Our teaching today is about finance. One of the first teachings we wrote on this site revolved around the Tithe. You can read our finance teachings here.
I recently heard a statement, centered around the verses pasted below. The idea was that God prefers you to be poor over being wealthy, and that being poor is a Holy thing versus being rich.
Mat 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Is this true? Why is God making it tough for rich people to enter Heaven? Is it sinful to have great wealth? Let's find out!
The Full Story
Let's unpack this verse, but also establish the context by looking at the whole story:
Mat 19:16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
Mat 19:17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
Mat 19:18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
Mat 19:19 honor your father and mother,’and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Mat 19:20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Mat 19:21 Jesus answered, “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.”
Mat 19:22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
The context is that a man came to Yeshua asking how to enter Heaven. Yeshua stated that to enter Heaven, you must obey the commandments (Referring to the Law of Moses). The man says he already does that but asks if he can do more. Yeshua then says he should take care of the poor, by selling his possessions.
The man then walks away sad, and the verse specifically mentions that he was wealthy. The context is quite clear in this case.
Then comes the famous verse:
Mat 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples are shocked at this statement because it was believed back then by certain sects that you could buy your way to Heaven:
Mat 19:25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Yeshua then delivers the conclusion to this story, and clears up the confusion:
Mat 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Perpetually Out of Context
It seems we have another situation where a verse has been taken out of context, without reading the full chapter.
There are similar verses in Acts 10, where Peter has a vision about Food. Christians use this to say Food laws are done away with, however, if you read the full chapter, at the end Peter clarifies the vision was about Jews and Gentiles and had nothing to do with food. You can read that teaching here.
This story makes it clear - Yeshua says that only God can give you eternal life, and he does that through Him. Recall this verse below:
Mat 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
So being poor or rich is irrelevant. Being a believer in Christ and following His ways is how you get to Heaven. Being poor is not Holy, and being rich is not Holy, and neither of them are above each other.
The reason Yeshua mentions that it is difficult for rich people to enter Heaven, is because they have so many material possessions which can make it easier to have idols. This is what happened with this rich man, when Yeshua mentioned he had to sell them, the rich man chose the idol of wealth over following Yeshua and taking care of the poor.
He is not in the wrong because he is wealthy, but because he chose to worship wealth over Yeshua.
We are Shepherds of His Wealth
If rich people could not enter Heaven or had a lesser chance of getting there, then a contradiction would form from this verse:
Deu 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
God gives you the ability to become wealthy, so if you become wealthy, why would God turn around and say, 'Now it has become difficult for you to enter Heaven'?
We are called to work and labour and provide for our families. On top of that, we are also called to look after the poor, widows, and children and be generous with what God has given us. We are merely shepherds of His wealth.
If we do not put wealth over God, and use our wealth for taking care of others, then there is no problem for a rich person to enter Heaven. Their chances are equal to that of any other person.
Conclusion
The story of the rich man in Matthew 19 is not about condemning wealth but about priorities. Yeshua’s teaching emphasizes that it’s not wealth that hinders salvation but the idolatry of wealth—placing possessions above God and others.
The key takeaway is that salvation is only possible through God and Yeshua, and wealth should be stewarded for His purposes, not idolized. Whether rich or poor, what matters is faith in Yeshua and obedience to God’s commandments, coupled with a heart that values Him above all else, and I leave you with this verse from Proverbs:
Pro 30:8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
I hope you enjoyed this teaching!
