Faith without religion.
The Rich Man and the Kingdom of God: Unpacking Jesus’ Teachings on Wealth and Salvation
marriage, Commandments, wealth
In a recent discussion, Shawn and Delaney delved into the complexities of biblical teachings on marriage, divorce, and the nature of true devotion. The conversation began with an exploration of Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ question about the lawfulness of divorce. Jesus emphasized the sanctity of marriage, suggesting that not everyone is meant to marry, and highlighted the importance of understanding one’s own calling, whether it be marriage or a life of singleness devoted to God.
The dialogue then shifted to the story of the rich man seeking eternal life. Jesus challenged the man to sell his possessions and follow him, revealing the man’s attachment to wealth and illustrating the difficulty of entering the Kingdom of Heaven when material wealth is prioritized over spiritual devotion. This story underscores the broader principle that true fulfillment and righteousness come from placing faith in God above all else.
Shawn and Delaney also touched on the significance of Jesus’ humble and unassuming nature, contrasting it with societal expectations of masculinity and strength. They discussed how Jesus’ life exemplified true masculinity through humility and devotion, challenging conventional depictions of strength.
The conversation concluded with a reflection on the disciples’ sacrifices and the promise of spiritual rewards. Jesus assured his followers that those who prioritize their devotion to God over familial and material ties will find greater fulfillment and unity within the spiritual family of God.
This discussion highlights the timeless relevance of these teachings, encouraging individuals to examine their own priorities and the depth of their spiritual commitments.
Podcast Transcript:
19.
let’s do it
it’s funny we were just talking about
personally talking about
masculinity femininity this one starts
with
uh I uh sorry um
story about divorce
um
and it made me wonder like what marriage
even is that
uh Jesus is
talking to well sorry Pharisees come to
Jesus and they test him asking if it’s
lawful for a man to divorce his wife for
any reason his response is like haven’t
you read uh the Creator made them male
and female and for this reason a man
will leave his father and mother blah
blah they’re no longer two but one flesh
and they shouldn’t separate and then
they try to catch him by saying did
Moses command
you know what about Moses and he
commanded divorce to these different
people and he and Jesus
anyway Jesus ends up saying
um that you know if someone doesn’t need
to get married they should accept that
is that what I’m reading correctly not
everyone can accept this word but only
those who to whom it has been given who
there are people born this way there are
people who have been made this way and
there are those who choose how about
eunuchs there yeah
what do you what can you just unpack
this whole thing what you think the
implications are
okay so they were trying to trap him
because they wanted to see if he would
break the law of Moses a divorce and and
so they’re really trying to get him to
say yeah Moses was okay divorce is okay
there were two branches of the law that
were going on there in the
interpretation thereof the shamai
uh that was one
the hell out okay and one said a man
could divorce his wife if she burnt the
toast
okay said a man can only divorce his
wife if she has an affair
okay that was under the law
and so Jesus is bringing all this into
play and he’s trying to bring it into
play in terms of that time so he’s like
looking if you can accept this
accept it you know if you don’t if you
don’t have to get married then don’t get
married if you’re like a eunuch that
have your you know stuff cut off
sometimes eunuchs are made by themselves
sometimes eunuchs are made by other men
sometimes eunuchs are made for the
kingdom of God’s sake he’s opening it up
he says don’t even get bogged down in it
what you are be what you are and take
your eyes away from all of this and look
to the kingdom that’s the best way for
me to summarize that in the way that we
just that it’s been brought up okay so
you don’t think it’s like necessarily
that he’s instructing one way or the
other it’s just do what you need to do
he’s like if you can understand it you
know later he’ll say marriage is for
this world and the children of this
world Marion are given in marriage that
means they’re here and they need it and
they or they’ll burn that means they
will have sex with everybody or they’ll
be lonely or but if you want to be
single be single whatever all all brings
that same thing actually Paul says it’s
better to be single
yeah I’m plagued by that well he says
that because it’s the end is coming for
them and so he’s telling the bride if
you don’t have to sleep with each other
just stay single because it’s not gonna
all the trouble is not gonna be worth uh
having to balance a marriage with what
is going to be heaped upon you as a
believer I mean do you think that that’s
like at all like a useful idea now if
somebody is uh inclined not to join in
marriage and devote themselves to the
things of God sure but there’s you know
we were made to be with another person
and we were made to marry and that goes
all the way back to the beginning but if
Christ can fill the loneliness and he
can be the partner for the man or the
woman you don’t need to have another
fleshly partner in life but it’s hard
it’s it’s really difficult so you know
it’s a step of faith and look keeping
your eyes devoted to him and that’s
really tough to do
okay so
um little children are then brought to
Jesus this is a short little moment and
um they ask for prayer
and the disciples rebuke them for that
yeah why would you say they did that
to little children I don’t think little
children were seen as uh anything but
the products of parents and that they
aren’t ready to to be taught by the
master and so you know keep him away we
the Master’s speaking of philosophical
things and he’s like you don’t get it
yeah and like saying the Kingdom of
Heaven belongs to such as these so that
was a that was more of a statement than
than I’m
reading it’s a statement not necessarily
an age it’s a statement in heart it’s
humble you’re fearful you you rely on
God you rely on your parents to feed you
you look to Mom and Dad and and so a
child will look to God ends up say help
me help me right and it’s the heart of a
child he’s talking about little children
not specifically it’s just the heart
later on in John 14 he’ll say to his 11
remaining Apostles little children he
calls them little children this is right
before he dies
that’s how who he is to us we are like
little children and these are adult male
fishermen who were rough
technon little technion little children
that’s really cute yeah
um okay well that makes sense so
we get to this story of the rich man and
the kingdom of God right after that
there’s kind of a lot to it it was a
confusing conversation
for me for a few reasons
um okay so the man asked what he can do
to be good
for eternal life
and Jesus says why do you sorry to
rehash but Jesus says why do you ask
this there’s only one that is good and
God yeah that’s God
and there I would think he would say
based on what I know he would say like
you can’t be good give up and just like
follow him sort of but he’s keep the
Commandments yeah yeah that’s the first
thing that was confused before you go to
the second thing okay
the guy comes up and there’s there’s
several ways to interpret that but he
says good master so Jesus says okay
let’s just call you out right now and he
says why are you calling me good there’s
none good but God so are you saying I’m
God or are you saying I’m not
what are you saying here because if
there’s none good but God and you’re
calling me good are you saying that I’m
God are you admitting that I’m God With
Us you get that yeah yeah okay expect me
about what is good oh I see there’s only
people who is okay okay why so because
he’s a man and his man was not God I’m
Jesus of Nazareth what are you seeing in
me that you can call me good and he’s
calling him out seeing if he goes well I
think you’re god with us and then he
would say okay but he doesn’t so keep
going
okay so well then he says keep the
Commandments and he learns the
Commandments
keep the Commandments right well
he is taking a Jewish audience who has
lived under the law under the
Commandments and found their
righteousness through obedience to the
law and he says oh you want to please
God keep the Commandments okay so keep
going
but but
that question is not clear to me the
answer or the question sorry the answer
like why wouldn’t Jesus isn’t he getting
rid of those Commandments there’s only
two Commandments now to love like why
would he say that there because because
he’s trying to get the Jewish mind to
say before him
I can’t keep the Commandments
and then so let’s have an alternative
alternative Universe conversation
he says back to Jesus I can’t keep
tremendous and Jesus says then believe
on the one who can
okay but he’s working him through to
understand his mindset so he just
automatically says to the Jew under the
law we’ll keep the Commandments you want
to be right with God does the
conversation continue in this setting
yeah
okay well just as a note that makes
sense and it comes up later too I took a
note that like
I feel like Jesus like asks a question
knowing that he could like and whatever
answer he gets he can like all the time
to prove his point
he has the ball
and whatever the batter is able to hit
he can throw a different thing at him
yeah
I keep thinking that there’s like a
formula to this like he knows that’s
your black and white way and that’s okay
that’s how you’re made but no no no he’s
a gray area dude see that’s the Jews
they were black and white it says I do
this I do that he’s like oh well let me
give you this one then give me a salad
it’s really confusing yeah it is
confusing to them and it’s especially
confusing now
but anyway he he lists the Commandments
don’t murder adultery honor for their
mother all this stuff and then the guy
says all this I’ve kept so the guy comes
back yeah okay first of all
he probably was able to materially keep
most of those
how do you keep perfectly honoring your
father and mother that’s a question how
do you perfectly keep uh not coveting
happening the last one is tough It’s the
curveball you think you okay you haven’t
stole anything you’ve never lied oh okay
you’ve never done this how about you’ve
never looked and coveted it’s the
curveball in the tin
this goes through he says and the guy
says I’ve kept them all and what happens
what do I still lack yes and Jesus said
if you want to be perfect sell your
possessions and give to the poor you’ll
have treasure in heaven which it feels
like
that was my kind of third question is
like
that seems just like an arbitrary thing
that he threw out is this a rich man
yeah so the man was able Jesus just gets
to the Tap Root problem yeah you’ve been
faithful you never stole you never lied
Mom and Dad you’ve honored okay well
with what’s left um
just go sell all you have and give it to
the poor and follow me
now do you know what that is you know
what that request is asking how did
Jesus say to you Delaney if you really
want to be right I know you do all this
good stuff but just go sell all you have
give it to the poor and follow me what’s
lacking
and it’s like he threw a curveball that
was spinning and dancing that guy was
screwed in winning that argument because
there was no way possible he was going
to be able to do that right especially
because he loved riches and Jesus is
able to show that he didn’t follow the
first commandment which is love God with
all your heart and all your mind and all
your soul and he convicted him right
there without really even having to do
much so and like a roundabout way he was
saying just the two Commandments like
love your father and love your neighbor
in a roundabout way yeah okay you sell
all you have give it to the poor and
follow him you’ve kept the two great
Commandments but you can do that
especially someone who loves riches
so every individual remember this is a
separate in thing with him and he’s
working with them on their issue
can’t take it and say we should sell
everything that we have and give it to
the poor because without everything we
have may not matter to us anyway you see
so that’s why these individual teachings
are for specific people who have a have
a problem in a certain area
but it’s always with the intent to bring
them back to their his two Commandments
love God always always love God love
neighbor
no okay
so and he tells him to sell everything
he has give it to the poor and follow
him three things that are so intensely
difficult and what does the man say it
gets sad
because he had great wealth
it’s awesome
like damn
and he can’t do it
and Jesus says it’s harder for someone
who’s rich to enter the Kingdom of
Heaven again I tell you it’s easier for
Camel that’s where like that phrase like
it just feels
specific to him I know it’s like a
general principle but it is specific to
that guy like
it’s not this yeah it is such a good one
because it’s universally true our money
solves our immediate problems it gives
us peace it gives us everything of this
world our money and so it’s so easy for
that thing the love of it to become Our
God and so he’s just pointing that out
that’s who your God is you know you know
yeah I’m realizing now that
I didn’t know the beginning of this or I
just knew that you know the harder to
than the camel or whatever
but I’m realizing now that money like he
like you said he was able to
say he had followed all the Commandments
because of his money I feel like that’s
a lot of people
do is like they think they’re good
because they’re able to like afford to
be good and it’s like describing that
good when you don’t have the means to
like pay someone to do it for you or
something
I never play the thing you rely on more
than you rely on God what is that thing
you rely on a lot of people it’s other
people their wisdom their friendship
their and and God is like it’s me you
know Jesus it’s me do not put anything
between
so you’re
um
okay so then the disciples say
who can be saved
and that’s the law when it’s done by
Jesus to you you’re like I there’s who
can be saved I’m dead here yeah
and With God all things are possible is
the answer
with man it’s not impossible but With
God all things are possible and I would
imagine if we can add this it’s not in
the text but we can just add this for
our own benefit that Jesus was going
with with man it’s not possible but With
God all things are possible
he who doesn’t live for the money look
to me he doesn’t care about the fame
look to me who has obeyed the law
perfectly out of love look to me place
your faith on me not on your works you
can’t do it right so that’s really the
ultimate lesson look at me and nothing
else
um
it it
has never fully registered to me how
important this is so stupid but how
important
it is that Jesus is like poor
and
I love it
ugly yeah it has nothing that men would
desire of him he’s like a red grown up
out of a dry ground that’s what it says
of him you know and so we look at that
that is the representation of
masculinity and femininity in a man and
it’s beautiful because that is what a
real man is he’s a real man these other
guys are not real men they have
distorted views he’s the real deal
that’s why I get so angry at depictions
of Jesus that make him a strong
Carpenter like looking like a Greek
Adonis screw that he was he was a little
Jew we would have just like
um
a little lowly poor broken Jew without
Education Without looks without money
um
Peter in response to that says we have
left everything to follow you what that
will therapy
Peter is always balancing me me and you
goes to wash his feet Peter says you’re
not washing my feet and Jesus says if I
don’t wash your feet I have no part of
you he says wash my whole body
here is constantly jumping in and giving
his View and Jesus corrected
on it and going back I love the guy
him so important to everything he did oh
my gosh that’s hilarious
oh man this response is heavy what he
gives how long are we doing on time I
wrote heavy explain
that was my question wow uh just keep
going this is my last question so what
does Peter say after that he says we’ve
left all what does Jesus say what will
there Jesus said truly I tell you
at the renew of all things when the son
of man sits on his glorious Throne you
who have fallen me will also sit on
twelve Thrones judging the 12 tribes of
Israel
and everyone who has left houses or
brothers or sisters or father or mother
or wife or children or fields for my
sake will receive a hundred times as
much and will inherit eternal life but
many who are first will be last and many
who are lost will be first okay
he’s absolutely talking to the Jews
alone and to the renewal of all things
which will be when all that’s washed
away the temple the destruction is
coming okay but at the renewal with a
new Heaven and a new Earth he tells
Peter you’ll be sitting on one of the
thrones that will judge the 12 tribes of
Israel that were established back in the
Old Testament this is strictly Jew this
is to them then and he’s telling his
Apostles you’ll sit on 12 Thrones right
or eleven Thrones 12 really with Paul
so
that was his promise and he says and if
you lose children or house or wives or
Mansions or this you’ll get a hundred
fold coming
okay and and so a lot of people use that
today
and the way we would use it today is
that if you lose mom and dad or husband
or wife or children because of your
Devotion to Christ
you’ll be given a hundredfold when it’s
when you come into the body family of
God you’ll get many mothers you’ll get
many fathers you’ll get many children it
will be this there’s no more division in
fighting it will be this Unity that will
exist and that’s the way I think you can
interpret it today okay so but he’s
trying to talk to Peter specifically
about what that Apostle called by Jesus
would receive in the New Kingdom when it
was established
um
okay sorry to be done but is that still
the condition
well it’s the condition spiritually it’s
not the condition material way because
material stuff is all done so what that
means is if you care more about the
opinion of your parents
if you care more about the welfare of
your children
then you do God himself you’re not
worthy of his kingdom and why is that
it’s because when you put God first in
your life you will treat husband wife
and children better Mom and Dad better
and he knows that about us so people say
I’m just about my family I’m about my
family that’s a misappropriation of how
God wants you to relate to them
perfectly and that’s why he says that
it’s not because he wants families to
break up and he wants people to be
disrespectful to parents and children
it’s the order he’s giving
that makes sense that does
thank you we’re done we’re done with
this one
this has been fun this thing called Zoom
it’s very fun
yeah goodbye
