Article for October 20,2024
Mark 10:23–24a 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were amazed at his words.
Stop! Don’t think of this passage as being against the rich but of being against those who love their possessions more than their neighbor and God. Yes, we need to see that being rich is not a sin. Rather, one who loves their possessions and makes their possessions their priority is the sin.
Many people make the mistake of living for this life on earth. Many want their heaven here and now and do not realize that they are forfeiting their heaven which appears in their eternal life yet to come. Trust me when I say there are two eternal lives. One eternal life is the life with Jesus Christ and the other eternal life, or worse eternal death, is without Jesus Christ.
Make no mistake life without Jesus Christ is not life but death. And make no mistake, eternal death is eternal punishment. If you do not like this life, you are sure to hate eternal death. The strange thing about this eternal death is many are choosing it. Not that many think they can escape eternal death on their own, but that they don’t believe there is an eternal death. The problem is that people think if you don’t believe in something then it must not exist. Sorry to inform you, eternal death does exist.
What is equally strange is that there is, actually, a way out of eternal death, and there is nothing we do that saves us from eternal death. Many people do not understand, it is only what Jesus did on the cross that frees us from eternal death. It is actually very simple; Jesus died to bring forgiveness to all people, and through forgiveness our eternal life is possible.
So, why is it strange that people do not think they need the forgiveness of God? To me it is one of the reasons I can embrace God because I know through His grace, mercy, and forgiveness He loves me and He loves you, and He loves all. Why is it that people cannot see that God loves us and wants to save us. Maybe it is because some people teach works righteousness in place of true gospel.
Mark 10:24b–25 But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
The gate named the Eye of the Needle is not so hard for a man to fit through as we know it was designed to only let sheep come through. We are the sheep of God, and Jesus Christ is leading us through the Eye of the Needle, and Jesus Christ is the Eye of the Needle, the Narrow Path.
Yes, this is a narrow path to follow for all sinners who are forgiven. However, when we are following Jesus, the gate widens to let us through, because we are forgiven. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and it is Jesus who leads us through with grace and mercy as His shepherd’s staff. Look up, old sheep and see the staff of our Shepherd, for this staff lights the gateway to everlasting life.
Mark 10:26–27 26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Many think they will perfect their way into the salvation of God and eternal life. Truth be told, there is nothing we can do to give us entry as our sin makes us the camel that cannot fit through the Eye of the Needle. But with Jesus Christ we who are sheep now fit through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life. Let us understand that because of God’s grace and mercy the narrow gate widens so great that it allows sinners who are forgiven to come into the promised land.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit who translates God’s word that leads us into faith. This is the works of Jesus Christ who died and purposely took the punishment for our sins, destroyed death, and leads us to eternal life. This is the works of the Father, to use His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit to gather His creations, those believing sheep, and relabel them as being without blemish.
Mark 10:28–31 28Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus 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 lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
O Theophiles, if we could leave all our possessions to follow Jesus Christ. Instead let the Holy Spirit redirect our priorities that Jesus Christ is our utmost priority. Why? Because Jesus made us His utmost priority and through His priority Jesus Christ saves us to be the eternal children of God. Truly the gospel of forgiveness into everlasting life is true because it is the love of God. Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis A. May
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