And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person 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 a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:23-24 ESV)
Earnings
Religious people in Jesus’ day hoped that financial success was a sign of God’s salvation. They hoped that popularity was a sign of God’s salvation. They hoped that any form of success was a sign of God’s salvation.
They were wrong. But we think similarly, I fear. We hope that membership in a good church is a sign of God’s salvation. We hope that conversion-notches on our Bible-spines is a sign of God’s salvation. We hope that getting along with people is a sign of God’s salvation.
And we, too, are wrong.
It is harder rich person, or a popular person, or a successful person, or a good member, or an active evangelist, or good neighbor to get into heaven than for for a camel to crawl through the eye of a needle (whether a literal needle, or the so-called small door through the wall of Jerusalem).
Because God’s salvation does not depend on any of those things.
Those things are all fine things, admirable things, desirable things. But they are not salvific things.
Our entrance into heaven depends on one thing. Heaven’s gate is opened by Jesus’ hands on our behalf.
Personally, I am glad. If heaven’s gate opened by my knocking, I would not get in.
We can not earn heaven, but Jesus already has.