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            The disciples of Jesus that lived during the ministry of Jesus were like human beings of all centuries. They struggled to find a balance between living in a material world, and the needs of that world, and living spiritually. Jesus taught concerning that conflict in the sermon on the mount when he said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). The question asked by Jesus in this sermon was to cause the hearers to think, and us also, regarding that balance between the physical human being and the needs and the human being that has a soul. Later Jesus would ask the question, “What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul”? (Matthew 16:26). These questions asked by Jesus as he taught were to cause the disciples to think about life beyond the earth life.
            After the “rich young ruler had come to Jesus and as the Scripture comments, “he was sad at this word (the word of Jesus), and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Mark 10:22). It was then that Jesus spoke directly to his disciples. “Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard is it for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God’” (Mark 10:23). This was not formed in a question, but was a statement of fact, having wealth of this world makes seeing the spiritual needs a little more difficult. Jesus did not say that everyone that has wealth will be lost or that no one that has wealth can enter the kingdom of God. Jesus went on to explain the wealth issue in the next verse, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:24). Jesus hit upon the key factor, “those who trust in riches”. The young man that came to Jesus was fulfilling the Law of Moses, but he trusted in his wealth. 
            Two times in the passage Jesus said “How hard it is…” In a sense this was a warning to his disciples concerning the wealth that they may have had. It should not be assumed that only those that were poor or in poverty followed Jesus. Sometimes that is the assumption regarding the disciples of Christ. It is as if there is one extreme or another, poverty or wealth. Without a doubt those of all economic situations listened to Jesus and some of all economic status believed in Jesus and came to be his disciples, just as it is in the present century. Yet, as Jesus said “how hard it is…” when God has blessed a Christian materially with wealth.   There are brethren around the world that cannot conceive of what wealth is because of the economic conditions that they live in. There are brethren in the United States that grew up in impoverished conditions, but without even knowing that they were poor because of having a deep faith in God.
            Each first day of the week Christians have the opportunity, to consider their material wealth in comparison with the spiritual blessings and life in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), as the church assembles, and brethren can give as they have been prospered by God (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). The opportunity is not only on the first day of the week, but as wealth can be shared in other ways such as to children’s homes, mission work, benevolence assistance, and other aspects of the Lord’s work. The Holy Spirit would express it this way as he inspired Paul, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). When from out of poverty, as the Macedonian brethren gave (1 Corinthians 8:1-2), or out of wealth as the Corinthians gave, the key was having a heart that loved God and the work that God wants to be done. May we always have that heart.