Mark 10:23-26
New International Version
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[a] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Monday - October 18
The disciples were completely overwhelmed with shock, astonishment and confusion at Jesus. They could not believe what they were hearing. Jesus was saying things that were completely off their radar. They were shocked because they thought that wealth equaled blessing. If a Jewish person who was striving to keep the law was wealthy then they believed that God had rewarded them. This is how we still function in our daily lives. Work hard and get rewards. Get good grades and you can do whatever you want and be whatever you want. Wealth becomes a symbol of our goodness. Having a bigger house, a new RV, a nicer car, and all the stuff we buy becomes a way to measure how successful we are. But Jesus doesn’t care about what we can do for him or how successful we are. Instead, he wants us to live like children who receive every good thing as it truly is: a gift.