The text this morning is from the Gospel according to Mark, the tenth chapter:
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”Thus far the text.
My dear friends in Christ,
Last week, we talked about the rich, young ruler who was told to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Specifically, we also said that the text isn’t about giving up all you have to follow Jesus, but that it was about giving up your idolatry, giving up what stands between you and your salvation. And this is true. Our text today continues actually right on with this thought.
After the rich man goes away sad, Jesus says that it will be difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. And then, He actually repeats Himself and clarifies it, even though it’s not often translated into English. He says that those who love wealth will have difficulty entering the kingdom of God. In fact, it would be like trying to thread a camel through the eye of a needle.
But, before we explore the difficulty of doing it, we should figure out what it means to say “the kingdom of God.” A lot of times we think this means heaven, as in the place where people go when they die. I guess that could be true, but that’s not really it. Our Small Catechism talks about the kingdom of God in the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Thy kingdom come: God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.
Notice it talks about the fact that it’s coming but not what it is. Jesus talks a lot about the kingdom of God, that’s it’s here, that it’s coming, that it’s in their midst. The kingdom of God is something which is to come and something which is also here. The kingdom is more than the heavenly realm that we go to as we await the day of resurrection. The kingdom of God is the rule and authority of God, a kingdom of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It is a time to come, in which we shall all dwell with our Lord in the time when He comes to remake the heavens and the earth. And it is a time now when we gather together, doing the work of God, and receiving His gifts, even as He feeds us with Word and Sacrament.
So, if it’s hard for a man who loves his wealth to enter into such a thing, why would that be? It’s because, again, his wealth stands between him and true peace and joy, between him and the rule of God. When one has wealth, they tend to have power, and when one has power, it’s hard to give up that power for the sake of deferring to God. Wealth corrupts just as power does. And it’s hard then to get into the kingdom of God, to enjoy what God has to give, when you are tempted away with the things of the flesh.
Why did the disciples react in such a way? Who then can be saved, they asked. The reason for this is because they thought, as many do today, that God was super-blessing the wealthy, giving them material gain because of particular favor He had for them. If the super-blessed couldn’t get into the kingdom, they thought, then what chance do we have?
And that’s actually a good question, because they answer is not a single chance. You have no chance of getting into the kingdom of God, because you’re a sinner. You love things more than you love God. You put your trust in things that are not our Lord. You cannot get into heaven. You can’t do it.
But God can. You can’t do it; it’s impossible, Jesus says. But God can do it, for all things are possible in Him. But then Peter open his mouth, his big, fat mouth. He can’t help himself. Peter thought he was so cool, saying that he and the other apostles had given up everything, just like Jesus told the rich man to do. See, Lord, we did this. We gave it all up, now God is going to let us in, right?
Jesus kind of turns the tables on Peter by telling him that, yes, he and others gave up a lot, but they’ll receive it back a hundredfold, making them even more rich than they thought. And not only that, but they’ll receive it through persecutions. Basically what Jesus is doing here is giving them both a burden of the law, and at the same time a wonderful promise of the Gospel. In one way, if you’re depending on yourself and what you’ve given up, you’ll get more and it’ll be even more difficult for you. But, if you give up what you have, through persecution, for the sake of the Gospel, you’ll find you never lost anything, but gained it all.
If you depend on what you bring to the table, whether it’s by what you have, or what you’ve given up, good luck getting into the kingdom of God. You’re depending on you, and you, by your own power, can’t do it. But, if you rely upon the Lord, you not only will enter the kingdom of God, but you will also gain what you lost, and inherit everlasting life.
Money and wealth and riches will not necessarily keep you from God. They might, but there is nothing inherently evil in them. It is the love of money that is the root of evil. It is the love of wealth that leads you to rely on your power. When we set up these idols around us, entering the kingdom of God becomes impossible, because, instead of the peace and joy of the Spirit, we find consternation, battles, litigation. Instead of the love of the brothers, we find them taken advantage of. Instead of being fed on Word and Sacrament, they will seek to fill their bellies with their own food and desires.
It’s not stuff that keeps us away from God, it’s our turning that stuff into idols. That is why we must work to give up our love of idols and seek after the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And where may that be found? Right here. Right where He has promised to be. Right where He tells us to look. Look to the font, look to the lectern, the pulpit, look to the altar. In all those places, you will find God threaded into water, you’ll find God threaded into His Words of forgiveness, you’ll find God threaded into bread and wine. It’s easier for a camel to be threaded into an eye of a needle than the rich to inherit the kingdom. How much harder, then, is it to thread God into words? Into water? Into a book? Into bread and wine?
With man, this is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God. Therefore, trusting in His means of grace, we find our Jesus waiting to bring the kingdom of God to us. And He does this day. You are in the kingdom, and it is still coming, each and every time you gather to hear and eat and remember. God has brought you to His kingdom, He’s brought His kingdom to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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