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 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 and 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."   There have been various attempts at interpretation of this vivid saying of Christ of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  My study bible names a couple of them:  that the word for camel in Aramaic resembles the word for "rope" or possibly that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which a camel could possibly squeeze if it first were relieved of all of its baggage (which would symbolize possessions).  There is a saying in the Talmud:  "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever the origin, the phrase gives us an understanding of what is preposterous, impossible.  Salvation is impossible for those attached to riches, my study bible says.  This is clearly shown by the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?"  But through the grace of God, even what is impossible for human beings alone becomes 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."  Of judgment, my study bible quotes St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments, "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, my study bible says, but rather with the witness of their own lives.  God's kingdom begins with Christ's Resurrection, and therefore the authority of judgment has already been given to the apostles and their successors in the journey of the Church on earth (16:19, John 20:23).

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children and 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 here that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom says that this passage refers to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means to lose 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).  My study bible comments that believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in a worldly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship. 

What does it mean to sacrifice everything for Christ?  This is something we have to contemplate and think about.  I know what it is to need to cut off relationships with family because of religious faith, but that comes from a deep conviction of loyalty to God, an earnest desire for prayer and for peace with one another, and an impossible choice that simply has to be made.  It also comes from a place of forgiveness:  one has to be willing to include all of Christ's teachings in the choices that we make, not just one or two.  What we are to understand in life is that to "follow Him" requires of us a great huge life in which we participate, not a partial one.  This is not about following one commandment or another; it is about a full participation in an expanding understanding of a way of life that is whole and fulfilling, not partial and not abstract and not theoretical.  It is not about forming opinions and values with which we go about judging one another.  In fact, this is a good time to remind ourselves of what judgment is and means according to my study bible (as noted above):  the apostles will judge not with earthly judgment, but rather with the witness of their own lives.  They will learn to live the life Christ initiates them into on a deeper and gradual basis of immersion, so to speak, to be like Him, and they will rebuke error with virtue.  The kind of freedom that is claimed in this level of a life lived in Christ is total, and it grows over time.  If we are truly to follow Jesus, we do so with a growing commitment, and a gradual growth of what we are willing to sacrifice in order to be truly free to follow Him.  Hence, the image of the impossibility of the camel going through the eye of the needle:  what will be asked of us might be things we thought unthinkable to give up, but necessary for our own movement forward into God's life and love.  It is necessary to begin to think about what we have and where we go in prayer, for prayer has to be the guide for all of us in life, plus guidance in the context of the Church.  Historically the Church frowns upon extremes.  At the time period of the early Church there were philosophers and gnostics and all kinds of sects that practiced extreme forms of purification, with highly black-and-white theories of the pure and the tainted, or the good and evil of what was inside of us.  But Jesus gives us a different example of how we need to understand ourselves.  We may have a choice in this world between forces of evil such as produced the fall and sin, but it is Jesus who stands out like a beacon, having gone through this world as a human being, and showing us the way.  There is just the choice to follow Him, to understand that we ourselves have so much to learn, and that He does not require us to be "perfect" except in one sense only:  that we be willing to give up whatever it is that stands in the way of following Him.  If we are called to separate from those who would harm us or our spiritual lives in order to follow Christ more perfectly, then the time has come to step up and do it.  If we must let go of our "once in a while" habit that we know separates us from God and is destructive to our prayer life, then when that time comes, let us step up to the place.  If we need to commit our time more fully to prayer, let us heed the call and give up that time to Christ.  These are the ways in which Christ asks us to sacrifice in order to follow Him.  Moreover, if we have a hard time doing this by ourselves, we know that we are not alone in this -- nor is it expected that we ever do it all "just by ourselves."  What is impossible for human beings becomes possible with God -- for with God, all things become possible.   The many possessions of the wealthy man are all things that can come between his loyalty to Christ and his need to take care of those possessions:  one by one each must be placed in God's hands for discernment and judgment about how to live in this world and heed where God asks us to go.  And let us not forget that everything -- every blessing and gift, and all things -- come from God in the first place.  It really doesn't matter what we are talking about; it is all a journey of placing our lives and ourselves more deeply in the hands of God.  But, as He said, His yoke is easy and His burden is light (11:30) -- and He replaces what we feel we lose by the hundredfold.  It is all a matter of placing ourselves in His hands and trusting, to commit our lives to 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 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

In yesterday's reading, we began with a scene in which children were being brought to Jesus for prayer and blessing -- but the disciples wanted to keep them away. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Then Jesus met a young man -- who is understood to be a young ruler. The young ruler asked Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus first taught that "no one is good but One, that is God." And then He instructed the young man to keep the commandments. "Which ones?" asked the young ruler. Jesus repeated the commandments concerning community: those against murder, adultery, false witness; the command to honor father and mother; and to love one's neighbor as oneself. All these he has kept from his youth, says the young man. "What thing do I still lack?" he asked. 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." This is a double emphasis here -- a complete and powerful metaphor for the difficulty encountered in attachment to wealth. I think we have to consider again the previous passages, so recently related in Jesus' teachings. He has been teaching all about leadership -- the humility required, to come to God like a little child, to consider always the priority of the "little ones" in the Church, even as if they are receiving Christ Himself. He has taught about forgiveness in the Church. (See the several readings that begin with this one.) Jesus has also taught about proper relatedness in marriage, and even to little children, building on His instruction concerning rank, hierarchy, leadership. If we see yesterday's and today's readings in context, then, Jesus is still building on teachings that concern hierarchy and leadership: wealth and rank are linked in the social life -- especially concerning a ruler, a type of aristocracy. In Jesus' kingdom, detachment from riches is necessary if only as a beginning step to understanding the radical nature of relationship and humility before God, especially with respect to the "little ones."

Additionally, my study bible points out that there was already a phrase familiar in Israel that comes from the Talmud: "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle." There is a lot of speculation on what Jesus may have meant by the vivid phrase He uses here, even whether or not it is a mistranslation. Either way, it is used as a strong metaphor for difficulty, already somewhat familiar to His listeners. If we think of it as metaphor, it is as if there is a lot of baggage of which to let go -- the things one carries around as if they are truly part of one's person. Identity, in this kingdom, comes from relationship to God and to neighbor.

When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" Appropriately, the disciples respond to Jesus' teaching, His emphasis, and the strong metaphor. But the question is useful, for it teaches us something about the power of God.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." If we reflect on this statement, we can see that it will apply to a number of things that can be possible in our lives, almost anything we can think of. But here, it is in important context: God's power and grace help us to do the things we need to do in order to be a part of this kingdom. The seemingly impossible is possible with God, so great is God's love, so powerful an act of mercy in assistance to those who want to be a part of this Kingdom. It is in that context that "all things are possible." God will work with us to transform, to build, to help us in His image for us. Of ourselves, we do not do this work alone!

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." Peter continues in His beginning leadership role, as he speaks for all the disciples. They have indeed left all behind to follow Him, as was requested of the young ruler in yesterday's reading. The word for regeneration is a Greek word (palingenesia) that combines two things: palin -- again, and genesia -- birth. Genesia is of course related to Genesis. So, into this we can read many meanings or metaphors, but Tradition holds that Jesus is speaking of the rebirth of creation itself, the "Re-Genesis," so to speak. This inference is made clear in the references that follow -- what is in store for the disciples as judges, and all that shall be added unto them. But we can also think of this in other symbolic ways: just as Jesus has taught that great figures from the spiritual history of Israel shall sit in judgment on those who fail in their faith in the present, who should know better. There is no specific time connection here, but rather the kingdom works also to intersect our lives in this world in many dimensions. Building this impression, He adds, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." These apostles who shall be "first" on the thrones are in some sense also the last -- in their lifetimes the Church is just a beginning of what it will become, they will not live to see the fullness of its growth. They are also the ones called upon to practice great humility -- to the point of the sacrifice of their lives. But there are so many more ways to read this statement: as a teaching on humility for all of us, and what it means to serve, even to lose one's life in order to find it. All of these things are in this teaching, including the great mystery of the kingdom's unfolding, the things we don't know and can't know -- even what its fullness really means. But above all, there is Jesus' promise.

Repeated in today's reading is the teaching that Jesus gave to the young ruler. In following this kingdom, in seeking Jesus' promise of eternal life and so much that may be added unto us, we practice a kind of humility before God that calls us forward. We don't know what we may be asked to exchange in this re-birth, renewal, re-genesis, regeneration. We just don't understand nor know where God will take us. But we remember that "with God all things are possible." We don't do it of ourselves or by ourselves. It doesn't come by our own design, but rather we "follow Him." We have grace and assistance and power and mercy to help, and to show us the way. But while all things are possible with God, all things may also be at the disposal of God. That is, in a sacramental life, we offer all that we are to God, and asked to be shown God's purposes for our lives, resources, time, talent. This is the radical humility of Christ which He teaches to His disciples. Many who are first will be last and the last first. In prayer, we practice not just asking for what we want, but also surrendering ourselves to this relationship that will teach us what we truly have and what we need. It will also take us to regeneration, rebirth, in so many ways. It is a mystery that invites us in, to go further, to "follow Him" and to find ourselves in His kingdom.