Trusting In And Relying Upon God
Matthew 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of heaven.
What a strange thing for Jesus to say. On one hand, it sounds like He's making a funny,... Or He's really being mean toward rich people and neither sound like Jesus to me.
The truth is, if you were alive and present that day that He said this, you would know exactly what He was saying. Specially if you ever got to town late at night.
You see, at night, in those days, the city closed the gates and locked them from the "inside". Kinda like we do our own homes, today. The only way you could "legally" get in at night was to go around to a small gate with a rounded arch called "the eye of the needle". This is true!
If you were on a camel, you would have to get off, make it get down on it's knees, then you would have to go through first, and then pull it through the gate opening.
What's even more interesting is that if you were carrying "riches" (all your belongs, weapons, trade goods, etc.) you would have to set those off the camel first before you could even begin getting the camel through.
So, while you are "pulling your camel" through this "eye of the needle" all you "riches" are setting out in the open for anyone (bands of marauders, thieves, your friends even,... Hehe) to grab while you're getting the camel through. That had to be tough for many people to do.
I don't mean to pick on the word "believe" so much, but when it comes to the fate of someone's eternity, it is VITALLY important.
My Friends, do you Trust In and Rely Upon God today? That's what what believing in Him really means. That's what Jesus is talking about in this peculiar verse in three of the gospels.
Is the love of and for you "stuff" replacing your security, your dependence on Christ? Are you Relying upon Him or your 401k? Are you Trusting In the love of Christ to see the way for you or are you afraid to set it all out long enough to get into the Kingdom of God?
It is not the riches that Jesus is concerned with here, but your perception of them. Is it His when He wants you to do something with it? When you do let go of it for His sake, are you happy, joyful, and yes, even hilarious to do so?
If you're around at the big gates tonight waiting for them to open so you won't have to trust your "stuff" not to get taken,... Let me tell you friends, you may never make it inside.
Jesus is not making a 'funny' here, and He's not being mean to you because He has allowed you to have nice things. He loves you and He's asking us to check our hearts. Where is your heart? And do you Trust in Him and Rely Upon Him?
I love you. |
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