Why Is It Hard for a Rich Man to Go to Heaven?

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:24

Jesus told a story of a wealthy young ruler who wanted to know what he must do to get to heaven. 

When the man wouldn’t do what Jesus said was needed, Jesus told the disciples it was hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

But why?

Let’s look at the story and see what it says.

Why Is It Hard for a Rich Man to Go to Heaven?

It’s hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven because wealthy people tend to trust their money instead of the Lord. If they had to pick one or the other, most would choose their riches. And inevitably, the money they trust keeps them from seeing the very thing they need for eternity. We all need a Savior to get to heaven, whether we have money or not. But if you are rich, you are less likely to see your need.   

The Back Story 

A little earlier in Matthew 19, a rich young ruler comes and asks Jesus what good thing he should do to have eternal life.

The man is focused on what he needs to do, and in a roundabout way, Jesus wants him to see he can’t do what is required. Because what’s needed is perfection.  

Jesus hones in on the word “good” and says that only God is good. He then proceeds to tell him to keep the commandments. When the young man asks which ones, Jesus lists some of them, and the young ruler says he has kept them all from his youth.

The young man must have only been thinking about the outward acts and forgetting what Jesus said earlier in the Sermon on the Mount. And it’s unlikely he had kept all the commandments anyway. 

For example, when Jesus said, “You have heard it said you must not murder…but I say if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment.” In other words, unrighteous anger is a sin, and means you are guilty or breaking the law (Matthew 5:21-22).

However, Jesus doesn’t call him out when he says he has kept all the commandments. He knows this young ruler has not done that because no one has. 

With love and compassion in His heart, Jesus tells him he will need to sell all his possessions and come and follow Him.

One of the commandments Jesus had mentioned was, “Do not covet.” 

By selling everything and following Jesus, the rich young ruler would demonstrate faith and learn what it truly takes to get into heaven.

But the Bible tells us when he heard this, “he went away grieved for he was one who owned much property.”

He had asked the question but was unwilling to do what it took.

The Disciples Were Shocked

So, the young ruler leaves. And Jesus says to his disciples, “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven…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.”

The disciples were astonished. How could this be? Wasn’t wealth evidence of God’s blessing?

The Jews believed God materially blessed those He loved. And it makes sense because God had promised the Jewish nation in history that He would bless them with material wealth if they fully obeyed. 

But Israel as a nation didn’t obey. And somewhere along the way, the religious leaders thought the promise applied to them. And their wealth was evidence that proved to others just how much God loved them. But that’s a different story.

Suffice it to say, the disciples had been taught that God blessed those He loved with material riches.

Who Can Be Saved?

Shocked, the disciples asked Jesus, “Then who can be saved?” If not a wealthy man, then who? 

And Jesus’ answer goes back to why it is hard for a rich man to go to heaven. He says, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

People cannot get to heaven on their own.

In other words, when the rich young ruler decided his riches were more important to him than doing what Jesus said, he was giving up eternal life. Maybe he thought he would find another way, but there is no other way. 

Jesus was saying it’s as hard to get to heaven on your own as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. In fact, it’s impossible.

Only God can make it happen. And His way is through His Son, Jesus.

Wealth Blinds Many to Their Need for a Savior

Wealth is what blinded the rich young ruler and is what blinds many today. Matthew 6:24 says you can’t serve both God and money.

Why?

Because when you love money more than God, it becomes your master. You become a slave to greed.

You want your riches more than anything else. You trust in your wealth instead of God.

Now, I’ve known several wealthy people who were godly and used their money to further the kingdom of God. They didn’t love their money more than God. And they didn’t let it blind them to their real need for a Savior.

So, let me be clear. Jesus is not against having money or being rich. He doesn’t tell every wealthy person to sell everything. But if money has such a hold on you that you can’t see you need Jesus, you will not go to heaven. 

The point is your riches cannot get you there. Only Jesus can do that.

A rich person gets to heaven the same way a poor person gets there.

Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”

RELATED > > > > > Is It Selfish to Store Treasures in Heaven?

Final Thoughts

So, why is it hard for a rich person to go to heaven?

• Money often keeps the wealthy from depending on Jesus for salvation.
• The rich young ruler loved his riches more than God.
• Wealth is not an indication of God’s love or favor on you.
• Riches or not, the only way to go to heaven is through Jesus.
• The gift of salvation is far more significant than all the money in the world.
• Your wealth has as much of a chance of getting you to heaven as a camel has of going through the eye of a needle.
• Eternity is at stake, whether your have money or you don’t.

Hopefully, you see that the rich young ruler was the one who made the decision. He had a choice, and he, of his own free will, gave up eternity in favor of his riches. It was in his hands just like every person must decide what they will do with Jesus in this lifetime.

What are your thoughts on this story and what Jesus was saying?