Name it and claim it. God wants you to be happy. That’s what the health and wealth gospel, the prosperity gospel says. And many preachers today have gained both fame and fortune from peddling the idea that material blessings are always a sign of God’s favor. Even the disciples in verse 26 were astonished that Jesus didn’t agree.

But He didn’t. In fact, He said exactly the opposite. In this passage, He said that prosperity is dangerous for Christians. And indeed, this is obvious from any casual glance at history – whenever the Church faces difficulty and persecution it grows, and when it becomes safe and wealthy, it tends to stagnate. As far back as 1702, Cotton Mather observed that even in pious New England, “Religion brought forth Prosperity, and the daughter destroyed the mother.”

So, what can we do about this danger? Well, starting with James and John who left their father’s fishing boats and nets to follow Jesus, some Christians have done what Jesus says in verse 29, leaving prosperous lives and even their families to carry the gospel to a dying world. Some folks like Francis of Assisi have gone so far as to give away all their worldly possessions. And it is only to those who turn the focus of their lives completely to God that Jesus promises the material blessings He mentions in verse 30. But even then, He admits that persecutions come along with the package.

In short, if we seek God in order to get blessings, we are acting like pagans, trying to manipulate the supernatural world for our benefit. But if our greatest desire is God Himself, if we devote ourselves completely to God’s service and to the salvation of others, many material blessings will come to us as byproducts of our faith. If our focus is on worldly goods, we’ll never receive them. But if our focus is on God, we’ll have everything we need.

For, as Jesus says in verse 27, it is only God Who can meet our greatest need. There is nothing any of us can do to save ourselves. No amount of good works or self-denial or fasting or even giving money to the needy can save us. Only God can do that. We must look to Him alone for our salvation.

So, Christians, if God has blessed us with material things, and if God has given us eternal life, is there anything we have that He doesn’t deserve? Shouldn’t we devote all our time, talent, and treasure to the One Who has given Himself up for us so that we might have everything we need?

Mark 10:23-31 (ESV)

23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 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.”
26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.”
29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”