Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, 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.”

When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” (Matt 19:23-25)

The disciples were astonished at what Jesus said. They thought if the rich young ruler can’t make it, who can? Their response may puzzle us a bit in our day. If two fellows walk in and sit down in our church, one a very rich man and one a very poor man, we might think the poor man would have an easier time following God. Such judgments should not be made, but we might be tempted to think the poor fellow was more humble. Yet, not so in Jesus day. They would probably pick the rich guy.

Their reasoning probably went back to the nature of the old covenant itself. The old covenant blessings were primarily material. God promised that those who kept the Law would be blessed financially. Those who did not keep Torah would be cursed with poverty. Thus, wealth was thought to be a sign of God’s favor. A rich man was obviously in good with God. If you were poor, it was because either you or your parents did not keep Torah well. The same applied to those who were sick or infirm. The lame, the blind, and the lepers were God’s outcasts. Jesus turned this whole mindset on its ear. His actions towards those thought to be rejected of God revealed the nature of the new covenant kingdom of God.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26)

The old covenant was about the possibility of man. The new covenant was about the possibility of God. Under the old order who you were and what you did defined your relationship with god. If you were born a descendant of Abraham, you had a special place with God. Likewise, if you kept Torah, you were in good with God. The deeds of the flesh and the Jewish bloodlines meant everything. Yet, Jesus said that flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God.

To enter the kingdom, they had to let go of self-definition. Under the Law they defined who they were and what they had with God by their own deeds. That is the possibility of man. Under grace God defines who we are. He defines who we are by who Jesus is and what Jesus had done. To find our place with God, we must deny self and embrace Jesus. We must deny the possibility of man for the possibility of God. The righteousness of Christ replaces our righteousness. He replaces us.

Under the new covenant God does not want us to think of ourselves without thinking of Him. We are tied to Him. And you know what might be even more astonishing? God does not think of Himself without thinking of us. To hurt us is to hurt Him. To love His beloved is to love Him.