And so, since the young man was unable to accept Jesus' invitation to follow Him because of his wealth, the Lord now says in contrition: "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!" If the rich young man had followed Jesus, he would have entered the kingdom of God! "For the Kingdom of God is at hand!" it is already here! You just need to enter it! Already today! But... "How difficult it is for those who hope for riches to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

This is a response to the "horrified" students. Their amazement is emphasized twice. And they were horrified because Jesus completely overturned the established Jewish moral standards. The richer a person is, the more likely it is that he will enter the Kingdom of God. The disciples immediately decided that if Jesus had told the truth, man had little chance of salvation at all. But when they are frightened and ask, "Who can be saved?" they confuse the concepts. After all, Jesus said nothing about salvation, that is, about the eternal life of a rich young man. Salvation was discussed at the very beginning of the conversation. Of course, no one is able to gain eternal life by himself: it is not in the power of man. Therefore, Jesus answers the disciples: "With men it is impossible." But then, at the beginning of the conversation, Jesus said to the young man about the possibility of his salvation by God: "You know the commandments," He told him. God's commandments are the way to eternal life. The one who keeps the commandments of God is saved by God! The inheritance of eternal life, that is, the salvation of man from the power of death, depends on God. That is why it is said: "With men this is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God."

But as long as we do not distinguish the Kingdom of God, which is already here, from eternal life, which is before us only after our death; until we understand that we are entering the kingdom of God today, if we truly follow Jesus, we will look upon wealth as a danger to eternal life. However, our Gospel account does not say that wealth in itself is a danger to eternal life. After all, the young man is rich, and since he keeps the commandments of God, he will inherit eternal life. No, the Gospel story through the mouth of Jesus Christ says that wealth is an obstacle to entering the Kingdom of God, here and now: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

But why is that?

Because the Kingdom of God has its own laws: "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a child will not enter it" (10:15). And again: "Whoever wants to be first, let him be the last of all, and the servant of all" (9:35). To live by such a revaluation of habitual values – and not only to preach and glorify – it is very difficult, almost impossible, for one who is unable to give up his wealth. That is why "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

In the world today, and even more so in the world in which Jesus Christ lived, values were completely different! Let's look at our history from a slightly different angle:

Let us recall the calling of another man who was by no means poor, the publican Levi (Mark 2:14). "As he passed, he saw Levi Alpheus sitting at the toll-house, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he arose and followed Him." A rich young man comes to Jesus Christ on his own initiative. Jesus connects His call to follow Him with certain conditions. The publican Levi is called at the initiative of Jesus, and no conditions are given. In these stories, two initial situations are contrasted: Levi is a "sinner" and a rich young man, as he would be called in Palestine, is a "righteous man." While the publican Levi had no regrets about leaving his doubtful possessions, the rich young man could not part with his wealth, for he, in the spirit of the rabbinic ideas of his day, regarded his wealth as a reward from God for his righteousness. He keeps the commandments, that is, he is righteous, and for this God has rewarded him with wealth! If he parted from it, he would at the same time renounce his well-deserved righteousness.

Now let us turn our attention to the version of our story with the rich young man presented in the Gospel of Matthew. There the words of Jesus Christ to the young man are somewhat different: "Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me" (Matthew 19:21). Do you notice the difference? In Matthew, the words "if you want to be perfect" are added. "Perfect" is a word in ordinary Greek (and the Gospels are written in Greek) means a person who has reached the highest stage of development or initiation. But in the Bible, and in particular in the Evangelist Matthew, "perfection" is understood in a different sense. A perfect person is one who gives himself completely to God, sacrifices everything for God. It follows that the proposal to part with one's wealth cannot be understood "in Greek" as a simple piece of advice to reach some higher moral level. No, the condition to sell everything and give away means to sacrifice everything! To renounce everything, even one's "merits", that is, the real realization of biblical perfection and a real sign of repentance. Therefore, the advice "sell everything you have" is not a mandatory requirement for everyone and always, but specific advice in a specific situation. In principle, it is not a matter of wealth as such, since the situation of a rich and righteous young man can be repeated in endless variations. For it is possible to be "rich" not only with money.

This is further explained in the adjoining dialogue with the disciples (Mk_10:23-27), in which the vivid words are heard: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God" (Mk_10:25). By the way, this paradoxical image has sometimes been weakened by artificial philological tricks. This was done in the rationalist exegesis of the 19th century. They say that Jesus Christ does not say absurd things about the real eye of the needle, but speaks about the city gates, which were called so. Or not about a camel, but about a ship's rope. No. Jesus Christ draws a witty and lively paradoxical image: the eye of a needle and a camel! And indeed, it is impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God, for a rich man who does not need God, or who makes God his employer, who rewards righteousness with wealth. And the disciples of Jesus Christ perfectly understand the deep meaning of this image, they understand that it is not about wealth proper, for this "wealth" can be anything. Realizing that the word of Christ applies to everyone, even the poor, they are frightened to ask, "Who can be saved?" (Mark 10:26). Only beggars who have given themselves to God? But who is capable of this? The answer reads as a general maxim: "It is impossible for men, but not for God; for all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27). In other words, "if all salvation of man depended on his efforts, no one could be saved. But salvation is a gift of God, and for God all things are possible." But how does God make this possible? Jesus Christ offers an answer to this question:

God grants eternal life to those who do His will and keep His commandments.

But the full sense of salvation, the entry into the Kingdom of God already in this life, becomes available to the one who sacrifices everything in order to follow Jesus. He who follows Him finds the "pearl of great price" (Matthew 13:44-45). What God reveals in Jesus what is hidden from the rich, the wise, and the prudent to the poor and the infants (Matthew 11:25).

Returning to the question of wealth: If we delve into all the speeches of Jesus Christ on this topic, we will understand that the meaning of the preaching of Jesus Christ is not in the socio-economic criticism of wealth. Such criticism does not carry anything original, it is as old as the world, superficial and trivial. The preaching of Jesus Christ is the new good news of the approaching Kingdom of God. And in the light of this sermon, the condemnation of the "rich" concerns one and all, for everyone wants to protect themselves, to secure their lives. The goal of condemnation is repentance. Every "rich" person must comprehend what Jesus Christ brings, and as a "beggar" allow Him to give him a part of that true wealth that quenches all thirst and removes all worries.

In addition, the story of the rich, righteous young man makes it clear that presumptuous righteousness, which sees its confirmation in wealth, signifies a lack of freedom and a rejection of Jesus Christ's call to repentance. Neither life nor wealth is ultimately at the disposal of man. In contrast, only those who follow Jesus Christ are free, which is what true repentance means.

Jesus Christ does not aim at the social regulation of wealth and property, nor at its revolutionary abolition. He builds life on a new foundation, on the eschatological Kingdom of God, which comes into the world together with Him and His works.