Jon Guerra sings, ‘The Kingdom of God’. How does this song speak to you today?

Oh that I could see your face

How I’m longing for that day

Brighter sun of holy grace

Make my heart a holy place

Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own

Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone

Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go

For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God

And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God

And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God

Beauty shining from your face

Always longed to see this place

Is there somewhere I can stay?

Even just a couple days?

Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own

Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone

Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go

For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God

And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God

And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God

The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want

In valley or pasture, we shall not want

Our cup runneth over and over

For now and forever

For now and forever

Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own

Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone

Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go

For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God

And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God

And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God

Oh that I could see your face

How I’m longing for that day

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 19:23-30

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’

Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

Doesn’t wealth make life easier? Not having to worry about life’s financial burdens. Yet Jesus suggests here that there is a problematic side to all this. Why is that, do you think?

The approach Jesus takes surprises those closest to him. They had assumed that wealth was a sign of God’s favour. Is there anything in you that shares their outlook?

Peter, tactless as ever, blurts out “We’ve left everything – what’s in it for us?” If you didn’t know the rest of the story, how might you have expected Jesus to answer him here?

As the passage is read again, notice particularly how Jesus does in fact answer Peter.

Matthew 19:23-30

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’

Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.

Speak for a moment or two to Jesus about your own wealth, or lack of it, and how that influences your relationship with him. Notice any response he gives you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen