RICH MEN AND CAMELS

"Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." -- Matthew 19:23-24, KJV

This is one of the remarkable sayings of Jesus. It highlights the absolute necessity of Divine involvement in salvation--particularly that of a rich man. The reason for the hardness of the matter is that a rich man has more of himself tied to this world. It is particularly important to ponder this at this time.

The Christian world is experiencing a wave of emphasis on financial prosperity. While the Lord is surely able to cause us to prosper in this world's goods, at no point is any child of God every admonished to seek such a thing. In fact, with amazing consistency, we are warned against such a quest.

Riches are like a gigantic octopus that can take hold on a soul, dragging it down to perdition. Paul put it this way, "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrow" (1 Tim 6:9-10). It is clear the Spirit is not speaking about unregenerate people seeking riches. For those who are not born again, riches are not the problem, but unbelief. The text tells us of people who, while they were pursuing riches, "strayed from the faith"–they were believers! They also fell, or stumbled, into foolish and harmful desires that pull men down into condemnation. "All kinds of evil" accompanies a quest for riches. These conditions prompted our Lord's remark about the difficulty of a rich man being saved.

Some have suggested "a needle's eye" was a particular mountain pass through which camels often had to journey. In order to get through the pass, all of their packs had to be removed. The explanation sounds good to a novice, but is not what our Lord was saying.

Jesus is affirming the IMPOSSIBILITY of a rich man being saved without God and Himself. This is also true of anyone who is saved, as indicated by the disciples response. "A rich man," by Scriptural standards, is not necessarily a millionaire. It is someone who has no need. He is able tear down his old barns, so to speak, and build new ones. A large number of people in the Western culture fall into this category.

When Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God," His disciples replied, "Who then can be saved?" They knew their Lord was talking about impossibilities, from the earth's point of view. They thought Jesus had shut the door of salvation to all men. It registered upon their souls that if what Jesus said was true, there was no hope for anyone–at least not from a human or fleshly point of view.

Christ's response confirms they had understood Him correctly. "With men THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE, but with God all things are possible." Candidly, it appears to me that men approach salvation too simplistically. "Just receive Jesus into your hearts," I hear people say. "Jesus will take you just as you are," some say, while others ask people to "repeat this simple prayer." Indeed, there is an element of truth to what they have said–but it is only an element. Simplistic directions like this do not leave the inquirer with a strong sense of the utter impossibility of salvation with God. It is ONLY "with God" that "all things (including salvation) are possible."

When the knowledge of this bursts upon the human spirit, it moves the person away from casual and haphazard approaches to the Living God. Those perceiving this truth will find it difficult to put off obeying the Gospel. They will entertain no interest in brevity, short explanations, and pleasant little counseling sessions in the back room.

Perhaps if people started their walk with God with more of a consciousness of these things, fewer of them would be exiting from the back doors of the average church. Those in the grip of this conviction would be more insistent upon being fed the good word of God, and would be less satisfied with what is being served up from the average pulpit.

Thank God for a salvation that is possible with God! Praise His holy name for informing us of the impotency of flesh, and the absolute necessity of the arm of the Lord. How sweet the message that casts us upon the Lord! Such faith will be richly rewarded. Those who see the need for the Lord, will experience Him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for making salvation possible.

-- Monday: KNOWING THE LORD --