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Amazing Wealth
This summer, children in Saint Peter, Minnesota should finally have been allowed to go out with bare feet.
Matthew 19:16, 21-26, Matthew 6:24, John 14:2
Our devotion today comes from the Book of Matthew, chapter 19. A rich young man who comes to talk to Jesus, and he says,
“Teacher, what good thing should I do that I may have eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16)
And then verse 21, Jesus answered,
Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had many possessions. Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen I tell you: It will be very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell 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.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:21-26)
This summer, children in Saint Peter, Minnesota should finally have been allowed to go out with bare feet. 25 years ago, a tornado came through their town and ripped it up, destroying many, many homes. And there was glass and debris and nails all over the place. And at the time, they said that no children should go barefoot in town for 25 years. The debris from that horrible tornado was found 130 miles away in a town over in Wisconsin, and for quite a while, you could look out into the farm fields and see clothing and broken boards and shingles and garbage strewn all over the place. Farmers would find toys way out in the middle of their fields.
It’s interesting how all these things that represent items in people’s lives, and all the time and money that it took to get them, could now just be taken away in such a quick storm.
The context of the story in front of us, where Jesus is talking to this man, is a conversation this man is having about how to get to heaven, and Jesus is able to read his heart and know that he has a great love for his possessions, for his earthly wealth. And so in order to expose his sinfulness inside of him, so that hopefully he would see his need for a Savior. Jesus speaks to him about this, and he says 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. So what Jesus is kind of saying is, if you would like to test your ability to really love God above everything else, imagine if you had to go and give up everything that you possess and give it up to the poor. Think how difficult that would probably be for us.
The challenge for us as Christians is this. That sometimes we sort of lie to ourselves a little bit about how much we love the material things of this world. We can easily convince ourselves, I can go for heaven and for earthly wealth, too. I can sort of chase after both of them. But Jesus warns us, you cannot serve both God and mammon, (Matthew 6:24) but he would have us ask ourselves in what trees are dumpsters or landfill will all of the best riches that we have in this life, where will they be someday? It’s difficult for us to kind of let go of these earthly treasures.
The disciples even say, well, then who can be saved? Who can possibly look at the things of life the way we really should? And Jesus says, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. God alone is the one who, by the Holy Spirit, creates faith in our hearts and gives us a heavenly perspective on the things of this life. And it’s that faith that he works in our hearts, in baptism and through His Word that connects us to His Son and the wonderful forgiveness of sins that he gives us.
Think about how great heaven must be that Jesus could have come down to earth to win for us some wonderful gifts here in this life. But no. Instead he said, I’m going to give you something far better than anything you could ever have here. In my father’s house, he says, there are many mansions, and I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
May God continue to work faith in our hearts, that we turn our back on all of the material blessings of this life, and rather through faith in our Savior, look forward to the beautiful home that he has prepared for us, and someday we will see what amazing wealth that truly is. Amen.
