What Jesus Did : Luke 18:24-25 - The Danger of Riches
by Phil Ware
The Danger of Riches - Luke 18:24-25
When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said, "It will be very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God! It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!" (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
While material riches can be a great blessing and can be used to bless many in need and to do great things for the Kingdom, they can also be a trap to many of us. The Gospel of Luke lets us hear Jesus teach repeatedly about the danger of riches. Jesus' point here is that riches can be an incredible danger to the heart of believers. This young man is the living example of this danger. As the apostle Paul warned, greed and a desire for riches can become idolatry and destroy us. Let's make sure that every area of our lives, including our use of wealth, is yielded to the Lordship of Jesus.
Today's Prayer
Father, thank you for your many rich blessings. Help me use these blessings to your glory. I do not want anything to interfere with my total devotion to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
A {Jewish} leader asked Jesus, "Good teacher, what must I do to get the life that continues forever?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good. {But I will answer your question.} You know {God's} commands: 'You must not do the sin of adultery, you must not murder anyone, you must not steal anything, you must not tell lies about other people, you must honor (respect) your father and mother….' " But the leader said, "I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy!" When Jesus heard this, he said to the leader, "But there is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give the money to the poor people. You will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me!" But when the man heard this, he was very sad. The man was very rich {and wanted to keep his money.} When Jesus saw that the man was sad, he said, "It will be very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God! It would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God!" When the people heard this, they said, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus answered, "God can do things that are not possible for people to do!" Peter said, "Look, we left everything we had and followed you!" Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. Every person that has left his home, wife, brothers, parents, or children for God's kingdom will get much more than he left. That person will get many times more in this life. And after that person dies, he will live with God forever."-- Luke 18:18-30 (ERV)
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/1027-wjd.html
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