Justin Appel

'It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.'
- Matthew 19:23

Dear Friends,

Today's Gospel lesson is hard to hear because it speak to all of us.

Read Matthew 19:23-30 here.

Following Christ means willingly sacrificing everything, so of course, the love of money is a huge stumbling block to that end. In fact, the disciples understood Jesus to mean it was impossible for those who are attached to their riches to be saved. That's why they respond with the question, 'Who then can be saved?'

It's easy for us (I include myself in this category) to look around at many people who have more money than we do and to feel that Jesus' injunction is not for us. However, Jesus isn't giving a 'one size fits all' kind of message about following him. There are many, many things that can get in the way of our discipleship, and the specifics of such sacrifice may well be different for each of us. This passage prods us to consider all kind of potential stumbling blocks.

Let's just consider one phenomenon in our social system that might compare, namely, education. Higher education, and its credentials, are such a powerful social marker in our society that they only fall short of money itself in terms of desirability. If you have higher degrees and wealth, you are virtually guaranteed success, happiness, and fulfillment -- so say the cultural powers that be, and we are only too eager to believe them. We put an enormous emphasis on gaining these credentials, and we pass the message to our children by prioritizing education -- especially the path to that highly-ranked university --above everything else, even their spiritual development.

That is to say, Jesus' invective against the rich can speak to us about anything we place in front of us, anything that prevents us from following him fully -- even if those things are potentially good. Just to be clear, I believe that higher education is a good thing, but I also know well that credentials (and their pursuit) can be a crafty substitute for discipleship, and that erudition can even be an attractive alternative to devotion.

This passage from Matthew thus teaches us that following Jesus is more important than anything else! More important than money, more vital than success, more essential than 'making a valuable contribution', more valuable than social mobility, and yes, even more important than intelligence. Surely it is better to be a poor, uneducated, and rustic disciple than the most appealing alternative.

And surely it is wise to sell everything one owns to buy a costly pearl, particularly if that pearl is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Yours in Christ,
Justin