Thurs.’s Devo - How to Enter the Kingdom of God

Read Luke 18:18-30 A rich ruler came to Jesus to ask how to be saved. He first tried flattery calling Jesus “good”. Jesus rejected the flattery and gave God the glory. When Jesus told him to follow the commandment,s the man said he did. So now we see he is self-righteous. So Jesus gave him one more opportunity to humble himself and told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. Then God would give him his treasures and he could follow Jesus. Finally the man’s heart has been exposed. He can’t do it and leaves sad. When Jesus sees his reaction he says that it is hard for a man with riches to understand the true riches and enter into the kingdom of God. He compared it to a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle. There is an actual “eye of the needle” that is a narrow low gate that the camels couldn’t get through unless they got down on their knees and crawled. He wasn’t saying it was impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God but just that he would have to come in on his knees - humbly. When the disciples heard Jesus’ response to the rich man they asked him the same question: “who can be saved?” Jesus responded that what was impossible with man was possible with God. So his answer was anyone who humbled himself could be saved. Peter reminded Jesus that they had given up everything to follow him and Jesus said that because they did, they would receive much more in this life and in the next. Lord, may we come to you on bended hearts and knees.