Matthew 19:23-30
The first thing that we learn in these verses is the immense danger which riches bring on the souls of those who possess them. The Lord Jesus declares that “a rich man shall hardly enter the kingdom of heaven.” He goes even further. He uses a proverbial saying to strengthen His assertion: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
Few of our Lord’s sayings sound more startling than this; few run more counter to the opinions and prejudices of mankind; few are so little believed: yet this saying is true, and worthy of all acceptation. Riches, which all desire to obtain—riches, for which men labour and toil and become gray before their time—riches are the most perilous possession. They often inflict great injury on the soul; they lead men into many temptations; they engross men’s thoughts and affections; they bind heavy burdens on the heart, and make the way to heaven even more difficult than it naturally is.