Money

Dear brothers and sisters,`

A man presented himself before Jesus, confident that he deserved a place in heaven. “What must I do to have eternal life?” he boldly asked. You may have read the account of Jesus and this rich young man (or rich young ruler as he is also known). By all earthly accounts this guy is legendary, a ruler of some sort; rich and well off – but not only that, a nice guy to boot! Not a murderer, liar, or adulterer, in fact he even respects his parents and loves his neighbour!

But if you've read the account (or even heard about it) then you'd know that Jesus tells the onlooking crowd that this man will not enter heaven. There's a shocked crowd, murmuring abounds, but Jesus isn't finished, he turns to the crowd and tells them “how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven”. In fact what Jesus wants us to realize is that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

Many people have speculated that there is some small gate called “the eye of the needle” through which a camel might pass to enter a city by night – and could only do so under great duress. However, as we reflect on the passage, it seems far more likely Jesus is talking about an actual sewing needle, the tiny 'eye' through which the thread is pushed, and an enormous camel. If anyone has tried pushing a camel through such a hole, they would concur with the response of Jesus' shocked disciples - “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus' telling reply reminds us that it is impossible for us to save ourselves, only God himself can provide the forgiveness we require – and of course he does so by sending his only Son Jesus to live the life we cannot, to die the death we deserve, and to rise again – so bringing undeserved new life to all who put their trust in him. But isn't that the case for all people? All require this forgiveness from Jesus, none can do it by themselves – so why does Jesus pick on the rich young ruler in this account? In fact, why does he single out the rich in general with his statement “how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven?”

Perhaps it is because of the deceitful allure of wealth. Having large amounts of money deludes us into thinking that we can buy all things. If we are hungry we need not do without – we simply go to the shop and buy food. Of course we don't settle just for food – we have options! Even at the local supermarket we can pick from enormous ranges of foods to cater for a vast range of tastes – so many cuisines are at our fingertips.

Wealth gives us options – and wealth means we are denied very little. Should we want to watch a particular movie, we can subscribe to a streaming service, or purchase it online. Should we want to visit a certain part of the world, we can organise to travel there. Should we want almost anything, we can use our wealth to procure it. And because we think we can purchase most anything, because we mistakenly believe that money is the great answer to solving all our 'wants', we forget that we cannot simply buy a ticket to heaven.

How hard it is. The sweet allure and deceit of wealth. While it may be that some of us struggle to get by, for the majority of us we manage a reasonably comfortable life in comparison to most of the rest of the world. Is wealth so deceptive that we convince ourselves that we are not wealthy? It is so easy to measure ourselves against someone who 'has more' rather than against the rest of world. We fail to see how much we have and how someone in our city who 'just has enough to get by' is supremely wealthy and offered vast choices compared to so many others in this world.

Let us think responsibly and consider how we might responsibly use what God has given us. Instead of it using us, let us see it as simply a 'thing' which we can use to serve God. And most importantly, may we stop measuring ourselves against those who 'have more'. Look to what God does – he does the impossible for US. Now who ought we be in response? Let money and 'things' follow a correct understanding of who we are as one of God's people

In Christ’s Love

Craig Olliffe, Senior Minister