Entry Data (Mark 10:23-31)

“And yet, here is Jesus saying that affluence is a barrier to entry.

It is not the only barrier and wealth on its own is not evil. But it carries the dangerous spiritual side effect of self-reliance. Money can solve a lot of problems, at least in the short term. But a byproduct is often that a person starts to rely upon the earthly fortune rather than the heavenly Father.

You’ve heard about how certain drugs hijack the brain’s reward system and can, for a time, flood the brain with plenty of dopamine. But eventually, it damages the brain’s ability to create or process dopamine. The receptors start to die off.

In a spiritual sense, if a Christian relies on material resources for their security, their decisions, to be the driving motivator and navigator of life, it becomes a terrible barrier to discipleship.

We have got to take this warning to heart. I know “rich” is relative, but by nature of the time and place we live in, all of us have greater financial provision, stability, reserves than almost every human being who has ever lived! And the flesh wants to make Rich Young Rulers out of all of us.”