ARE THE RICH DOOMED?
MATTHEW 19:23-26
MATTHEW 19:23-26 NKJ
23 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. 24 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."
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
OBSERVATION:
Ok, I am not a fan of clickbait so let me answer the question are the rich doomed? No, absolutely not; the rich are not doomed.
If they were, then we would see many scriptural references warning the wealthy to get rid of their riches. But in his letter to Timothy, in 1 Timothy 6:17-18, Paul instructs Timothy to tell the rich, in this present age, not to be arrogant or trust in uncertain riches. He charges the rich to be rich in good works and to trust in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Being rich in this life will not keep you from entering the kingdom of God. Jesus did not say the rich cannot enter God's kingdom. He said it's hard.
Why would it be hard for the rich? Because when you are rich, it's easy to trust in your money. Money and wealth give power, but to enter God's kingdom, even the powerful have to humble themselves and receive Jesus as their Savior. The rich come into the kingdom the exact same way as the poor. So entering God's kingdom by the One True Door, Jesus, takes away some of the 'specialness' that the rich are used to.
When Jesus said these words, He had just concluded an interaction with a rich young man. This is the only time we see Jesus ask someone to sell everything and follow Him.
The rich young ruler was hungry for God. But his wealth had a bigger hold on him. Now we see the context of Jesus' statements.
As to the eye of the needle and the camel. That statement has puzzled scholars for years. I will not add my opinion because Jesus' next statement made it all good.
When the disciples responded with the question, who then can be saved? Jesus put the topic to rest when He declared, "with God, all things are possible."
So, is salvation possible for the rich? Yes, with God who made a way through Jesus, salvation is available from the richest to the poorest and all that fall in the middle.
PRAYER:
Thank you, Father, for making salvation possible for me and for all men. I trust You before I trust in money. Money on earth is temporary, but You are eternal.