“Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! ” But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:23-24‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

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Can you hear the disciples talking to each other?


“Wait, Jesus,” said Peter, “His wealth could help us in supplying meals and paying our taxes.”


“You would not have to work so hard feeding the 5,000 next time Jesus,” said James.


“The money bag would be full if he was to join our caravan,” chimed in Judas.


“Yes but we have no need of his money,” interrupted Jesus!


The disciples were still too busy marveling at the fact that Jesus just let this rich young ruler walk away and they missed Jesus' next statement. 


“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:23‬b ‭ESV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/59/mrk.10.23.esv


Everyone looks around to others for those who are rich, the poor look the middle class, the middle class looks up to the rich class. the rich look to the super-rich and the super-rich look to the very super-rich. But in the end, it will boil down to who the bible says is rich.


“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real.”

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭6:17-19‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/1ti.6.17-19.hcsb


So who are rich in this present age? Those of us who have more than one package coming from Amazon or Walmart in this holiday season!


Why is it so hard for us to enter the kingdom of God? We tend to trust in our wealth to supply our needs rather than God. Most of us will live paycheck to paycheck. And God commands us to give up 10% of it to His work. So then we have to trust God to give us enough to live off the other 90%.


““Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! ” You ask: “How do we rob You? ” “By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you — the whole nation — are still robbing Me. Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭3:8-11‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/mal.3.8-11.hcsb


“No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:24‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.6.24.hcsb


How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! instead, let us give it to God and let Him bless us with the wealth we need to continue to live for Him!


“Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, “Who is the Lord? ” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭30:8-9‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/pro.30.8-9.hcsb


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