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.  

 

 

Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

 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 left Capernaum 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."  This wealthy young man comes to Jesus for advice.  He considers Jesus to be a "good Teacher."  Jesus' answer, my study bible says, doesn't deny that He is the Christ, but is designed to lead the rich man to this knowledge.  Jesus' first response is to cite the commandments (see Exodus 20:12-16, Deuteronomy 5:16-20).  The young man is devout, and has kept the commandments from his youth, but senses that he still lacks something.  My study bible says that formal observance of the commandments doesn't make one righteous before God.  This man has an earnest desire for 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.   He lacks one thing, a willingness to exchange whatever it is that holds him back from taking up the cross, and following Christ for the life He offers.  My study bible says that nothing is gained unless such a sacrifice is given freely.  It adds that the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  This follows on the teachings in Tuesday's reading to the disciples, in which Jesus taught that whatever keeps them from proper humility in service must be discarded.  For this young man, wealth had such a grip on his life that his hope is to sell what he has and give to the poor, and be free to follow Christ.  We note that this is presented by Jesus not merely as sacrifice, but exchange:  he will have treasure in heaven.  A commentary by St. John Chrysostom says that giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions to this man.  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."   There are many commentaries and interpretations of the saying Jesus offers here.  Some say that rather than camel the word used was Aramaic for "rope" (which is similar in sound).  Other suggest that the eye of a needle was a city gate through which a camel might be able to squeeze if first all its baggage was stripped, symbolizing wealth and possessions.   There is an expression used in the Talmud "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But my study bible comments that whatever the phrase refers to, it's clearly meant by Christ to display the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  The disciples show by their astonished response how stunned they are by what He teaches, especially when they ask, "Who then can be saved?"  But with God's grace 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."  Peter speaks for the apostles when he notes "we have left all and followed You."  My study bible says that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children here.  Rather, it refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family, according to commentary by St. John Chrysostom.  It also means, my study bible adds, that one may have to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  The promise of a hundredfold return (again, in keeping with the language of exchange) of houses and relatives is not meant in a worldly or earthly sense but rather a spiritual one:  the fathers and mothers of the Church, sisters and brothers in Christ, houses of worship and fellowship.

As noted in commentary above, Jesus speaks of an exchange.  There's practically no telling which of our "possessions" will stand in the way of taking up the cross and following Christ.  As we read on Tuesday, Jesus could be speaking of elements of personality, habits, or selfish tendencies that need to be sacrificed for the mission of the Church.  That was in His teaching to the apostles about their own competitive tendencies as they argued for position with one another.  Here, this young man wishes for eternal life and Jesus asks him to exchange his way of life for the one offered in following Him.  He promises him treasure in heaven.   As St. Chrysostom indicates, this advice is specific to the young man.  The things we are asked to give up in exchange for the life Christ offers to us may vary from individual to individual and specific time to specific time.  This is not something that is predictable, but is the product of grace at work in us.  When Jesus says that "with God all things are possible," He's speaking of this steady constant influence upon us when we seek to walk in faith.  One by one, there will be things that come up in our lives for us to make choices over.  Each will present us with a question of what is more important, this thing we hold dear (which could be absolutely anything, from a personal fondness for a way of thinking to parts of our lives to which we are deeply attached, habits, relationships, or possessions) -- or our walk with Christ, our faith and hope and trust in where He leads us.  This is discipleship.  It is the process of life and faith.  None of these things are easy, because what we sacrifice or exchange is something to which we are deeply enough attached that it may form a stumbling block to the fullness of life offered in Christ.  We may need to strip away something before we understand where we're headed, and the fullness of the replacement in exchange.  But in so doing, we find faith increased, as well as dependency upon Christ.  It is always a walk toward something, a journey to the life He offers in exchange.  What would you give for your freedom to follow Him?

Many who are first will be last, and the last first

 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 then 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 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."  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.  My study bible notes that this man doesn't come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one He considers no more than a good Teacher.  Christ doesn't deny His divine identity as Messiah, but gives an answer designed to lead this man to knowledge of Himself.    We notice how the conversation evolves:  formal observation of commandments does not convey full righteousness before God.  The man senses he still lacks something and presses Jesus for an answer.  I think it is most important that we note what the text tells us, that Jesus loved him, and in this spirit of love gives him the answer about what he lacks.  This rich young man with great possessions is given the answer that is necessary for him:  it is this that he is most attached to, and that stands in the way of finding what he seeks.  St. John Chrysostom's commentary on the story of this rich young man in Matthew's gospel tells us that to give away his possessions is the least of Christ's instructions.  To follow Christ 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 then 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."  Jesus speaks to His disciples of the difficulties of detachment and sacrifice, themes that have run under the surface of His teachings from the time the disciples were disputing among one another who was the greatest.  About His words to the disciples, my study bible says that He's not commanding believers to divorce spouses or abandon children.  Once again, St. Chrysostom's commentary on the similar passage in Matthew is cited.  St. Chrysostom comments that this 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).  The promises of hundredfold returns are traditionally interpreted to mean in a spiritual sense:   fathers and mothers of the Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.    He also speaks of persecutions that will accompany blessings.

Just prior to Jesus' Transfiguration, and the beginning of His teachings on leadership and humility to the disciples, He began to teach them about the way of the Cross in connection with His predictions of His own suffering, death, and Resurrection.  He taught, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"  All of the lessons included in our readings since then seem to emphasize this way of the Cross, and the understanding of appropriate sacrifice.  Jesus does not ask this young man in today's reading to give up his possessions merely because the concept of sacrifice is good in and of itself.  He is offering him an exchange, teaching him what is better for him:  the gift of eternal life in exchange for that which stands in the way which we hold dear.  In some sense, as the "follow up" discussion with His disciples makes clear, this is the offer and the teachings He gives to all of us.  It is the way of the Cross, and the way in which we each must take up our own crosses in life.  What do we give in exchange for the fullness of relationship and participation in the life of Christ that is offered us?  The giving up of his possessions for this man is akin to the sacrifice Jesus said might be necessary for us as we seek to grow in participation in the Kingdom, when He spoke of giving up a hand or a foot or an eye in Monday's reading.  What we may be called to give up may feel as deeply essential to our identity as those things, and as this rich young man's many possessions.  But the fullness of life He offers in return is incomparable.  We return to His question, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"  Our sense of our selves and our world can only expand -- even a hundredfold -- through the kind of life He offers in return.  Jesus ties in the teachings in today's reading with the ones on humility in leadership from Saturday's reading, in which He said, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."   He reminds His disciples once again, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."   When we consider the challenges of discipleship and their difficulty, we remember that He has also included the work of God in us that makes it possible.

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. 

Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches 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

Yesterday we read that Jesus left 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 points out that this man approaches Christ as "a mere human" and Jesus responds as the same.  He puts emphasis on the goodness of God, and focuses the man's attention entirely on the same.  Then Jesus goes on to affirm the power and validity of the Ten Commandments as a guide to life; this obedience, says my study bible, is "an essential aspect of the quest for righteousness and eternal life."   In this way, the Gospel also establishes for us what type of man is before Jesus, and his righteousness in accordance with the Mosaic Law.

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.    I think it's important that we note first what the Gospel tells us:  Jesus loved this man, and with this motivation goes on to teach him what he must do.  My study bible has a lengthy note here:  "Jesus recognizes and approves the man's moral righteousness.  But He tests him at his point of greatest vulnerability, where he needs to repent most.  It is his money that is keeping him from salvation.  Jesus challenges him with the ideal of total sacrifice for His sake.  The command to sell all is for this man, or for any other whom Christ may call in this particular way, but should not be construed as a universal requirement.  Christians are to use their possessions according to God's purposes, above all to help the poor and needy, but they are not to reject ownership of property. However, voluntary poverty is a legitimate part of a freely chosen way of life -- for example, for monastics."

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!"  My study bible tells us, "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."

"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."  My study bible says here:  "Jesus uses an exaggerated image to indicate the extreme difficulty of entering the kingdom for those given to riches."

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."  This is an interesting passage:  the disciples are stunned at His teaching (Who then can be saved?), but at the same time, Peter soberly reflects, We have left all and followed You.  My study bible points out here that justification is never by faith alone, though it is by faith apart from the law (Gal. 2:16).  It says, "God calls on people to believe and to act because they believe."

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."  A note here reads:  "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." . . . "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.  However, God has a way of returning and multiplying earthly blessings along with persecutions to faithful men and women according to His will."

There's a lot to think about in today's reading, particularly in terms of how we view wealth and how we live with it.  There are multiple parallel things going on here.  There is first of all the young man, who is not only a morally upright person in all ways the Law might require of him, but we're told that Jesus loves him.  So here, the attachment to wealth goes deeper than merely a moral or perhaps even an ethical approach to how we may use wealth.  I think this is important to understand here; Jesus is getting to our very core of ourselves as human beings, how we think of ourselves, and what we are attached to.  This is something He will do with His teachings over and over again.  He will ask us to go to our hearts, to our core, and make choices there, especially about what we love.  So often we tend to identify ourselves with our possessions.  Our homes and what we have become symbols, tangible things we show to one another, of who we are.  I think this is the place where Jesus is taking this young man when He asks him to give away what he has to the poor.  Possessions are just that -- they are things we have, not what we are.  By teaching that he should give his possessions away, Jesus is clearing the way in a psychological sense for a true identification:  "treasure in heaven," and "take up the cross, and follow Me."  It's a radical re-setting of identity, of what real treasure is in the heart, and what comes first in what we love.  That is what is going on here.  The disciples reflect that they've done the same (through Peter's sobering realization) and this tells us something about what it is to follow Him.  Perhaps we may not even understand where it is we're being led, but upon reflection, we see what He has taught us and how He has taught us.  They've left everything behind for His sake and the Gospel's.  Perhaps, each in our own way, Christ may call upon us to do the same, and if we reflect we may come to realize how we were led -- even when we didn't quite realize it at the time.  The difficulties signified by a person who is, perhaps, born into great wealth are no joke.  Again, we come to the problems of identification with the possessions we have.  And, I think that particularly for we who live in a modern world full of tremendous material capacities, there is really a great danger when we take all of these things for granted, and lose sight of who we truly are and our dependence on God.  We also can't merely focus on ethics or morals as the things that save us; this young man already is an upright and righteous person in those terms.  Who we know ourselves to be changes how we act.  Jesus' radical prescription for the spiritual health of this young man may also be a prescription many in our modern world can voluntarily take -- at least psychologically -- by seeking to see ourselves as God sees us, and not identify with what we have in life as the things that define us.  God may give us many blessings in life, but they are just that, blessings.  They do not form the core of who we really are.  For that we need to be radically clear about who we are in the heart, what we truly love and treasure, who and what tells us who we really are.  Blessings are meant to be put back in God's hands, so to speak, to be used responsibly the way God teaches us to be stewards of whatever gifts we have; I'd say that talent and even children also come under this topic of blessings or gifts.  This would be a sacramental kind of life.  We may suffer from persecutions in living this type of life, but the gift we get back is the great gift of who we really are, possession of our souls, for which there is no substitute and no security greater, nor freedom, nor independence of heart.  In this way, the first may be last, and the last first.  We can't do this all by ourselves, but with God, all things are possible.

With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible

 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 left 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 the; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the 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."  My study bible points out for us that "the man approaches Jesus as a mere human and Jesus replies as such, not denying His own goodness but focusing the man's attention entirely on God:  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.'"  Let us remember that Jesus is now in Judea, with Jerusalem the center of Jewish religious worship and leadership.  Here He affirms obedience to the Ten Commandments as essential to this quest "for a righteous and eternal life," as my study bible puts it.

  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.  Let us first note that Mark's text tells us explicitly that Jesus loved this man, and we can therefore infer that this is the reason for the extra teaching He's about to give.  My study bible has a note here:  "Jesus recognizes and approves the man's moral righteousness.  But He tests him at his point of greatest vulnerability, where he needs to repent most.  It is his money that is keeping him from salvation.  Jesus challenges him with the ideal of total sacrifice for His sake.  The command to sell all is for this man, or for any other whom Christ may call in this particular way, but should not be construed as a universal requirement.  Christians are to use their possessions according to God's purposes, above all to help the poor and needy, but they are not to reject ownership of property.  However, voluntary poverty is a legitimate part of a freely chosen way of life -- for example, for monastics."

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!"  My study bible tells us, "Riches grip the heart like few other things.  When people trust in money more than God, refusing to return their wealth to Christ, they fail to gain eternal life."  

"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."  There are many ways this verse has been interpreted as to the specific meaning of the language here.  Whatever way we look at it, my study bible's note is true:  "Jesus uses an exaggerated image to indicate the extreme difficulty of entering the kingdom for those given to riches."

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."  My study bible says, "The disciples have done what Jesus asked the rich young man to do.   Justification before God is never, in the Old Testament or the New, said to be by faith alone, though it is by faith apart from the law (Gal. 2:16).  God calls on people to believe and to act because they believe (see James 2:17)."

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 tells us:  "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."   It also notes regarding verse 30:  "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.  However, God has a way of returning and multiplying earthly blessings along with persecutions to faithful men and women according to His will."

One thing we can note about today's reading is a promise of a kind of exchange, and this is very important.  Today's passage includes the lessons of discipleship from the past several days of readings, and particularly those regarding self-sacrifice.  Jesus has moved from the discipline of the example of removing an eye, a foot, a hand, so that one may enter heaven maimed rather than hell whole, to this example of sacrifice.  The point is that when we come up against something that keeps us from mission then those things must be left behind.  Whether we are talking about personal desires or character traits that have to go in order to be better disciples, or possessions that tie us to a place in which we fail to put service to God's calling first, Jesus is talking about detachment, letting things go -- even those things of which we are fondest somehow -- that stand in the way of His real calling, whatever and wherever that is.  Let us note that in the example said to the disciples, this includes family relationships as well.  If we can use a rather simple modern example, a person who has problems with addiction must often leave behind familiar surroundings, even a family setting, in order to be free of the temptations or triggers that prove too much.  If we are called to serve, then Christ will call us out of ourselves somehow, and into a new life of becoming more like Him.  There is no set pattern to service, we can't all say where service to Him will manifest.  But Jesus promises an exchange here.  We exchange a worldly identity -- and all the things that go with it -- for the identity that God breathes into us, the soul that can dwell in eternal life, with Christ as its head and image.  And this is the great promise of the hundredfold in today's reading.  We know much about the persecution and varied suffering of saints and martyrs, but again a very modern example of finding life in the midst of sacrifice is the heartbreak and disappointment of the things we may think are good to pursue, only to find ourselves abandoned by false dreams and false values, or people it hasn't been good for us to cling to.  There also, in that sacrifice of what was precious to us, we find Christ and the life He has for us.  That's a very modern story in which we, too, can understand sacrifice as something necessary in order to see the real life He has for us.  The world will offer us so many images of ourselves to pursue, so many things we think are good, or even necessary and all we need for a good life.  Mission can come anywhere, but it will always be symbolized for us by the Cross.  Let us remember the exchange He promises, and that in this encounter with God, where what we formerly loved has been taken away, it is there we find the real beauty that gives us true mission, the light that shines in the darkness.  Let us remember the exchange, and in a peculiar sense, the words of the angel in Christ's tomb:  "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"  We seek life from the author of life, the One who gives us the way, the truth and the life.  If it doesn't make much sense on our terms, or through our planning, it's not supposed to!  God's transcendence gives us the life that is beyond our own means.  Jesus tells us today, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."

Assuredly, I say to you that 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

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that 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 hear 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 the current readings, Jesus has come out of Galilee and is in Judea. In yesterday's reading, we first read that children were brought to Jesus, so that He would lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples tried to rebuke them, but He said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Then a young man came to Him and asked, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" Jesus told Him that no one was good but One, that is God. He first told the young man to keep the commandments. He asked, "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 easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." There have been many debates on this statement by Jesus. Some speculate that in Aramaic, the word for camel sounds like the word for rope, thereby there is a kind of analogy here: a rope can be unwound, taken apart, and hence pass through an eye of a needle. Others say that the "eye of the needle" was a name for a city gate that was small enough so that a camel might barely squeeze through. My study bible notes that the Talmud uses a similar expression to the one here: "for an elephant to go through the eye of the needle." Whatever the origin of the expression, Jesus is making a clear statement about difficulties, and it wouldn't be the first time a great analogy is made so that we get a strong flavor of what he's talking about. He's speaking of tremendous difficulties in the attachment to riches as identity. We can see perhaps some kind of parallel of shrinking down, to the humility He's so recently taught is essential for entry into this Kingdom, that they should become like little children. Hence, a soul that identifies itself with great riches may need to acquire great humility to be a follower of Christ. In this sense, we can see "riches" as a parallel for all kinds of possessions, such as fame, or family name, or rank within a social group of any kind, or anything else that gives great status which may be an obstacle to becoming a follower, to the humility necessary in one's heart before Christ. This then is a question of material-mindedness, a form of idolatry. Knowing our weakness, Christ teaches this teaching. My study bible says that "whatever the phrase refers to, it displays the difficulty of salvation for those who are attached to riches."

When his disciples hear 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." Whatever obstacles there may be in our lives to our faith, Christ is there to help. In effect, with God, all things are possible. Our faith doesn't come from ourselves alone, and in this question for real discipleship, we can assume that neither does our humility, nor any other quality needed for membership in this Kingdom. With God's help, everything is possible for us, even tremendous personal changes, even the "peace that passes all understanding." Christ will teach His disciples that He gives, not as the world gives: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27). Just as we noted in yesterday's reading, that "every good and perfect gift is from above," so we can also understand the good and perfect gift in faith within a willing heart, of those things we need to become members of this Kingdom.

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." I wonder if we can really understand the great depth in this statement, the profundity it will really mean for these men, and may in fact mean for us in our lives. Not only have Peter and the other disciples left all for His sake, they will in future go on to much greater sacrifices, and live their whole lives as heroic servants for this Kingdom and for we who believe and share in its grace.

The phrase "many who are first will be last, and the last first" gives us a great and tremendous teaching on humility. These men who are Jesus' disciples are merely a handful by worldly standards, but they will go on to spread this gospel to all the nations. We today inherit the wealth they brought to us, along with all the tradition we are able to inherit as well. But they were first, in great faith: when will this Kingdom be fully realized? When will the fullness of time bring about the "end" or perfection of the Kingdom? Jesus' teaching is a great statement of the tremendous humility required as a true servant of this Kingdom. It tells us about the willingness to serve, that the first will be last and the last first. It also gives us the sense of the patience of the saints. Can we work through faith, for things which are promised and yet not tangible? For this we need Christ's help, His gifts to us, of His patience, His faith, and His peace. With God, all things are possible.

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.

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

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 answered and said to Him, "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 Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The publican is a tax collector - he works for the Romans, and takes money from the people. Essentially, he is seen as a public sinner, cheating his own people. The Pharisee is exemplary in terms of observing God's Law, and a highly respected person. But the prayer of the Pharisee is essentially "with himself," while the tax collector prays in humility to God. Jesus pronounces the publican "justified" rather than the Pharisee. He says, "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 has a note here which reads, "The blessing of children by respected rabbis was customary. Jesus uses the image of the child to convey the ideal of childlike simplicity and humility required to enter the Kingdom." Since, as my study bible notes, this was a common custom (for respected rabbis to bless children), we can only assume that the reason the disciples rebuke those who bring infants to Jesus is because Jesus is busy with other work, considered more serious: perhaps healing, preaching, or He's still in the midst of His discussion with those "who trusted in themselves that they were righteous" (to whom He gave the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican). But Jesus takes the time for this blessing, because there is an important reason behind it, and an important teaching and lesson connected with it. We've just been taught in the parable that humility is the all-important character trait we need in our relationship to God. This is what justifies the publican, or tax collector, in the parable. Infants are the most dependent human beings of all; they rest everything in those who care for them - and this is how we are to rest in God, to depend on God. This is total relationship to our Creator. This is how we receive the kingdom.

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. A note in my study bible reads: "A rich ruler is challenged by Jesus not only to observe the Ten Commandments but also to sacrifice all thing and follow Him. ... St. John Chrysostom teaches that because Jesus loved the man (Mark 10:21), He named these conditions for his particular need." First of all, we note that Jesus directs this man to God: He says, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." In effect, our relationship to God creates the inheritance of the eternal life of the kingdom. This is the "inheritance" the young man asks for. We begin with the relationship to the Giver of Life. Then Jesus turns the young man to the word of God: the commandments. All these the young man has kept from his youth. In some sense, there is an echo of the Pharisee from the previous reading. This young man is doing all the right things; his behavior is exemplary in terms of religious practice. So we are given the basics first, the rock upon which we begin the journey of faith. But then Christ takes this young man further, and it becomes personal. 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. We assume that Christ, in His role as "knower of hearts" already knows this about the young man. We also note that Jesus is not suggesting that He leave the young man (whom He loved) destitute and alone. On the contrary, Jesus is opening up fellowship and community, the kingdom of heaven, in inviting him to "follow Me." He's extending an invitation to discipleship in His ministry. He's asking him to really leave behind the old life, and enter into a new one. For a "very rich" young man, this will no doubt mean leaving behind family and social connections, and a host of social duties probably expected of him. In today's world, it would be the same question posed to a person of considerable family wealth and inheritance. Monastics give up worldly possessions to "follow Him." And he is not only wealthy, but he is also a "ruler." His social position extends, we presume, to inherited material and political power and rank. So, there is an exchange going on: an earthly inheritance (family, wealth, social position) for a heavenly one of eternal life and the treasures of the kingdom. In this sense of fully emptying his earthly life, Jesus asks the young man to become like the little child in the earlier part of the reading, fully dependent upon that ministry and discipleship.

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 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." A note here reads, "God's power can save even a rich man. And those who have turned their backs on riches and forsaken earthly good altogether for the cause of the Kingdom will reap abundant rewards from God." We note that the young man's sorrow extends from his possessions. What Jesus is asking of him is a terribly hard choice, a true dilemma. It is in response to the young man's difficult dilemma that Jesus says, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" Jesus is talking about attachment and the things that bind us to a "worldly life" when it comes to push and shove, when we get to that place where we need to remove the things we cling to that keep us from that all-dependent, childlike relationship to God. Great wealth will easily act as this great burden, because it may bind us so strongly to identity we need to forgo. To maintain great wealth (and other attachments) may also demand of us a great deal of time and effort - how we spend our lives, and how we are engaged with the world. "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." This saying is also in Matthew's Gospel, as well, in a similar version of the story. There is a similar expression in the Talmud: "for an elephant to go through the eye of the needle." And there are various explanations for the saying. Any way you read it, we get the message: attachment to riches - and I would extend this to anything we cling to that gets in the way of fuller relationship to God - makes it very tough to squeeze through that place we need to go in order to get to the true goal. Elsewhere, Jesus calls it "the narrow gate." In this sense, this "eye of the needle" is that place we can only pass through by shedding our burdens, the things we cling to, that we think are necessary to carry with us, which God may ask us to give up in order to have a more full relationship with Him, to be truly dependent like the little child -- and to receive the real inheritance and riches that we seek, the eternal life and treasures of the kingdom of God. Great wealth, and the rank that goes with it, may truly bind us to the extent that it gets in the way of a full relationship to God; it becomes an obstacle. But there is good news here: 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." With God we find a transformative power that overcomes all things, all obstacles. It gives us courage to see a way through a very difficult, tight spot that may require of us what we see as impossible dilemmas to solve, and impossible tasks, and that most difficult of all - of letting go of what we think we need that gives us our own understanding of who we are. 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." My study bible says that, "More in this present time does not necessarily signify material things." But the truly important note in this passage is its extension from "riches" (of the wealthy man) to the whole of the riches of earthly life that the apostles have left behind. They have "left all," which includes "houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands." And again, we are taken further by Jesus. They have not only left behind riches, but all -- the relationships most important to them. They have gone further. And there is an important note of judgment here, that reflects a similar theme found elsewhere: their example creates judgment. They have given truly all; and they will be taken yet further after Jesus' death and Resurrection, to the end of their lives.

To lose is indeed a difficult thing. In this heavenly kingdom, we exchange in order to gain something better: eternal life, from the Source of life itself. What does that mean to you? In my personal spiritual journey, I have found this emptying and growing dependency has indeed required of me the hardest dilemmas. The deeper I go, the more I find I need to release: of images of myself I felt I had to cling to in order to be "good" or socially respected, and of things in my life I loved the most. But the journey through that eye of the needle takes me further, and I need to release what it turns out to be baggage that binds the camel. What do you need to release? Does God call you to go through that eye of the needle itself? We remember we are promised a different, heavenly inheritance, a relationship, a fellowship. What does discipleship mean to you in your life, and the treasures of the kingdom that are there for you, awaiting your choice? I, too, have found "abundant rewards from God," and that is my testimony. Anything is possible with God, the Giver of life. We remember, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." God makes that journey of emptying possible for us.