Jesus says it’s hard for rich people to get into heaven.

The disciples say, “Then how can anyone get in?”

There is, in their question, the implication that having wealth is a measure of something spiritual, that wealthy people, particularly wealthy religious people,  must be closer to God.

I think it isn’t just those first followers of Jesus. We think that heaven is about amassing a lot of stuff.

Sometimes stuff is touchable stuff.

• But stuff could be opportunities. Money buys access, buys status, buys opportunities. And clearly, the person with more opportunities has a better chance of heaven.
• Stuff could be serving. Money buys greater amounts to give, greater resources for doing huge things for lots of people. Money can give huge numbers of kids bookbags full of the coolest school supplies.
• Stuff could be freedom from hard work. The person who has money has the luxury to spend their time volunteering for great things.

But, Jesus says, this is something that people cannot do, this getting into heaven.  But, he says, God can do anything.

Even lots of money cannot buy all the stuff that can make God happy enough or satisfied enough to get to heaven. There is, implied in Jesus’ words, a sense that wealth can make it harder to depend on God. And that may be true. Of course, being jealous of those who have wealth and being obsessed with accumulating more wealth are just as bad has depending on the wealth you have.

But I think that the passage is about more than money. It’s about how hard I’m working to show God that I measure up.

Give away all of that stuff, Jesus says, all of those dreams of being rich enough or serving enough or connected enough or anything enough.

Just follow.