RICHES AND THE KINGDOM
Opening Prayer
My King, open my heart to focus on eternity today.
Read Mark 10:17–31
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Footnotes:
a Mark 10:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
b Mark 10:24 Some manuscripts is for those who trust in riches
New International Version (NIV)
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Reflect
Remember today that this life is not all there is. Indeed, the best is still to come.The man who approaches Jesus here would be considered an ideal candidate for membership of most local churches – he is enthusiastic (17), highly moral (18–20) and very wealthy (22). Yet Jesus sees that money is his god, and when challenged to give up his wealth he sadly turns away.
Wealth is not wrong in itself, but it can easily become our master, the reason it is hard for rich people to follow Jesus wholeheartedly (23). This causes the disciples to wonder, because it seems to set the bar of discipleship very high, indeed too high. “Who then can be saved?” they ask (24–26).
A person can only respond to the claims of Christ if God makes them willing to do so. This seems to be the meaning behind verse 27. Even discipleship is an impossibility without the grace of God.
For those who have left everything to follow Jesus there is the confident assurance of blessing now, and in the age to come (28–30). In the kingdom of God, status is reversed, and different values operate. Those who are considered “something” in the world are relegated; those who are “nothing” are exalted (31).
Apply
Think about your value system. How much value do you place on wealth and material possessions? How free are you to give generously and to share ungrudgingly what you have?
Closing prayer
Jesus, it’s so easy to hold onto possessions as if they were really mine, not a gift from You. Teach me to value what You value.
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