Matthew 16
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Matthew: 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. |
Neither the law of God, or Gospel of Christ, require this to be done of all men, and at all times; for though it is a duty binding upon all, and always, to relieve the poor and the needy, yet a man is not obliged to give all that he has to them; see ( 2 Corinthians 8:11 ) nor does either legal or Christian perfection lie in doing this: a man may give all his goods to the poor and yet be destitute of the grace of God, ( 1 Corinthians 13:3 ) much less can such an action merit the heavenly treasure of eternal life. Nevertheless of some persons, and in some cases, it has been required, that they part with all their worldly substance, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel; as the apostles were called to leave all and follow Christ, as this man was also; for it is added,
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Matthew 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.” |
Jesus said that it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Biblical commentators are confused by this statement, and rather than take it as a joke and a hyperbole, they try to rationalize it by suggesting that there was a section in the Wall of Jerusalem with a tiny little door that camels could shimmy through. No! The joke is that a camel fitting through the eye of a needle is a physical impossibility. And as hard as it is to squeeze 1500 pounds of camel through a millimeter-wide opening, it’s even harder for rich people to let go of their wealth and cling instead to Jesus as their All. -The Jesus Question
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Matthew 19:29:
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. |
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