Riches And Rewards
RICHES AND REWARDS
MARK 10:23-31
Notice the encouragements Jesus gives to put him first.
We now have Jesus’ comments on the story of the rich man. That story demonstrated clearly that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom. The statement amazed the disciples because it was accepted Jewish thinking that a man’s earthly prosperity was some index of his spiritual state, even although this fundamental proposition was inevitably crossed by others which took notice of the variety of human experience. To this Jesus replied with the more fundamental statement that it is hard for anybody to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed, he said (reverting to the case in hand) it is as impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. (It should not need to be said that Jesus meant literal camels and literal needles, just as in the similar Jewish proverb about an elephant and a needle.) Who then can be saved? The answer is: nobody. From a human point of view salvation is impossible. All this fits in with what we have already learned, that men are afflicted with blindness and hardness of heart and cannot of themselves respond to the message of Jesus. But where men cannot act, God can and does. He can bring men to a change of heart, open their eyes to understand the truth, and grant them to believe. This may sound like the doctrines of total inability and irresistible grace, but it would be wrong to harden what Jesus says here into rigid theology. Mark says nothing to restrict the scope of God’s grace or make it irresistible.
What is the significance of 10:28ff.? Is Peter saying, “We are all right; we have given up our possessions to follow you”? This sounds very self-righteous in the context, but Peter was very human! Anyhow, Jesus responds with a promise that those who have taken this step will receive their reward. Here in this life they will share in the fellowship of the disciples with all its blessings in human relationships (cf. 3:35), and in the next world they will enjoy eternal life. There are two caveats. Jesus was too much of a realist not to mention the fact that persecution will come from outside the fellowship to those who join themselves to it. At the same time he issues a warning against setting one’s heart on reward: there will be reversals as well as rewards in the kingdom.
For meditation Does the promise of 10:30 come alive in your experience? Are you making it a reality for other disciples?