A text I received this week serves as the launch pad for the first (of hopefully many) Deep Dive Sunday posts!! I hope you are blessed by them all!!
Here’s the text:
I was going to text you this morning but forgot, why is there so much talk in the Bible about how hard it is for the rich to get to heaven?
Is it because they are comfortable here on earth so they don’t seek the Lord? Because I also think that you can be blessed by him and he can give you success
Let’s take a look at the exchange that is being referenced here:
Luke 18:18 And a ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Great Question!! We all want to know this, right?
Jesus gives him the beginning of the answer in verse 20:
Luke 18:20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”
Most people, even non-believers, recognize what Jesus is giving the man – The Ten Commandments. Jesus is using the Law in the way it is intended; to bring about the knowledge of sin. Most logical thinking people would look at this and say,
“I am in a lot of trouble, I have stolen, I have lied, and I have dishonored my parents!”
That is the point of the Law, to convict the world of their sin that they would see their need of the Savior.
But what is this man’s reaction?
Luke 18:21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
Before we move on, do you really think this man has NEVER lied (even a little white lie), has NEVER stolen anything (regardless of its value), and NEVER disobeyed his parents in even the smallest way?!?!?
At this point we should recognize that Jesus didn’t give him all 10 of the 10 commandments, he only gave him 5.
How does Jesus respond? Does He say, “Come on!! You have NEVER told a lie?!?!”
No, Jesus moves on by exposing His sin, which is the point of the “strategy”!! Remember, the man wanted to know how to inherit eternal life and Jesus is showing him. Showing a man how to inherit eternal life begins with the knowledge and severity of sin; let’s take a look:
Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
What was the man’s reaction?
Luke 18:23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.
In Mark’s account he says:
Mark 10:22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
We do not see any evidence that the man did what Jesus said, and we never hear about this man again. Jesus doesn’t chase him down and plead with him, He simply turns to those still there and says:
Luke 18:24-25 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth 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 person to enter the kingdom of God.”
What commandment was the rich man violating?
THE FIRST ONE!!
Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
The rich man wanted his wealth first and foremost. Jesus essentially said, “give up the god you worship, your wealth.”
The man said, “NO”
The problem was not his wealth, it was the condition of his heart, it was what he was most “affectionate” about – what he desired most, what he wanted above all else; and in this case it was his wealth, wealth was his god.
God DOES NOT take 2nd position to anyone or anything. Notice the last thing John wrote in 1John:
1John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
We must guard against any idol “worship”, whether it is money, hobbies, career, power, family, drugs, alcohol, sports, vacations…anything you make more important than your Creator.
Back to money.
We do not see any evidence that all followers of Jesus have nothing; why do we know this?
We are commanded to be generous; how can we be generous if we have nothing?
In our generosity, it must not be from a stance obligation, but from love:
2Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
We are also commanded to be content:
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Notice also what Hebrews 13:5 said, “Keep your life free from the LOVE OF MONEY”. People often misquote Scripture by saying money is the root of all evil, but that is not what God’s Word says:
1Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Money is needed to help missionaries, support churches, provide for those in need, to take care of your family, etc – so clearly money in and of itself is needed and we should be working for it – the problem emerges when we CRAVE it so much that we wandering away from the faith, the eternal problem emerges when it becomes our god.
Yes, it is likely that Jesus said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” because people become obsessed with it and seek money instead of God.
Giving in secret and giving generously and cheerfully is a great way to guard against the love of money; but ultimately, we must understand what Jesus said at the end of this exchange:
After hearing the seemingly impossible way to inherit eternal life, some asked the question we would have probably asked:
Luke 18:26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus gives the answer:
Luke 18:27 But He said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
It is impossible with man because left to ourselves we would continue serving our gods (money, sex, power, drugs, relationships, etc.) – but when the Son sets you free you are free indeed. When the Blood of Jesus sets you free you are now free to NOT SIN, you are FREE to lay down your idols.
The question then becomes, what is Jesus asking you to lay down? Keep the King in His rightful place, priority one. It is not that career, family, hobbies, etc are in and of themselves bad, it is that they should NEVER take the rightful place of the King.
Amen!