The Rich and the Kingdom of Heaven

Today's Reflections 

 

                            

The Rich and the Kingdom of Heaven

Mt 19:23-30

²³Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” ²⁷Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” ²⁸Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

It will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is neither condemning the rich nor tolerating the poor. He is saying, rather, that discipleship is a matter of detaching oneself from the things of this world, of selling what we have and giving it to the poor and following him. In this regard, the rich among us have a lot of material things to give up and to share with others. But the poor could give even more generously and freely as the poor widow has shown (cf Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4). God will reward our generosity.

Not only is discipleship about detachment. It is also about discipline. And so while everyone is invited to enter the kingdom of God, Jesus warns that the way will not be easy. Material things will fetter us to this world unless we guard our hearts and keep our eyes firmly locked on the reward that will be ours in this life and in the one we will share with Jesus and the Father.

“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desires and his disposition live and reign there”

 

(St. John Eudes, The Life and Reign of Jesus in Christian Souls)