You Cannot Serve God and Money

Read Matthew 19:16-30

      The title for today is from the Sermon on the Mount, thirteen chapters previous to today’s passage.  But this passage is a demonstration of the principle.    

      Jesus challenged the rich young man to “sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (19:21).  But he couldn’t bring himself to do it – he was rich, after all.  It was one thing for fishermen of modest means to give up all, but him?  Well . . .    

      Jesus went on to explain that worldly wealth is an obstacle to the kind of total surrender required of his disciples.  In fact, it is impossible for the wealthy to be saved apart from the miraculous working of God himself, who is able to transform affections and loyalties from wealth to Jesus, from here to the hereafter. 

      Hardly anyone admits to being “rich,” even when they are by any reasonable global or historical standard.  But we have all needed God’s miraculous “heart surgery” to transfer our affections from stuff to Jesus, and from this world to the next.