"And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."
Although it appears that today's lesson is about how being rich affects the chances of a persons salvation, actually it is not. This lesson is about faith in Jesus Christ and the benefits of that faith as it concerns both the material and spiritual wealth of those who believe.
After telling the "ruler" that he must give up all he owned in order to inherit eternal life, Jesus said; "it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."
Jesus knew the ruler, as well as most "rich" people, had more faith in his on material wealth than he did in God and would probably never give up that wealth fearing he would never get it back.
In the latter part of this lesson, after Peter said he and the others had left all and devoted themselves entirely to Him, Jesus said; "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."
Jesus promised that all who devoted themselves to Him, as Peter and the other Apostles had by abandoning all else while having absolute faith in God to provide, that they would have material wealth "manifold" or multiple times what they enjoyed before they surrendered themselves to Christ, and, they would have the assurance of eternal life.
The problem the "ruler" had was that he had no faith in God to restore the wealth he would have necessarily abandoned to follow Christ.
That same problem exists among many "rich" people today. Even knowing that Jesus promised to return their wealth many times over, they do not have faith enough to let go and do His will.
Jesus promised those of us who are saved, including the materially rich, that He would give us what ever we asked, so long as we ask in faith.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)~
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