Matthew 19:23, commentary and pictures

Jesus spoke these words to his disciples just after the young ruler with great possessions went away sorrowful rather than keep the commandments and sell what he had, give to the poor, and follow him to be perfect. They mean that a rich man enters the kingdom of heaven only with the greatest difficulty, as hard as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Entrance becomes hard when love of possessions is supreme over love for God, for others, and for the eternal inheritance, so that craving, fear of want, hoarding, and covetousness paralyze the mind and eat out spiritual life. Wealth entrusted by God as a sacred trust for the poor, the suffering, and his work is then held as one's own, trusted instead of God, and made an idol that separates the soul from him and deafens it to human need. With men this salvation is impossible, but with God all things are possible, for when the selfish heart is melted by beholding the love of Christ the rich count gain as loss, hold nothing as their own, and joyfully use all as stewards of grace, and those who forsake houses, family, and lands for him receive a hundredfold now and everlasting life, sitting with him in the regeneration when many first shall be last and last first.

Setting and Meaning

Jesus spoke to His disciples immediately after the young ruler with great possessions, who had asked what good thing to do to inherit eternal life, went away sorrowful when told to keep the commandments and, to be perfect, to sell what he had, give to the poor, and follow Him. In that encounter He directed the questioner to keep God's commandments, whose principles must guide every action. The saying means that a rich man enters the kingdom of heaven only with great difficulty, as difficult as a camel going through the eye of a needle.

It astonished the disciples because they had been taught that the rich were favorites of heaven and themselves hoped for worldly power and riches in the Messiah's kingdom, so if the rich failed there seemed no hope for others. They were sorrowful and dejected because they expected the young ruler to follow Jesus as Matthew had, and they felt the warning exposed their own secret longing for power and riches. To their amazed question of who then can be saved, Jesus answers that with men salvation is impossible but with God all things are possible. For Christ gave His life to save souls and make it possible for human beings to return to loyalty, and the difficulty is not beyond God's power even when wealth becomes more precious than heavenly treasure and holds the heart.

Those who forsake houses, family, and lands and follow Christ will be rewarded, receiving a hundredfold and inheriting everlasting life. In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory they shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, for many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first. The event opened the way for Jesus to teach the right principles of God's free grace, correcting the error of treating God's favor and the righteous reward as earned by human works. For wealth gives no title to the inheritance of the saints in light, and entrance into the city of God comes only through unmerited grace.

Why Riches Hinder Entry

Riches make entrance difficult when love of possessions becomes supreme and outweighs love for God, for other people, and for the eternal inheritance, keeping a person from loving God wholeheartedly and the neighbor as self and from following Christ. The rich young man's attachment was exposed when he was told to sell, give to the poor, and follow, for the command tested whether he valued eternal life above riches and revealed that wealth had become more precious to him than heavenly treasure. His refusal to part with his possessions and follow showed that he lacked love for God and others despite believing himself righteous. He would not transfer his treasure to heaven by giving to those in need and becoming rich in good works, holding his riches as his own instead of as lent for God's glory.

Love of riches can overpower and paralyze the mind, fostering craving for more, fear of future poverty, selfish hoarding and accumulation, and covetousness that eats out spirituality and life. The more of this world people get the more they set their affections on it and still reach out for more. Spending wealth on appetite, fashion, and grand houses contrasts with self-giving for the world's deliverance, and uses for self what should be returned to God. When people trust accumulated wealth instead of God and his promises, they become poor toward God, and the soul bound in service to mammon becomes deaf to human need.

Possessions become an idol and a curse that separates the soul from God and fosters self-idolatry and worship of the world when they are valued above God and a person clings to them and their advantages, choosing them over the offer of Christ and remaining unwilling to sacrifice them even for the sake of the soul. The rich young man wanted heavenly treasure but clung to his possessions and their worldly advantages, giving the world his worship. His refusal to give to the poor and transfer his treasure to heaven by becoming rich in good works showed that he prized earthly treasure above heavenly treasure and would sacrifice heaven for this world, though he believed himself righteous. The rich may want everlasting life but refuse its cost in using their means for the poor and God's cause or in making sacrifices for others.

Riches are lent and entrusted by God as a sacred trust to be used as faithful stewards for the suffering, the poor, and Christ's work and glory, not held as one's own. Misusing them on selfish display contrasts with Christ's self-giving and misuses what should be returned to God. Earthly treasures are blessings when rightly and cheerfully used to advance God's cause, laying up treasure in heaven without losing reward here, so that even one who uses little means wisely to bless others is rich toward God; riches need not be a curse. The impossibility is overcome when, by beholding the matchless love of Christ, the selfish heart is melted and subdued so the rich person counts gain as loss for Christ, holds nothing as his own, and joyfully uses possessions as a trust under God for saving the lost and comforting the suffering, regarding himself as a steward of grace and a servant of all.

The warning applies to God's people in a lukewarm state, for the condition of many Sabbath-keepers is like that young man's, professing to give the last warning yet striving with all their energies to become rich and placing themselves where entrance is hard. The ruler could have received an immortal inheritance and worked with Christ but refused the required surrender, and the same danger faces all who let wealth divide them from God. Riches do not secure eternal life but are an opportunity to do good when invested in God's cause under His blessing, and the danger comes when people rely on their own ideas and do as they please instead of surrendering. Wealth can weaken the incentive to develop and share one's abilities, and God calls people to account for the money and spiritual advantages entrusted to them and for planning wisely to use them to the best advantage for His cause rather than following selfish plans.