Rich

 Luke 18

After several parables, Jesus is asked a question by a Ruler. This young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. It was normal for a disciple of a traveling Rabbi to ask such questions, so perhaps this is a follower of Jesus, or someone aspiring to do so. Jesus begins to answer by saying that only God is good, and is reminding this Ruler that he does not compare to God's goodness, and thus has broken at least some commandments.  The specific commandments Jesus listed, though, were kept by most Jewish people that followed the religious teachings of their day.

Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler (Hoffman)

When the Ruler responds that he has done all these things, Jesus tells him to sell everything and give that money to the poor.  We don't know exactly what the Ruler does in response other than that he "became sad," but Jesus goes on to say how hard it is for the rich to enter heaven; it is as difficult as a camel going through a literal threading needle. This hyperbole is the complete opposite of what people typically thought. Usually the rich were revered for their generosity when they gave some of their money to the poor, and the poor were reviled for being less educated, and thus less likely to follow the strict observance of the law.

The other disciples are aghast at this reversal. "Then who can be saved?" they wonder. It seems Jesus has set an impossible standard for people with money.  A camel could never go through a needle, so is he saying it is impossible for the rich to get into heaven? Though the disciples, especially the first four chosen, were not poor with steady jobs as fishermen, Jesus commends them for leaving economic security behind and sharing what they had with the other followers of Jesus.  Though destitution is not required to follow Jesus, it seems that sharing what you have with others is.