Exodus 21-22, Matthew 19

Exodus 21-22 is the continuation of Moses giving the law to the people. It can be summed up with and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I remember that Jesus expanded on that and was hoping that this is the passage I was up to in the New Testament, but it wasn't.

Matthew 19 starts out talking about divorce. I would probably linger here if this were an issue that I was dealing with. The second section is the story of the rich man who comes to Jesus to ask what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give it tot he poor and come follow him. This man didn't realize what he had: an invitation from the actual Son of God to sit and his feet and learn! The man chooses his money and goes away sad.

Jesus says "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." and the disciples are shocked and ask "Who then can be saved?" and Jesus responds "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." So Jesus isn't saying that rich people don't go to heaven, but he does say that it takes a miracle of God for it to happen.

I'm not sure what this means for me. Rich is such a relative word. In comparison to many people in our area, my house is just a normal, adequate house. In comparison to what most people of the world have, it is a fantastic house. I know that the theme that I keep seeing is people above money. I think Jesus asks this of this man because he could see his heart and his priorities. When asked to give it up, he couldn't do it. It may be that if the man had said "wait here while I sell everything" that Jesus would release the demand because what he's really interested in is where our priorities lie, like the story where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Do we trust God to take care of us, or trust our money? Do we love God as long as he doesn't ask for our money? When it really comes down to it, what's more important? If Jesus asked me to sell all we have and go live more modestly so that we are able to give more generously, would I do it? Is he asking that?