If I were a rich man…

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:23-24

Technically, this was the Gospel reading from yesterday. But this passage spoke to me today and so I wanted to make this my opening entry. As I sat in church today, I could hardly hear the Gospel being read, but thankfully it was typed out in the bulletin.

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The priest pointed out that while for the rich man, it was possessions that held him back, and which he cared about more than eternal life, we each have our own things that we care more about as well. Yet the words “it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom” reminded me of something I had read in Metropolitan Anthony Bloom’s classic Beginning to Pray just a few days ago. In speaking about coming to God in prayer, what he calls “knocking at the door”, he makes the point that we tend to far too easily consider ourselves already in the kingdom. Now, he’s not speaking of us being in or out in any broad, final terms of salvation or damnation, but more of an attitude. In considering ourselves outside, we would have the attitude of the publican, in the parable of the publican and the Pharisee, or the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He stresses the need for the first Beatitude: poverty of spirit. That if we consider ourselves rich, we cannot come to God in humility. Humility is essential if we are to approach Christ. Scripture says that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

It is my feeling that we could probably all put ourselves in the place of this ruler. We might have a passion for God and even live fairly virtuous lives. Yet, is it possible that we still, even subconsciously, consider ourselves rich? Few of us would say we are rich monetarily. What I mean by “rich” is the condition of feeling like we own something, whether physical or spiritual or relationship-wise. Is it possible that Christ’s words have a deeper meaning than merely that it is difficult for a person who is rich in money and possessions to enter the kingdom? Perhaps we can all put ourselves in the shoes of this young man. Perhaps it is hard for us, poor as we may be when it comes to money, to enter the kingdom as well, because we lack true poverty: poverty of spirit. This is wealth that comes not from having much, but from holding on too strenuously to little we feel we do have. I am talking about the popular image of the boy whose hand is stuck in the vase because he is grasping a penny at the bottom. Yet there stands his mother offering him a quarter. To gain what is greater, he must remove his hand from the vase. But to do that, he must let go of the small coin he clutches. Some believe that when Jesus talks about the camel going through the eye of a needle, the eye is actually a short gate through which a camel would have to lower itself to get through. Perhaps this is the secret of the narrow and wide gates. Perhaps it is not so much about them being great or small when it comes to width, but when it comes to height. Perhaps the kingdom of God can only be reached through a gate that is short, through which we can only enter by bending down, by lowering ourselves. And we cannot do this with all our possessions or spiritual pride packed on our backs.

Maybe we should stop and ask ourselves what thing(s) we would find it hard to release if Christ told us to. It can be external or internal I am sure. Whatever that is, that is where we consider ourselves rich. That is where we make it difficult for us to enter into the kingdom. And if we can figure out what it is, perhaps we should at least admit to Christ that it is hard to give up and ask for His help. Thankfully, what is impossible with man is possible with God.

Source: http://onthegospel.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/if-i-were-a-rich-man/