something deeply joyful and satisfying and almost inexplicable in its effect upon us when we have done something to give others a blessing.  Such actions turn our minds to the things of God and to where God may lead us.  Often the pursuit of wealth for its own sake is seen as an impediment to the development of God-given talents and capacities for creativity or other positive work which we're capable of doing.  We may find that an initiative to follow the words of Christ in detaching ourselves from "possessions" leads us to pursue a more meaningful and constructive and disciplined life of true self-development, building our talents and skills for positive contributions that also enrich us on many levels.  Jesus' words teach us to see life differently, putting our primary pursuit in perspective.  So much comes down to what we love and cherish, or what we choose to serve and worship.  Then, the rest of our life falls into order behind that main decision.  St. John Chrysostom felt very keenly the call to share or distribute wealth in alms-giving, saying that expenditures on unnecessary or vain choices to impress others was taking food out of the mouths of the poor.  Whatever way we come to understand Jesus' words, there is no doubt that giving away whatever it is that stands in the way of our faith comes back to us a hundredfold, in ways we couldn't have expected, ways that are opened up to us through that faith and the more clear pathway to God made by doing so.  Jesus' words are true, that with God all things are possible.  What I have found that means is that there are myriad possibilities contained in every moment of action taken in faith.  So much so, that the pathway before us might be filled with treasures we can't yet see or know, but are made possible through God's opening up of our lives.  We just need to decide where we put our faith, and step forward into that life.  All of Jesus' teachings on wealth bring us to mind of His parables of the pearl of great price and the treasure buried in a field.  Our true treasure makes everything else pale in value and worth.  It is worth everything else. 

With God all things are possible

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "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 a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard is it for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For 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 those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

- Luke 18:15-30

On Saturday, we read that Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."


Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "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."  Here, my study bible says that "infants are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  'A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity' (Theophylact of Bulgaria)."   A child also has the capacity to take great joy in small things, to appreciate whatever is new before him or her, and to sense and give love.  A child also understands his or her dependence upon that love.

  Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  This man approaches Jesus not as Christ, but as a "good Teacher."  Jesus' first comment is to direct him immediately to the source of all good, God.  In the same way of thinking, Jesus cites the commandments which are known to the man.  The ruler's reverence for his faith is clear; he has kept these commands from his youth. 

So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."   To really love and want this kingdom, Christ asks us to be "all in," so to speak -- to love all the way.  Here, this man's great possession in life is his wealth.  He may sacrifice the kingdom for this wealth, and so Jesus puts him to the test.  What does he love most?  My study bible says that the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  "Because wealth had such a grip on this rich man, his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions."  According to St. John Chrysostom, giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here -- "following Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling."

  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard is it for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For 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 those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."    That which would prevent someone from entering the kingdom is a terrible obstacle.  It shows us how wealth or possessions can stop us from seeing the greater gift, the "one thing necessary."  My study bible suggests to us that many interpretations have been suggested for the "impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle."  For example, that the word isn't camel here, but rope (from an Aramaic word that sounds alike), or that the eye of a needle refers to "a city gate through which a camel might barely squeeze if it were unloaded of all baggage, symbolizing wealth.  Even the Talmud uses the expression, 'for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle.'  Whatever the phrase refers to, it displays the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  This is clearly evidenced by the disciples' response, 'Who then can be saved?'"  In my opinion, what it shows was common then as it is now in our age of great wealth -- that anyone can be snared by our dependence on material things, and the difficulty of giving them up for the kingdom.  But Jesus' answer in that light becomes all-important:  The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.  We always have help!

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."    His apostles are those who have "left all" and followed Him.  Jesus promises great things not only in the present time, but eternal life in the age to come.  But we cannot understand this unless we first understand the depth of sacrifice and commitment that is made for the kingdom.   We note that this sacrifice includes family.   St. Chrysostom has commented that this refers to keeping faith while under persecution even if it means losing family; it also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith.   My study bible says that this suggestion of the return of homes and family "many times more" is not made in an earthly sense, but a spiritual sense:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship."

By the demonstration of this young man with many possessions, we encounter perhaps the most difficult obstacles to our faith that we will come up against:  the things to which we find our greatest attachments.  We have to see, also, that family is even included in these possible sacrifices.  Now anybody who suggests that the Christian faith is a simple and smug way to support a particular lifestyle of entitlement really hasn't read these passages carefully at all!  Here is the great call of service -- and love, a love which doesn't stop at any obstacle thrown in its way, even those things to which we are most highly attached.  If God is love, then what calls us beyond all the rest of the things we love is a greater love, the Source of all love, something that will teach us what is better, and perhaps how to heal by practicing that greater love so that we come into more proper relatedness not only to the things that we might possess and so become stewards in this world, but also to other people and our families as well.  Perhaps it will show us more truly what the word family means, just as in the story of the Good Samaritan Jesus teaches us more truly what neighbor means.  In a modern age, we seem to have to face all kinds of questions about just what "family values" are, or what neighborly conduct really is.  But Jesus' answers are all there before us already and they should guide us into the answers we need to face.  Is abuse a family value?  Bullying?  Ostracizing?  Where does God's love come in to teach us what it means to truly be a family?  Was it not Christ who said, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it"?   It is the Kingdom that comes first in order to teach us how to be related, not only to other people but even to the possessions we think we have.  Really, it's Jesus who has also taught us that we are only stewards of what we have; ultimately we won't take any of it with us, except that which is ours in this Kingdom, our souls.  In all of these senses, the Kingdom comes first.  It sets everything else right; it sets all relationships, no matter what we are talking about, aright.  God's love is right-relatedness, righteousness.  Some things may need to be separated from us, but perhaps only for a time -- and this is also part of the promise in today's reading.  Some things or people we need to be separate from in order to live as God calls us to -- but with God's help, everything is possible.  We just don't know how, or why, or where, or even in what way, restoration comes with our faith, and our endurance in that faith.  Let us put the kingdom first, even when the going gets tough.  His love has to show us the way, because we don't know that by ourselves; with God all things become possible.  We just don't know entirely what the sacrifice -- that plank in our own eye, say, or the riches that stand in the way of receiving the pearl of great price -- is leading us toward in its fullness.