God in the Case

 In the nineteenth chapter we find these words from the lips of Jesus: “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” He is stating a thing that is impossible and the disciples¹ ask in amazement², “Who then can be saved?” Their question calls forth³ His answer, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Men can be reconstituted but this requires divine assistance. As Canon Westcot has said, “Jesus established fresh foundations for society and a fresh standard of individual worth.”

 

Is it still hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven? As hard as ever and absolutely impossible as long as he makes riches his object in life, as long as he compromises with evil for a consideration, as long as he ruins competitors in business in order to create a monopoly. But does the Church know what Jesus meant to teach? Yes, if it knows itself and its duty, which is “to show to the world its 13 chief concern is morality, not money; principles, not profits; the faith of the crucified Christ, not the favors of men who have accumulated fortunes without righteousness.”

 

Six words contain the solution of the whole problem, “With God all things are possible.” God can so completely transform a rich man that he can forget he is rich. He can think of himself as a man and as a servant of God. He can see himself as a sinner before God and also as saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ. He enters the kingdom not as rich but as believing. In the Simple Life we read: “If there are people at once rich and content, be assured that they are content because they know how to be, not because they are rich.”

 

God can trust saved men with money, to possess it, to invest it and to use it in the interest of His kingdom. But he cannot permit men who worship wealth to enter His kingdom. This is impossible. An unchanged nature cannot enter the kingdom of God and could not find happiness there because it is out of harmony with the laws and the life of the kingdom.

1 disciples   

n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一

参考例句：

• Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

2 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。