I have often wondered why the disciples were so startled by Jesus’ statement that being rich and being Christian are generally incompatible. None of them were rich. Why were they so disturbed by this statement? Why was Jesus’ encounter with the good, young, rich man so memorable for them? Most of the twelve apostles seemed to be common, working-class folk with several of them being fishermen. Matthew had been a wealthy tax collector. But he renounced his wealth. So, why were they so astonished as the text tells us by Jesus’ statement? They were so dismayed that they exclaimed: Who can be saved? Peter, who is always so outspoken, points out that they had abandoned all to follow Jesus.
From the point of view of natural religiosity, material wealth, physical health, feeling good, and general well-being are seen as the ultimate goal in life and are also seen as signs of God’s approval or blessing of a lifestyle. Jesus is turning that value system upside down. He throws some of life’s basic social values and goals out the window.
The apostles and disciples were mostly from what we could consider the middle class, not the privileged wealthy. But they knew they were not materially poor, not many of them were destitute or from what we would call extreme poverty experiences. When they heard Jesus’ words they self-identified with the rich and those who organize their lives around the importance of money. They heard the words as being directed at them. Whereas we, when we hear Jesus’ words, we self-identify with the poor and think Jesus’ words are directed at other people.
Fundamentally Jesus is speaking about the basic underlaying goal or value in our lives. We tend not to trust in God nor in our family nor our friends nor our neighbors. We tend to put our trust in our bank accounts, insurance policies (car, life, fire, travel, medical, home insurance), safety deposit boxes, retirement funds, work, salary, or social security. We tend to accumulate goods and wealth, even to the point of having goods and money that we do not need nor will ever be able to spend, use, or enjoy.
Poor people don’t have bank accounts, insurance, pay-roll salaries, or retirement funds. They have only God and family and friends. The poor live unattached to and unconfident in material goods and riches while at the same time they live attached to and confident in God, family, and friends. They live unattached and unencumbered.
We dismiss Jesus’s words from our lives and continue with our lives based on building ourselves up based on the American dream of greatness. Whereas, the first disciples heard and listened to the Word of God and changed their lives. They put God and the service of other before all else in their lives. Whatever they had was used to support that mission.
Jesus’ encounter with the good, young, rich man shows us that living a good moral life and obeying a set of moral rules and obligations is not enough. Abandoning our attachment to material goods is the first step in entering the reign of God. This is moving from being simply a morally good person to being truly Christian. Jesus calls us to put the deepest confidence of our life in God and to abandon our trust in things.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
Image: CANVA CJ Dunn 16 August 2026 AI Generated.