Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 19, 23-30
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Everything is possible for God
1. The rich. They’re the antithesis of what is known as “anawin” which means “poor of spirit,” or “the poor who depend on the Lord for deliverance”. When Jesus talks about the rich, He refers to people who want everything for themselves. They are people who don’t know how to trust God, and don’t put their life in God’s hands. This is being rich in a negative way; it kills the spirit. The funny thing about this kind of wealth is that these people think they can do it all. Rather than asking God to help them in their life, they ask God to do what they want. It’s as if they were the pilots of their own lives – not God. When their plane starts to fall, only then do they ask God to take over. Material wealth crumbles sooner or later, and whoever is rich in this style will never be satisfied. They can have it all, but they will never be content.
2. Self-renunciation. This is what God invites you to do every day: to surrender something in order to grow. You must work on spiritual growth every day, even if it’s difficult. You must let go, to grow. Will it be hard? Yes, but remember you must put yourself in God’s hands because everything is possible for Him. Trusting God requires abandonment, and spiritual growth demands seeking a deeper connection with Him.
3. Eternal life. Search for things that have life in God. Keep on striving to reach Heaven and to have peace in your heart. God is with you, and nothing is impossible for Him. So today, if you have to give up something or someone, let them go. If you are struggling to walk along God’s path, don’t quit, put your life in his hands, share your expectations and desires, your fears and your doubts with him, because there is nothing God cannot do.
Never forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
