Jesus declared, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” He then states that 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.
How many Christian today take this verse literally? I can bet at the early church they are strong - poor, persecuted and died for the faith..
Well,
every true Christian with some matureness I have met in Scandinavia + on (business) travels have taken this verse - as the other verses in our Bible - litterally. It is hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God, in fact as inpossible as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. However,
it’s equal impossible for a poor man to enter into the Kingdom of God! It’s neighter a man’s wealth nor his poorness that make this possible - it’s the Lord!
Every text - Biblicals included - have a
context, and ignoring this often gives the most "interesting" conclutions. The verse refered to is Mark 10,25 and
one single sentence before - Mark 10,24B - Jesus says (my italic, of course): Children, how hard is it
for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God"! Jesus had just spoken to a man (Matthew states a young man 19,22) who ran to Him, kneeled for Him and asked: “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Jesus tells him: “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.” Same Law prescribed for him as everyone else, no more and no less. However this man tells (my italic again): “Master,
all these have I observed from my youth.” A really respectable man, honouring God and His commands, absolutely no man disrespecting everything and everyone. Jesus then put this self-statement to a test: “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” He telles because that was a requirement for his disiples? Not at all, John - the disiple Jesus loved in a special way -
also was a rich man and from a familiy having straight acces to the high priest’s yard (as we know used the night before Good Friday) - and he was never told this. Jesus want to show this man who have “observed [all these] from my youth” that he hasn’t and hasn't understand God's commands at all! Instead of kneeling in fromt of Jesus and ask for help “went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” -
and those possessions was more important to him than Jesus! To John, to Phoebe, and to other persons it was straight opposite.
Straigt after Mark 10,25 the disiples first ask “who then can be saved” and Jesus tells them “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”Salvation is impossible for man - rich and poor, Jew or Gentile, strong, or week, man or woman, sick or healty - but EVERTYTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE for God. Thus salvation is open for everyone - but they all first need to find the well of salvation - Jesus at Calvary - and kneel there!
The early church - those truly belonged to this church - were strong - poor, persecuted and died for the faith. The church of 2021 is basically equal! Yes, the early chuch became more tested about this than the church of 2021 when talking about Europe and (still even more) US, In His mercy God have given these local churches less harsh conditions than the churckes Paul, Peter and John adress their letters to, but basically: The TRUE church grow when God sends chilly storm from NE and harsh conditions, but fell asleep when He sends chilly breeze from south and 25 degrees Celcius! Why: Deuteronomy 33,25B. (And here one basically - seen from man - have the explaination why the true Chuch grew in Russia and Eastern Europe 1945-1990, but fell asleep in Western Europe and the US! Today we can observe exactly the same in other parts of the World!)
The better conditones mankind is given from God, the more mankind forgets His creator and get the idea that HE can do. Anyone beeing/having been parents knows that the possible total collapse is never as close as when an irritated toddler insist that that he/she manage to handle (this part of) his/her life completly alone, and is going to do exactly that.