Can rich people be saved?

Very hard. Once there was a rich man. He was young. He enjoyed the good life. He never had to do the math when buying food or clothes. He would enter his PIN without checking the amount or his bank balance.

But deep inside, he felt a certain emptiness. He couldn’t put his finger on it. So he confided in Jesus: What do I still lack? (Matthew 19:20)

He wasn’t ready for the answer of Jesus, which challenges all of us: If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me (Matthew 19:21).

The Greek word for perfect doesn’t mean flawless. It means fulfilled. To be perfect means to achieve one’s God-given purpose in life.

This is precisely what the rich young man lacked. He claimed to have kept all the Commandments that pertain to loving neighbour.

But he didn’t have that Kingdom generosity which deposits money in heaven by giving to the poor. Worldly wealth was more important to him than heavenly treasure. He walked away from Jesus – sadly (Matthew 19:22).

It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, said Jesus, than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24).

This got Peter thinking. He and his friends had left home, family and career to follow Jesus. So Peter asked: What will we get?

Sounds a bit kiasu, doesn’t it? What’s in it for me? But Jesus didn’t scold Peter for his question. Instead, He responded with a magnanimous promise.

What will you get? Everything! Whatever you leave behind in this world, you’ll get a hundred times more in the next. On top of that, eternal life (Matthew 19:28-29). Not a bad trade-off for a fishing boat and a season of separation from home and loved ones.

The story invites us to evaluate our own responses to Jesus and His call to discipleship. Whose example are we following? Peter’s? Or the rich young man’s?

It’s not a sin to be wealthy. But those who hoard wealth and refuse to share it with the poor are serving Mammon, not God. So where is your treasure? In heaven or in the bank? That’s where your heart is.

PrayerWatch

• God doesn’t need your money. He wants your heart. We cannot serve God and money. Mammon is a power that seeks to dominate us … a rival god that seeks allegiance (Richard Foster).
   
  Today, surrender your life, your all to Jesus, your Master. Resist the devil. Reject his worldly mantra that money is everything.
   
  Draw the line. Take your stand: Money can buy medicine, but not health. Money can buy a house, but not a home. Money can buy companionship, but not friends. Money can buy entertainment, but not happiness. Money can buy food, but not an appetite. Money can buy a bed, but not sleep … Money can buy the good life, but not eternal life (Charles Swindoll).
   
  Money can rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral, but not the church itself. Pray by name for those who are serving Mammon. Ask God to set them free.
   
• Singapore is home to 183,737 millionaires. Wealth per adult has increased more than 146% since the year 2000. Globally, we rank No. 9 in terms of highest average wealth per adult (The Straits Times, October 18, 2018).
   
  The power to create wealth is a gift from God (Deuteronomy 8:18). For this we give thanks! Singaporean Christians are well represented in the arena of wealth creation and business enterprise.
   
  Pray for a great awakening. Business is never just business. The business profession has a moral role in society, bringing goods and services for the betterment of all (Richard Foster).
   
  Ask God to raise up a critical mass of God-fearing disciples in the business world to steward His wealth in His way, for His purposes, and always for His glory!
   
• While some are getting richer, others are getting poorer. The number of Singaporean families depending on long-term financial aid has increased (The Straits Times, October 4, 2018).
   
  To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). With greater wealth comes greater social responsibility. How have you stewarded God’s money? Are you hoarding wealth for fear of lack? Are you self-indulgent, flaunting your wealth or success?
   
  Today, make radical shifts. Deposit treasure in heaven. Seek God for His investment strategy and concrete steps to reduce income inequality in your community. Do it as a family, a cell, a church, a constituency. Work with your MP to roll out the plan.
   
• How does the global church spend its money? 87% is spent on the church, 12% on ministry among the reached, and just 1% on unreached peoples, among whom are the poorest of the poor (Global Statistics).
   
  Today, some 250 million people have no access to any Scripture in their heart language (Wycliffe Global Alliance). This is a huge injustice. Are we avoiding such conversations in order to silence our conscience? We have held back our wealth from those who need it most.
   
  Pray for the fruit of repentance: a re-distribution of wealth from Antioch of Asia to God’s mission to the unreached.

Read the devotional from Day 16, July 16: Radical forgiveness here.