Cost of Discipleship, Salvation in the person of Christ Jesus, God's Perfect Standard

In the Old Testament, wealth was often viewed as a sign of God's blessing (Deuteronomy 28:1-13). This is why the disciples were so shocked when Jesus presented a different standard. In His encounter with the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21, ESV). He further illustrated the difficulty of a rich person entering heaven with the analogy: “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” (Matthew 19:24, ESV).

Here, Jesus was not condemning wealth itself but exposing the man's heart. He was referencing God's supreme standard, the true cost of discipleship, and the fact that ultimate comfort is found in God's Spirit and Salvation are found only in a relationship with Him. The man's riches were an idol that he valued more than following the Messiah.

This demand left the disciples astonished, asking, “Who then can be saved?” (Matthew 19:25, ESV). Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, ESV). Salvation is found in the person of Jesus alone. The humble Master who owns everything asks us to give up anything that holds a greater place in our hearts than He does. The question for every believer is: will we obey?