Luke chapter 18

vs 22

Wait a minute, I didn't read anything about that in the 10 commandments!

I see this a little bit like God challenging Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Would Jesus have actually forced the guy to sell all his stuff? Or was he just challenging him to be prepared to separate himself from anything that might become an idol?

Some people have done this in the past, and I'm sure they've been blessed. The truth is, you will have treasure in heaven, and that is more important than having it here.

Perhaps Jesus just didn't have the time to have rich rulers following him, constantly getting entangled in their ruling, always on their mobile phone about their riches etc. He needed devotion.

vs 23

Did he leave? Did he stay? Don't know. He did become sad. It seems to him like more of a shame to give up everything he owns, because there's lots of it. As if it's easier for poor people to give things up.

vs 24

Either Jesus is looking at his back as he leaves, or is looking him in the face when he says this. Powerful either way.

vs 25

There is no Jerusalem gate called the "eye of the needle" where camels needed to crouch to get in, and have their wares taken off. We couldn't find any historical basis for this at college, anyway. I challenge anyone to show me some evidence to the contrary.

Jesus is talking about camels, and needles. Yes, one cannot go through the eye of the other. (It is reversible, although messy).

People complain that this makes the strictness for getting into heaven too hard.

vs 26

Funny, they did that back then too. Of course it's hard to get into heaven!

vs 27

So then, Jesus clears up their misunderstandings and ours - getting into heaven is not a cakewalk for poor people either. Being rich just piles trouble on trouble, apparently, but it is in fact impossible for men to get into heaven. Only God can make it possible. Do we need any more clarity than that? Camel. Eye of needle. Impossible. But God can make it happen.

vs 28

Which might be why Jesus asked the rich guy to give it all up, too. Jesus said "Everyone else had done it, are you prepared to follow suit?" But anyway, Peter here is blowing his own trumpet, and those of his disciples, a bit. They're better than rich men, right?

vs 29-30

Jesus loves Peter and his other disciples, but instead stresses the universality of this truth. This statement of course includes the disciples, but is not limited to them. Which is good, because it also cuts out the "follow me" part of Jesus' command. Not that we don't all 'follow him' as Christians, but I mean we don't actually have to have been members of that small group of people that followed him while he was walking around to get this blessing of eternal life and stuff.

vs 31

Woo! I bet the disciples were stoked! Going to the big city, and everything that the Son of Man does will be fulfilled there. So he's going to crunch the Romans, and become king, and bring Israel back to God, right?

vs 32

Wait. We're talking about the same Messiah, right? Same prophets, right? Where does it say all this stuff about gentiles and floggings and death?

vs 33

What now? I don't recall any prophecy saying the Messiah will die and come back to life. Craziness. By this time, the disciples are starting to think "Oh, man, have I joined some wacky cult?" But remember, he preached with authority, he did miracles. Surely he's switched on.

Will the disciples understand? Stay tuned!