Looking the wrong way

Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 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 context is a rich guy asking how to be saved.

There is so much tongue in cheek the Bible quotes in this blog. But in the end, I would summarize: Look stupid, just follow God and love his people and you'll find real treasure. Money only makes us look the wrong way.

Because money can do so much and there is so much focus on it everyday everywhere, I too did not want to face the truth of what Jesus said. Focus on money, build your confidence on it and it kills. I've seen it because people, real value and simple pleasures are overlooked because of money. Take a luxury meal in a 3 Michelin Star restaurant. There is nothing wrong with it. Yet if you get used to it, a simple noodle in a hawker stall will be sidelined because it is "beneath us".

While food can be a matter of taste, people are far more important. For why do we start families and have babies it not to value people? If money influences the way to value lives, it destroys our humanity and therefore salvation. For being human is not about building our own kingdom, it is about building value in the lives that surround us. No matter how small or large our circle of influence is.

Money, though important, is just a product of these relationships. In a way, we must avoid money in calculating our next move or who to befriend or what to seek because it is as much a distraction as a necessity.

The comment before the initial quote: "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.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Treasure is always in lives and not numbers on a bank statement. Simple but so so difficult if you think you can't do without money.

What can be more direct than this? "19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.