“And Jesus . . . saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! . . . But Jesus answereth again . . . how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10: 23-24 KJV).
Most people won’t admit it, but money is more trouble than it’s worth. The poor have their problems, but the rich encounter as much and sometimes more trouble than the poor, and their money is the cause of their problems. And some people are so poor the only thing they have is money.
For some people money is everything. Because money has power and has a name of deity (Mammon), people love and worship money. The only power Mammon has is purchasing power. It can purchase just about anything but can not purchase one’s redemption (Ps. 49: 6, 7; 1 Peter 1: 18, 19).
The love of money eventually gets people into deep trouble. The “love of money” or covetousness corrupts because it is “the root of all evil.” (1 Tim. 6: 10).
Some people want riches so they can have a sense of security, though it is in all respects a false sense of security. One of the most dangerous things to have is riches. No one gets to keep their money beyond the grave. And many lose all their money in this life. Money can sprout wings like an eagle and fly away (Prov. 23: 4, 5).
Riches don’t bring happiness. King Solomon was the richest man that ever lived, but he hated his life and work (Ecc. 2: 17, 18). People are in pursuit of happiness, and because they are seeking happiness through things, they must pursue money to purchase them. But if we gained the whole world, we still would not be happy or content because all our possessions can not fill the God-shaped void in our heart that only Jesus can fill.
The rich man who could not part from his riches and follow Jesus (vs.17-22) prompted Jesus to make these statements. It’s hard to part with that which we see with our eyes to have what we see only by faith. It’s hard to let go of something we can feel in our hands to receive something we can feel only in our hearts.
In what way are you rich?
