PT-7 "The Poverty of Riches" (Matt. 19:23-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/24/2023 9:50 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-7 “The Poverty of Riches”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matt. 19:23-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

 

            We will begin with the highlighted verse (v-25) and talk about that first of all in this SD.  You see at this time of history the Jewish people were taught that riches was a big part of entering into the kingdom of God, and I suppose that is why the Jewish leaders looked down their noses at those who were poor, and there were many poor people in Israel at that time.  The disciples were taught this and that is why in astonishment that they asked the Lord "Then who can be saved?"  You may remember that when we studied one of the gospels that I commented on the seven trumpet like (offering plates, for lack of a better description), that hung in a certain part of the temple in which people would put their money in them.  I suppose the scribes and Pharisees loved to have people around them when they put all their coins in them, making a lot of noise. 

 

            Now we see Jesus teaching that wealth was actually a serious barrier to the kingdom was diametrically contrary to everything that the Jews were taught at this time.  It was a great shock to the disciples, and I suppose to Judas especially.  That again is why the disciples asked our Lord "Then who can be saved?"  Perhaps the disciples thought that in the kingdom that they would be rich in material things, but the truth is that they would be rich, but not in material things but in spiritual things as they would eventually sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

 

            Now we want to talk about what Jesus said after this found in verse 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”  This is the answer to their quest "Then who can be saved?"   John MacArthur writes:  “Just as it is not merely difficult but impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, it is not merely difficult but impossible for men to please the Lord and come into His kingdom on their own terms and by their own efforts.  In one simple declaration, Jesus utterly destroyed the current perspective in the religion of Israel and, at the same time, all hope in works-righteousness.  Whatever his material possessions and earthly accomplishment, every person stands totally helpless and powerless before God.  He stands condemned before a righteous God, and in his depraved nature he can do nothing to make himself holy and worthy of God’s forgiveness and acceptance.  With that statement Jesus swept all religions of human achievement and works-righteousness into hell.  Left to any work of man, salvation is impossible.”

 

            Now we want to look at the statement “But with God all things are possible,” and talk about that.  Jesus is saying that because God is able to change sinful hearts, it is possible for Him to save helpless men.  The truth is that God can do what men cannot do.  Going back to the rich young ruler remember that he went away without eternal life, and the reason was because he sought it on the impossible basis of his own human resources and goodness, but when I think about that I am reminded of what Paul wrote to the Romans in 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  MacArthur adds “Salvation is entirely a gracious and sovereign work of God, and the work of His human witness is simply to proclaim the full truth of the gospel as clearly and lovingly as possible and to rely on God to apply that truth to an unbeliever’s heart and bring him to recognize his spiritual bankruptcy and come to repentance and obedient faith.  Although repentance and faith require an act of human will, they are prompted by the power of God.

 

            “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him,’ Jesus said (John 6:44).  That is why Paul admonished that “the Lord’s bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will’ (2 Tim. 2:24-26).”  With this we conclude this first section of Matthew 19:23-29, and I look forward to beginning the next section from verses 27-29 which MacArthur entitles “The Riches of Poverty.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I am going through this section from Matthew 19, I can’t help to think about walking with the Lord is very similar to being saved.  I think this verse can explain what I am talking about:  “6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (Col. 2:6).  Now I want to also look at Eph. 2:10 “10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Now let me try to explain.  According to Colossians 2:6 I am to walk in the same way that I was saved, and that is by grace through faith, and then according to Eph. 2:10 I am to do the things that God has called me to do before the foundations of the earth.  I can only do them through the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  The main point of this is that God will receive all the glory for my salvation and my walk with the Lord doing what He has called me to do as seen in Eph. 2:10.  It is not about me doing things in the flesh, but me doing things that He has called me to do in the power of His Spirit.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I want to do the things that God has called me to do through the power of His Spirit.

 

3/24/2023 10:34 AM

 

 

           

 

 

PT-6 "The Poverty of Riches" (Matt. 19:23-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/23/2023 8:53 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-6 “The Poverty of Riches”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Matthew 19:23-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

 

            The following is not what Jesus is teaching here:  He is not teaching how hard it is for rich people to get unhooked from their riches and bow their knees to Him in humble faith.  What He is saying is how impossible it is for them or for anyone else to be saved by self-effort of any kind.  So what He is saying in effect is the same thing God said through the Mosaic law, and that is that it was humanly impossible to live up to a single one of the Ten Commandments or to the two great commandments that are found in both Leviticus 19:18; and Deut. 5:6 and then repeated by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39.  Both the Ten Commandments and also what is found in the verses we have just mentioned were there to show people the impossibility of keeping those laws.  I want to quote from Matt. 22:37-39 and comment on it a little:  “37 And He said to him, "’YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’”  I probably have mentioned this in other SD’s but as I look at what Jesus is saying as He repeats the greatest law is first of all it reminds me of the cross as the first law of loving God is the veridical piece of the cross going up to God and the second is the horizontal as we love those around us.  These two laws also speak of the two parts of the Ten Commandments as the first part speak of our responsibility to God and the last six represent our responsibility to people.  As we look at these laws we certainly can come to the conclusion that Salvation has always been impossible by human effort.

 

            Let us now look at what Paul wrote to the Romans in 3:19-20 “19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”  I have one more verse that Paul wrote to the Romans that also gives a function of the Law, and this one may surprise you a bit:  “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” (Rom. 5:20).

 

            John MacArthur writes:  “Jesus declared that all works-righteousness, which is the basis of every manmade religion, is worthless, affirming what Jeremiah had written hundreds of years earlier:  ‘Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?  Then you also can do good who are accustomed to do evil’ (Jer. 13:23).  Every human being since the Fall is by nature ‘accustomed to do evil’ and therefore unable to do good in any way that is acceptable to God.  No one can save himself any more than he can change the color of his skin or that a leopard can change his spots.

 

            “Jesus was not separating out the rich as being more inherently far from the kingdom than other people but was pointing out that their riches on the one hand were a formidable barrier and on the other hand that their money gave them no advantage at all, though they might be able to buy more sacrifices, give more alms, and make more offerings at the Temple.”

 

            I think that it is true that wealthy have the tendency to be selfish and self-centered.  In many cases the rich spend their time in enlarging, protecting, and enjoying what they have, and consequently they have little time or concern for the interests or welfare of others.  MacArthur tells the following story:  “I once talked with a man who had worked for several multimillionaires.  He said that they had three things in common:  they not only were rich but were capable of getting even richer, they were eccentric, and they were extremely selfish and self- centered.  Although there were exceptions, those characteristics are generally universal.  Like the self-indulgent rich man who was oblivious to the diseased and destitute Lazarus who laid outside his gate hoping to have a few table crumbs (Luke 16:20-31), the wealthy are inclined to be interested only in themselves.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that one of the things that are seen between the lines of these verses we are looking at is not to have your money own you but use your money to bring glory to the Lord.  Money cannot control you or you will be in trouble spiritually.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to be a good steward of the things that God has entrusted me with, and be thankful.

 

3/23/2023 9:33 AM

 

           

 

           

PT-5 "The Poverty of Riches" (Matt. 19:23-26)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/22/2023 9:09 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-5 “The Poverty of Riches”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matt. 19:23-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

 

            I want to begin with another story found in the book of Luke, 12:16-21 to illustrate again how the rich are really in poverty:  “16  And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 "Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 ‘And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  As I was listening to the sermon that goes along with these verses in Matthew 19 John MacArthur answered the question “what shall I do” by stating that he could have given some of his crops that he had stored to the poor, something that would have been a much better idea.

 

            MacArthur writes “Every possession a person has is by the provision of God and ought to be used to His glory.  Even Christians run the danger of being sidetracked and trapped by their possessions, giving to God only what remains after they have accumulated what they want and fulfilled their own plans.

           

            MacArthur goes on:  “All that may explain why it is so hard for the rich to enter God’s kingdom but why it is impossible is a completely different issue—and is the whole point here.

 

            “The young ruler was not a denouncer of Christ but a seeker who wanted eternal life, who wanted kingdom citizenship.  But the flaw was that he thought he himself had the resources to procure it.  That is the point here.”

 

            Mark has a parallel account of this story and in that Jesus makes clear that the impossibility of enter the kingdom by any humanly devised or empowered means extends to everyone, not just the rich.  Here is what we learn from Mark and that is after the disciples expressed amazement about His statement concerning the wealthy, Jesus then said “The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!”  We once again want to talk about the rich young ruler’s problem, which was not totally about his money, but he did think that his wealth and his own ability would get him into the kingdom.  However Jesus said it is so hard for anyone to get saved on his own terms and by his own efforts that it is absolutely impossible.  The poorest of the poor had no better chance to gain eternal life by their own efforts at being righteous on their own, as that is impossible for a person has to have the very righteousness of God and that can only come through the death of Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world and that is only available when a person realizes that he is a sinner and can do nothing on his own to earn eternal life, but throws himself on the mercy of God who has made it possible by sending His Son to pay for our sins, but we have to admit we are a sinner, and then accept what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Repentance is a part, a big part of receiving eternal life, as that must come along with accepting the free gift through Jesus Christ.

 

3/22/2023 9:41 AM 

PT-4 "The Poverty of Riches" (Matt. 19:23-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/21/2023 8:04 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-4 “The Poverty of Riches”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matt. 19:23-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

 

            One of the problems with those who are rich is because they have great material resources; they tend to imagine they do not require divine resources. The Apostle Paul therefore told Timothy to “instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17).  There is more that Paul has to say about this subject:  “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed” (vv. 18-19).

 

            Paul is actually telling Timothy to go about talking to the rich that he is witnessing to to do it in the same way that Jesus did with the rich young ruler. For if a person prefers his earthly fortune to the lordship of Jesus Christ, his heart is not prepared for salvation, just as the rich young ruler’s heart was not prepared for salvation.  “Having the willingness to give up everything for the Lord will not in itself save them, but it demonstrates that they are desperate for salvation and has found the ‘pearl of great price’ for which he will sell all he has if need be” (MacArthur).

 

            Focusing in on the last part of 1Timothy 6:19 we can see “so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”  Life indeed” is certainly more than having riches, but is having eternal life, and we have mentioned that eternal life begins the moment of salvation in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Let us look at some more verses that Paul wrote to Timothy found also in chapter six:  “6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.”  “9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:6, 9-10).

 

            Another problem with those who are very rich is that it is hard for them not to be tied to this world, to their bank accounts, investments, and possessions.  Matthew 6:21 tells us “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  The wealthy usually find it hard, and seemingly unnecessary, to treasure the things of God and that is truly a shame, for the things of God last for eternity unlike the things of this world.  MacArthur writes: “When they hear the gospel, its divine seed frequently falls on thorny hearts that may have an initial response but are full of ‘the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things’ that choke the Word and make it unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19).

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  We have looked at a few of the verses that have to do with money in the Word of God today, and the fact is that the Bible has more to say about money than other important things like love.  If one can understand that they are a steward of the Lord in all the things, that they think they own then the love part of the Bible will be where they can focus on, leading others to salvation.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to continue to help me understand that I am but a steward of the possessions that He has entrusted me with.

 

3/21/2023 8:32 AM

PT-3 "The Poverty of Riches" (Matt. 19:23-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/20/2023 12:45 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                             Focus:  PT-3 “The Poverty of the Rich”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matt. 19:23-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

 

            I think that it is best that before we consider what Jesus meant by saying that it is impossible, we must consider some reasons why it is difficult to enter into the kingdom of heaven.  First thing is that the rich tend to have false security in their riches, and this is because wealth can provide for all physical needs and a great many things beyond needs, the wealthy are inclined to rely on their money to buy whatever they want, so they see little reason to depend on the Lord.  MacArthur adds “That is one reason there are ‘not many wise,…mighty,…noble; but God has chosen the foolish,…weak,…base,…despised’ (1 Cor. 1:26-28).  The poor, on the other hand, became the special objects of and responders to our Lord’s teaching (Luke 4:18).”

 

            It has been a few years ago that I taught through the book of Revelation in our Sunday school class and even more years when I studied Revelation using my Spiritual Diaries, in fact I put my studies of Revelation on my blogs two times.  I have to say that when I became a believe back in 1974 that the Lord used end time prophecy to draw me to Himself.  Ok why am I talking about Revelation when we are studying the 19^th chapter of Matthew?  Well I want to talk about one of the cities that the Lord wrote letters to which is found in the end of the 3^rd chapter of Revelation, a city called Laodicea.  Jesus was very hard on that city.  Let me just quote what He said to them. 

            “14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit (vomit) you out of My mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’’”

 

            It was in the year 60 A.D. that Laodicea was destroyed by and earthquake and so the Roman government told the leaders that they would give them money to rebuild the city.  The leaders stated that they did not want money from the government of Rome as they would take care of it by themselves, which is what they did.  Nowfast forward to 90 A. D. which is probably the year that the church of Laodicea received this letter from the Lord and perhaps you can see why this church was arrogant thinking that they need nothing.  This church follows the name of what the Lord is telling His disciples in Matthew 19:23-26, that is “The Poverty of the Rich.”  These people thought they were in need of nothing because they were rich, and Jesus tells them that because of their richness they were spiritually very poor, in fact Jesus has nothing good to say to this church, one of only two churches He wrote to in Revelation 2-3.  I believe that the churches in Revelation chapters 2-3 are in prophetic order that is that they all go downhill in their spirituality.  It was in the early 1900’s that the major churches spirituality is that of Laodicea. This is the what many of the churches in our country and world are like today, that is “The Poverty of Riches.”  Not all churches are like this as I also believe that each church listed in Revelation 2-3 are seen in the world today. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Spiritual richness is head and shoulders about physical riches.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Last night in our annual business meeting for our church the man in charge of the budget showed a series of slides and one of them showed that the majority of people in our church gave only $2000.00 for the entire year.  I think that this totaled less than $30,000 for the year.  Our budget is over a million dollars a year and so the majority is truly not holding up their own weight as far as giving.  I will not say where our giving was as husband and wife but to say it was certainly not in the majority.  I believe that the Lord owns everything and that we are stewards of what He has entrusted us with.

 

3/20/2023 1:19 PM

PT-2 "The Poverty of Riches" (Matt. 19:23-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/19/2023 8:21 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus: PT-2 “The Poverty of Riches”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matt. 19:23-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “23 And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

 

            We have talked in earlier SD’s as we were studying Matthew that our Lord had repeatedly emphasized that following Him required willingness to sacrifice everything a person had, and this included economic, personal, social, and all else.  Matthew 10:37-39 tells us “37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38  "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39  "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”  The truth is that a person must desire salvation more than anything else, so that no sacrifice is too great to make for Christ’s sake. We see this truth in Matt. 7:14 “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.”

 

            MacArthur writes “Duskolos (hard) is used in the New Testament only here and in the parallel synoptic accounts (Mark 10:23; Luke 18:24).  Jesus went on to explain that, as far as a rich man entering the kingdom of heaven is concerned, hard is equivalent to impossible:  “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

 

            “This expression easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle was a Jewish colloquialism for the impossible.  It was probably a modified form of a Persian expression for impossibility, “easier for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle,” that is quoted in the Talmud.  Being the largest animal known in Palestine, the camel was substituted for the elephant.”

 

            There are some who have used this quote to say that it is impossible for the rich to become believers, and that is certainly not the case for many rich people have become believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and have come to salvation through Him.  This being said they make up stories to show that a camel can go through the eye of a needle, and one case is that if a camel is put into a blender that the camel could go through the eye of a needle one drop at a time.  Others have stated that there was a place in Jerusalem called the Needle’s Eye and that is what Jesus is talking about.  Why would a person want to put a camel through that place when down the road there was a place that easily could bring a camel into the city? 

 

            We will end with another quotation from MacArthur’s commentary:  “Other scholars have suggested that scribal error changed the Greek word kamilos (a large rope or cable) into kamilos (a camel).  But a large rope would also be impossible to thread through the eye of a needle.  More than that, it is hard to conceive that the scribes who made copies from the original manuscript all made the same mistake and made it in all three gospel accounts.”  

 

            I am going with the word impossible and we will talk more about it in our next SD.

 

3/19/2023 8:47 AM

PT-1 "The Poverty of Riches" (Matt. 19:23-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/18/2023 8:47 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT- “The Poverty of Riches”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Matthew 19:23-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “23  And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" 26 And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

 

            We begin this section of verses, which may take us a while, by looking at the expression “Truly I say to you.”  This was a common Jewish figure of speech used to introduce a teaching of great importance.  It carried the idea of, “Now I want you to pay close attention to what I am about to say.”  Now the important truth Jesus wanted to convey here to His disciples at this particular time was that, as they had just seen tragically illustrated by the rich young ruler it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

            I think that from this part of verse 23 that I understand why John MacArthur entitled this section “The Poverty of Riches.”  I once heard from a pastor, as he was making a point about rich people he stated the in the magazine “Forbs” where they list the ten most wealthy people in the United States each year that many times none of the people are on that list two years in a row, so riches come and riches go, but knowing the Lord as Savior and Lord never will change and that is the richest thing a person can have, for after all He is the One who created this world some six plus thousands years ago, and He is the One who keeps it going.

 

            John MacArthur writes “The kingdom of heaven refers to the sphere of God’s gracious rule and, as is clear from the fact that Jesus uses both in the same statement, is synonymous with the kingdom of God.  By interestamental times, heaven had become a common Jewish substitute term for the covenant name of God (Yahweh, Jehovah), which they preferred not to speak.  In this context the terms are also synonymous with eternal life, which the rich young ruler was seeking (v. 16), and therefore with salvation.  Following up on the incident of that young man, whose wealth was for him and impenetrable barrier to receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, Jesus explained to the Twelve the eternal danger of trusting in material possessions.”

 

            Living in the USA all of my life I can understand how riches can cause a true believer to go off course in seeking to follow the Lord.  One must remember that riches come and go, and that the things that you consider to be riches are something that you, as a believer, are just stewards of as the Lord own everything, and one day, which could be a thousand and seven days away this earth will burn up as Peter tells us.  Let me just quote from 2 Peter chapter 3 to show you what Peter’s line of thought was when he wrote it.  “9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”  stoicheion stoy-khi’-on  This is the Greek word that is translated “elements” and the meaning of it is basic building block.  Atoms are the basic building block and no one knows what holds the atom together, and I can say that it is God who holds them together and one day He will let them loose and when that happens the heavens will pass away with a roar.  Everyone’s material riches will pass away at that time.

 

3/18/2023 9:17 AM