Can't Buy Me Love

The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew, the 19th Chapter.

St. Matthew 19:23-26: Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Many Christian groups have a history of vast misinterpretation of passages such as these.

1. Jesus is not teaching that you have to literally give up everything you own to be saved.

2. Jesus is not saying that there will be no wealthy people (earthly wealth) in glory.

3. Jesus is not teaching some form of Christian socialism, or that wealth is bad.

So what is Jesus teaching us here? Very simply put, that nothing we do can earn us the kingdom of God. He uses the rich man as an example. Nobody can buy their way into heaven.

In other words, you can do nothing to save yourself. Not money, not wealth, not works. Nothing.

Jesus does it all for us. He lives a perfect life on our behalf. He dies at Calvary for us. He rises from the dead for us. Then, in the here and now, He baptizes us in the Name of the Triune God. He gives us His life-creating Word. He forgives us, and He gives us His true Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist.

He's not teaching us a bunch of life principles. He's telling us that we can do nothing to save ourselves. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Mat 19:26)

And He alone saves us. Not ourselves.

+Grace and Peace+