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This week we are completing our study of Chapter 18. Please read verses 18:22-43 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 18:24-25 (New Living Translation)
‘When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”’
Over the years, I’ve been involved in many evangelical initiatives that have involved walking the streets and dropping some kind of leaflet through the doors of the house in our community. I have to be honest here and admit that there has been so little fruit for the hours and hours of effort put in by so many Christians throughout the years. I really don’t know why but perhaps, as David Pawson said so many years ago, evangelism is a personal thing and should be done on a person to person basis. Mail-drops are so ‘impersonal’ and rarely reach anyone for the Lord.
During one such leaflet drop, I remember vividly looking at the houses and trying to work out how wealthy the owners were. If I was dropping a leaflet through the letterbox of a supposedly affluent family, I would pray a little more earnestly that God would bless the effort and would speak to the owners. As a small church, I figured that we could do with a rich family attending the church and that we would certainly be able to use their money if they got saved! There aren’t many wealthy people attending our churches in South Wales and perhaps Jesus’ words here in Luke explain why.
Yesterday, I discussed how wealth has a way of eating into the soul, making the person selfish and eventually leading to a ‘love of money’. Note that I’m not saying that this happens to everyone any more than I’m saying that everyone who drinks alcohol will sink into alcoholism. However, there is a real danger that wealth breeds selfishness and therefore making the path to Salvation a little more difficult.
In fact, Jesus says ‘how hard it is for the rich..”. He then goes on to use an illustration that has been hotly debated for centuries. Some people have reasoned that the camel going through the eye of the needle is in fact referring to a small gate in the city wall called ‘the needle’s eye’ and the camel could only go through this on its knees and unburdened. However, this ‘explanation’ flies in the face of Jesus’ words later when He states that ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God’. He didn’t say what was ‘difficult for man’. The whole illustration is meant to cause us to all to be attentive and to take note of what He is saying. Wealth grips a man and has a powerful hold. Can you imagine that Bill Gates would suddenly give all of his money away in order to completely remove world poverty? That’s impossible isn’t it? Yes, but with God all things are possible. The illustration shouldn’t be explained away by trying to make the situation any easier. Jesus wants us to increase our faith and look to HIS ABILITIES and not to our own circumstances. Someone once said that “man’s extremities are God’s opportunities”
Looking back at my life, there have been so many situations I’ve found myself in and have thought that it was impossible to get through them. I firmly believe that they were impossible times and that there was no way through them. However, with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. He can make a way where there is no way. He can speak into death and cause life. He can still the storm and speak peace to the troubled. He is BIG GOD. Hold on to Him through your toughest times. He will see you through.
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