Matthew 19:24, commentary and pictures

It was spoken to the disciples after the young man who sought eternal life was told to keep the commandments, sell what he had and give to the poor for treasure in heaven and follow Christ, but went away sorrowful because he had great possessions, declaring that a rich man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven, as difficult as a camel passing through a needle's eye and impossible with men. The hindrance is not merely possessing wealth but loving, trusting, and idolizing riches, holding them as personal property in the heart unto self-idolatry and insistence on one's own way. Such supreme love for riches displaces love for God with all heart, soul, and mind and love for neighbor as self, holding the mind in its power, encouraging trust in possessions instead of God, and making the soul deaf to human need. Human effort cannot remove the barrier and wealth gives no title to eternal life, but entry becomes possible when God acts, as truth set home by the Spirit and beholding Jesus' humility, self-sacrifice, and matchless love melt the selfish heart, crowd out love of riches, and transfer affection to God. The one so changed counts former gain as loss and nothing his own, holding all as God's lent trust to be rich toward God and rich in good works by blessing the needy and advancing His work, which calls for decisive loosening of hold on the world to sacrifice, sell and give to the poor, and prize salvation above earthly wealth.

Setting and Imagery

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples immediately after the young man who had asked what good thing he should do to have eternal life and inherit eternal life went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. He had been told to keep the commandments, whose principles shape every action and express God's character, and then to sell what he had and give to the poor for treasure in heaven and to follow Christ. The saying declares that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. The picture of a camel going through the eye of a needle shows how exceedingly difficult this entrance is, indeed how impossible it is by human effort.

The saying stands just before the parable of the laborers, which teaches God's free grace against earning His favor and the reward of the righteous by works. That parable corrects the grasping, mercenary spirit in worship. When the disciples heard the saying about the camel and the needle they were amazed, even exceedingly amazed, and raised the question, Who then can be saved. Jesus answered that with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible, and He gave His life to soul-saving to make it possible for human beings to return to loyalty and stand under His banner.

Their astonishment came because they had been taught to look upon the rich as favorites of heaven. They themselves hoped to receive worldly power and riches in the Messiah's kingdom. In the light of the words their own secret longing for power and riches was revealed, so they felt themselves included in the solemn warning and asked with misgivings who then can be saved.

Why Wealth Hinders

The hindrance is not the bare fact of having wealth, but loving it, holding it in the heart, trusting in it instead of God, and making it an idol. When earthly possessions are treated as personal property rather than as a trust lent for God's glory, they become a barrier separating the keeper from God and a curse to him. That idolatry passes into self-idolatry and insistence on one's own way, with the mind held in its power, reliance placed on possessions, and fear, hoarding, and selfishness following. A soul bound in service to mammon becomes deaf to the cry of human need, and wealth then gives no title to the inheritance of the saints in light.

Supreme love for riches makes it impossible to love God with all heart, soul, and mind and to love neighbor as self. It displaces love for God, for truth, and for other people, so that the young man's refusal to sell and give to the poor showed he valued possessions above eternal life and failed in both great commandments. Love for Jesus and love for riches cannot rule the same heart, and where riches are loved better than fellow men, better than God or the truth of His word, eternal life cannot be had. The attachment outweighed love for others and for the heavenly inheritance, and like the young ruler the lover of wealth goes away sorrowful because he cannot have both earthly riches and treasure in heaven.

Love of the world produces selfishness and covetousness that eat out spirituality and life, with hoarding, fear about the future, and laying up treasure on earth where moth and rust corrupt and thieves steal. Such laying up proves the heart is on earth, while laying up treasure in heaven keeps the heart in heaven. As people gain more they set their affections on it and reach for still more, consumed by worldly attachment, neglecting God, prayer, and spiritual duties. Like the young ruler they want everlasting life yet are unwilling to sacrifice possessions for God or to help the poor, refusing the sacrifice and choosing seen earthly treasure above the unseen heavenly treasure.

The very power to acquire property brings constant danger of turning acquisitiveness to bad account. Without constant watchfulness there come close dealing, overreaching, taking more for a thing than it is worth, advantaging self while disadvantaging poorer fellow men or brethren, glorying in shrewdness and keenness in a bargain, and sacrificing generous, benevolent, noble principles of manhood for sordid gain. The temptation extends to spending on appetite, fashion, and grand houses instead of returning to God what belongs to Him. A curse rests upon every dollar so obtained and upon its increase.

This condition is that of many Sabbath-keepers and professed believers who seek eternal life like the young man who came to Jesus to know what he should do to inherit eternal life. While professing to believe the last warning message is going to the world and to wait for their Lord, they devote their energies with all their might to getting wealth and strive to place themselves among the rich. It appears in men possessing large and attractive lands, whose farms preach louder than words that this world is their home, putting off the evil day while peace and safety reign, a withering blighting influence. Left with great wealth in a selfish, snug, and covetous spirit that idolizes money, nourishes it, withholds means from the cause of God, and lacks pity for the unfortunate and for laborers and orphans, such wealth becomes a curse proving ruin without entire reformation and loss of treasure in heaven.

Grace and Faithful Stewardship

No human effort can remove the barrier that love of riches creates, and wealth itself gives no title to eternal life or claim upon heaven, for entrance is humanly impossible while riches rule the heart as an idol. The image of a camel passing through a needle's eye expresses that impossibility apart from God. Yet riches are not an insurmountable barrier when God acts, so the warning does not make salvation impossible, because with God all things are possible.

Entry becomes possible when truth set home to the heart by the Spirit crowds out the love of riches, for the love of Jesus and the love of riches cannot dwell in the same heart. Beholding Christ's humility, self-sacrifice, self-denial and matchless love melts and subdues the selfish heart, reveals spiritual need and poverty, and transfers affection to God, so that the person prefers Christ to self and counts former gain as loss. The love of God so far surpasses the love of riches that the possessor breaks away from riches, since a soul bound in service to mammon and clinging to earthly treasure is deaf to human need until that love displaces trust in possessions.

The one so changed counts nothing his own but holds all as not his own, as God's lent trust and sacred stewardship of time, talents, means and possessions to be used as God directs for His glory. He becomes rich toward God and rich in good works by trusting God, doing good, blessing the needy, comforting the suffering and the poor, advancing God's cause and work, and serving for the saving of the lost. In this way he lays up treasure in heaven rather than on earth, fulfills love to God supremely and to neighbor as self, keeping both the first four commandments and the last six, and finds highest pleasure in making a right disposition of his Lord's goods to meet the wants of the cause. Even the use of a little to bless others and care for a neighbor shows this richness toward God, for the salvation of others matters more than earthly wealth.

The verse therefore calls for decisive loosening of hold on the world, to cut loose and have an eye single to the glory of God. It requires willingness to sacrifice, to sell and give to the poor, to live out faith and prize salvation and unseen heavenly treasure above seen earthly treasure, without excusing disobedience on account of wife and children. Any idol left unsacrificed, any property valued more than the soul, can shut a person out of heaven, for wanting eternal life while refusing the sacrifice is choosing the worship of the world, and tempting to withhold from God what justly belongs to Him ruins the soul.

Work for the rich therefore brings many discouragements and many heart-sickening revelations. Yet God can and will work through human agencies upon minds whose lives have been devoted to money-getting, and through the power of the Holy Spirit many will be led to accept the divine principles if those who work together with Him do their duty bravely and faithfully. The genuine conversion of men who occupy responsible places, men of intellect and influence, will be miracles, though not now discerned, for even the greatest men of the earth are not beyond the power of a wonder-working God. Once converted, such persons can use their time, money, abilities and influence to bring the gospel to other wealthy people.