Daily Bread

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’

Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated 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 children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

It's not wealth itself that is the problem, per se, but the human interpretation of wealth.

Back in first century Palestine, wealth was interpreted as a blessing from God — in fact the two were inseparable — and therefore wealth was a guarantee of blessing in the life to come. Jesus, again, disrupted social norms by saying that wealth and God's blessing were not directly connected, and that one could not rely on wealth as such a sign. This is why the disciples were greatly astounded? If those who are wealthy weren't blessed, well, who was?

The point is that the blessing we receive from God is not based on anything we say or do in this life — it is God's gift to give to us. It is impossible to work our way into God's kingdom based on our own merit, and to try and do so is akin to getting a camel to go through the eye of a needle!

Jesus then assured his disciples that even if you have nothing, given up stuff, or lost out because of your faith, then you will be assured of your place in God's kingdom and be an heir to God's inheritance. Those who are considered to be the least or last in this world will be the first in God's kingdom.

Of course, wealth and the accumulation of possessions can lead us into a false sense of security and to think we don't need God, but some of the greatest witnesses of the faith are those who are wealthy and yet humbly and generously follow God.

The bottom line is that we are called to trust in Jesus and to place our lives into God's hands. Today, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, give thanks to God that God has given you the gift of life here and now and forever.

Holy God
Thank you that you chose me
and gave me the gift of life.
May my heart be full of gratitude
and my my joy be evident to all
as I seek to serve you
and be the blessing to the world
that you have called me to be.
Today and forever.