Wealth by itself, of course, is not necessarily a god. The love of money, and not money itself, is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). But we can fall in love with wealth and the power it brings so fast and so hard that we must be on guard against the danger it poses. The fierce god of wealth watches for every opportunity to invade and then rule our hearts. It is more powerful than we are.
None of this is news to Jesus, of course. After his heartbreaking encounter with the rich man, Jesus looked around at the disciples and told them how terribly hard it is for those with much wealth to enter the kingdom of God. Like pushing a camel through a needle’s eye, he told them. And they got the picture: It would be right next to impossible.
For people on their own, Jesus said, it is impossible, but for God everything is possible.
This message is adapted from “What’s Possible” written by Karen Melang in the January/February 2012 issue of Gather magazine.