Trying to disprove the saying ‘You can’t take it with you when you die’ a stingy old lawyer instructed his wife to fill 2 pillowcases with money and put them in the attic above his bed. He planned when he passed away to reach out and grasp the pillow cases on his way to heaven. Several weeks later after his funeral, his wife was cleaning up in the attic and came across the pillowcases stuffed with money. “Oh, that old fool,” she exclaimed, “I knew I should have put the money in the basement.”
Luke 18: 18-30. RSV Bible
The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked, “What must he do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus quoted five of the commandments to him and he responded saying that he kept the law. Jesus then said , “One thing you lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” the young man’s body language indicated that was too much to ask of him. “Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Kingdom of God.”
Jewish proverb ‘the eye of a needle’ referred to the narrow entrances into the walled city of Jerusalem. Camels would have to go through unloaded, their heavy burdens removed and on their knees to access through these entrances.
Likewise, on entering God’s kingdom we are released of heavy burdens: guilt, shame, rebellion, fear, envy and worldly love that is tainted with sins of the flesh, our love of self.
Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden is light. and he is gentle and kind and gives rest to those who follow him. Matthew 11: 28-30.
The early church fulfilled Jesus words they sold their possessions and the proceeds were distributed to the needs of the community at Jerusalem. They were expecting Jesus to return in the power of the kingdom. Personal wealth would mean nothing to them. The love of self was replaced with love for God and through receiving His love their hearts were content and their needs satisfied. Mark 9: 1 ‘The Messiah’s Secret Revealed.’
The thread running through the eye of a needle: the love of God.
It speaks of coming to faith through God’s Holy Spirit convicting of the way to find God’s love, “Enter by the narrow gate . . . For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7: 13, 14.
The love of God shed abroad in our hearts God’s love is pure and holy, and brings us into a relationship with the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
After Pentecost Jesus sent the Holy Spirit into the world from the Father. God is love; His Spirit is love.
Augustine wrote on the Trinity, “Now when I, who am asking about this, love anything, there are three things present: I myself, what I love, and love itself. For I cannot love unless I love a lover; for there is no love where nothing is loved. So there are three things: the lover, the loved and the love.”
God the lover, loved us so much that he sent Jesus, the loved of God revealed in the flesh to redeem us through his death and resurrection, enabling us to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit of love.
Jesus says to anyone who believes in him to ask the Father is the giver of good things: the gift of his Holy Spirit.
If you would like to begin a personal relationship with Jesus today pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask your forgiveness. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me for ever.
Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.
The wide gate
“Jesus said, “For the gate is wide and the way easy, that leads to destruction and those who enter it are many.” Matthew 7: 13.
The wide gate is the world that we are born into, so it’s easier to fit in with the spirit this world that is under the influence of the devil that leads to eternal darkness.
In the reading the crowd listening said, “Then who can be saved.” “What is impossible with men is possible with God. and Peter said, “Lo, we have left our homes and followed you.” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers or sisters or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18: 28-30.
All things are possible with God
God’s eternal life can only be received by faith and grace, and eternal life is not hereditary passed from father to son or daughter. It’s through faith, that Jesus took upon himself our personal sin and its causes on the cross, his selfless love he laid down his life’s blood for us to receive forgiveness from God and as God raised Jesus from the dead, so personally we are raised up with Jesus into newness of life eternal, a new creation in Christ.
“Truly, I say to you, there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers or sisters or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Whosoever, believes in Jesus become children of God and joint heirs in Christ, we are part of the royal family in Christ, Jesus the King of Kings. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We gain a new family as well as the one we were born into.
Christians are a heavenly people, in Christ before the foundation of the earth. Ephesians 1:3, 4.
Netfix Series “The Crown.”
Series 3 ‘The Crown’ No 7 ‘Moondust’ 16 July 1969 three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin lifted off on the journey to the moon that lasted 4 days, 6 hours and 45 minutes, finally landing on 20 July 1969.
Prince Philip’s search for God.
Prince Philip the husband of Queen Elizabeth 11 developed a keen interest in the space programme at the time of the moon landings.
During those few weeks leading up to the space mission, Rev Robin Woods asked Prince Philip for permission to use one of the empty houses on the Sandringham estate as a Centre for ‘Recovery and Renewal’ for Clergy from around the UK who needed somewhere to go and spend time talking, reading, thinking and discussing with other clergy their problems.
Rev Robin Wood invited Prince Philip to meet some of the clergy staying at the house. When Philip sat down with them and heard their stories, he said, (on the film) ‘He believed in the intelligence of man and they should model themselves on the astronauts who were men of action.’ Robin Wood replied, “We know that the moon is dust, there’s no God behind the rocks and he quoted from scripture, “When I look at the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars which you have established. What is man that you are mindful of him.” Psalm 8: 3,4.
When Philip met Apollo 11 astronauts in person at Buckingham Palace, he asked them, “What was it like out there on the moon?” They responded saying; it was a relief to have landed, fantastic views of the earth, but they had to spend all their time listening and ticking off procedures. Armstrong said that when he had finished his moon walk, he hoped to get his head down, but the banging noise kept him awake, Philip interrupted asking, “Did the noise come from outside?” He replied “No, it was the water cooler.”
But that wasn’t what he expected to hear, the moon was empty and desolate just as Robin Wood had said.
Philip returned to the Centre and joined the clergy in their group discussions and in the film he shared with them how he felt inside his being, empty and desolate. His mother saw something missing, his faith, he admitted that he had lost it and without it what is there, lonely, anti-climax, faithlessness. Finding wonder divine creation, the solution of problems, not in technology, the answer, inward faith. He apologised for ridiculing them on his previous visit, In the film he said, he was more scared probably than the astronauts going to the moon than coming to St Georges House meeting them. He asked them for their help?
(I made notes of the dialog from the film No 7 ‘Moondust’ Series 3. Fact or Fiction? www.radiotimes.com)
Prince Philip had realised that he needed to find God.
It is impossible for worldly love to fill the void, the empty space in our being, only God’s Spirit can fill the empty space through faith in Jesus.
Those who seek God’s love will find it in Jesus, he demonstrated God’s love when he laid down his life, to be the thread that goes through the eye of the needle, the entrance into the Kingdom of God eternal life.
Prayer
God of all creation, many have yet to have the empty space filled with God’s Spirit of Love. Many have yet to let go of worldly pursuit of finding answers to the questions of life in the universe. Fill us now dear Lord, with boldness and humility to ask the Lord of all creation to meet us at his cross, the crossroads of our life, to wait upon the Lord, to reveal Jesus, the way, the truth and the life. In Jesus’ name Amen.