Matthew 19:16-26
24 Yes, I tell you that 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.” 25 When Jesus’ followers heard this, they were very surprised and asked, “Then who can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For people this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
Did you know that South-Africa is known for its extreme inequality in incomes? It is one of the biggest gaps in the world! 10% of the entire population earns 55%-60% of the entire income of SA. Wow! That’s some rough math right there.
This story of the rich young man is quite a challenging one. The rich young man is someone who has followed all ten of the commandments, but he still doesn’t feel like a true believer. This is why he asks Jesus if there isn’t something more he can do to get into heaven. Jesus tells him that he must go home and sell all of his belongings and give the money to the poor. Come follow him!
It really upset the rich young man because he owned a lot of stuff and he really loved them. But was Jesus saying that to own stuff is bad? No! Jesus wanted to show him that he had his priorities all wrong – he loves his stuff more than he loves God. There is nothing that you could ever do to earn your spot in heaven. All there is, is to love God. Really love God.
Prioritise your life
Prayer: Lord, thank you that you love me. Thank you that all you ask in return, is my love. Help me to prioritise my life so that you always come out on top and give the rest of my life meaning.
Challenge: Make a list of all the important parts and things in your life. Now rearrange that list so that God is on top, and that the rest of the list supports that.
