Now, I want to warn you that I am using my own translation of the Greek text, which is an extremely literal translation, and there will be a couple points of the Greek I will explain. But it should, for the most part, agree with the KJV in meaning. I am using the text in Mark 10:
And as he came out on the way, a man running to him and kneeling before him and asked him, "Good teacher, what should I do in order to possess eternal life?" But Jesus said to him, "Why tell me "good"? No one is good except God. You know the commands: "Don't murder," "Don't cheat on your spouse," "Don't steal," "Don't commit perjury," "Don't defraud," "Honor your father and mother."" But he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." But looking straight at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, "One thing you have need of: Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and coming, follow me." But, being downcast at these words, he went away saddened, for he was having many possessions.
Jesus was at first irritated with the man because He thought he was a brown noser by calling him "good". So Jesus rejected his title as flattery. Then Jesus tells him what he could hear from any street-corner preacher-- do the ten commandment. This doesn't negate what Jesus was saying, but this is why Jesus didn't give him the full answer at first.
When the man shows that he understands that following the commands isn't enough, then Jesus "loved" him and He decided to give him the full answer-- He had to sell all he had, give the proceeds to the poor. After doing this, then the man would have "treasure in heaven." This is code for Jesus-- giving to the poor equates having treasure in heaven. This confirms Psalm 41 and Proverbs 19 that says that a man who gives to the poor God will have blessings in storage for him when he is in need. This also is confirmed by Luke 12:32-34, where inheriting the kingdom is equal to giving to the poor is equal to treasure in heaven. We have that same equation here, where treasue in heaven is equated to being saved which is equal to the kingdom of God. Following Jesus is the same as having the kingdom of God, because being with Jesus is being in the kingdom.
The man was saddened, outright depressed, because of how difficult it is to get rid of possessions when you have so many. BTW, there is a tradition that says that this man is actually Joseph, called Barnabas, who in Acts 4 finally did surrender all of his possessions.
And, looking around, Jesus said to his disciples, "How difficult it is for those with many possessions to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were shocked at his words. But Jesus again answering, said to them, "Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through they eye of the needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God." And they were all the more astonished, saying to themselves, "Then who is able to be saved?” Looking straight at them, Jesus said, "For men this is impossible, but not for God, for everything is possible for God."
Seeing the man's sadness, Jesus is recognizing how difficult it is for some people to enter God's kingdom. In his second statment, of the proposition, He does talk specifically about wealthy people, but He is admitting that it is just difficult in general for anyone to enter into God's kingdom. But He does emphasize the difficulty of wealth, and not just in this passage-- Matt 6:24; Luke 12; Luke 16; Luke 6:24-- all these passages speak of the difficulty for wealthy people to enter into God's kingdom.
Why is it so difficult? Well, different passages mention differnt things, but in this passage the emphasis is on possessions. The word for the "wealthy" is literally in Greek-- "those who have possessions". Or, to put it in technical terms, "people who've got stuff". So the specific kind of wealth Jesus is talking about is possessions. This fits with what Jesus says elsewhere, namely Luke 14:33-- "No one can be my disciple unless he surrenders all of his possessions." And the parable of the bigger barns in Luke 12, the person can either prepare for his retirement or he can be prepared for his death. And his attachment to his possessions kept him from being ready for death.
No wonder the disciples were shocked. Because they themselves had so many possessions-- Peter had a boat and a house! And the answer Jesus gives to possessions is to get rid of them-- sell them!
"Peter began to say to him, "Behold, we have left everything and are following 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 fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, but wouldn't receive a hundred fold now in this time-- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, with persecutions, and in the coming age, eternal life. But many who are first will be last and those who are last, first."
So Peter tries to excuse himself. He says, "Lord, we haven't sold everything, but we left it behind. And we are following you, just like you told that man. So, can we be saved?" Jesus' response is illuminating. He says, "It is true, Peter, you haven't sold everything, but you left it. You have no use of your possessions. Your boat is rotting on the shore and you are sleeping in the fields with me instead of in your house with your wife. Because of your willingness to surrender everything for Me, then hundreds will share with you what they have in this age and you will obtain eternal life-- the kingdom of God."
So what is Jesus saying?
a. That possessions are dangerous. They separate us from God and from God's kingdom. One of the greatest dangers of our life in God is stuff.
b. That it is a requirement to be a disciple to be rid of our possessions.
c. That there are many ways to be rid of our possessions. In Scripture, we have three main examples:
1. Selling our stuff and then giving the proceeds to the poor.
2. Leaving our stuff for others to steal it or to rot.
3. Continually providing our stuff to the needy, as they need it.
The third example isn't in the Mark 10 passage, but we do have a number of examples of it--
Matthew 10-- The one who welcomes (read, provides hospitality) to a prophet will recieve a prophets reward.
Matthew 25-- The sheep are those who provided hospitality to Jesus' brothers
Philemon was one who had a wealthy household, but hosted the church and any poor believer who was passing through, staying in his town.
Prisca and Lydia also hosted churches in their homes, providing hospitality.
I John says that providing one's resources to the needy is displaying one's knowledge of God's love
So what does all this mean for us possession-glutted Westerners?
a. We need to recognize that we all have a lot of stuff. And every time we get rid of our stuff, we get more.
b. We need to take seriously Jesus' command to get rid of our stuff.
c. At least one point, we need to get rid of our stuff. All of it, if possible, without endangering our family.
d. Even Jesus recognized that we would accumulate more stuff. That's not a problem, as long as we keep a couple things clear in our minds:
-The stuff isn't ours, it's Jesus'
-The stuff is given to us to build God's kingdom, not our own
- God's kingdom is built by us giving stuff away, especially to those in need (Luke 12:33)
-We need not fear giving away even what we need because God will provide for us.
Jesus' message on the birds of the air and the flowers of the field is, in both places given, in the context of giving our possessions to the poor (Matthew 6 and Luke 12). As Christians, we should be living lifestyles of surrender to the poor, all the time. In this way, we keep the Demon Stuff from stripping away the blessing of God's kingdom.
"The Servant of Charity must go to bed each night so tired from work that he will think that he has been beaten." -Louis Guanella
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