If Jesus Said that Rich People were Hellbound.........?

Question

From Jesus Transcripts:

" Indeed, 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." [Luke 18:25 ]

"Looking at his disciples, he [Jesus] said: "Blessed are you who are poor , for yours is the kingdom of God." [ Luke 6:20 ]


Then why are so many Christians growing increasingly wealthy? Just look at televangelists!!!! I mean come on they preach and preach and preach and then they earn ten times more money than the average person earns in a lifetime. Also, there's also Christian companies that specialize in marketing "Christian" goods...you know what I mean. If they claim to be so religious, then why are they so interested in money???


P.S. I know there are poor Christians- duh. I'm just saying that many Christians seem to be intentionally ignoring many of the things that Jesus said.

Answer 1

Yes, I often like to remind christians of this hypocrisy. And the responders who said it's OK to be rich are obviously rationalizing - there are no such exceptions in the bible. The jesus of these stories meant this literally. He is basically a broke holy hippie with some good radical ideas about morality. According to the stories, he was quite consistent about money and wealth:

- Blessed are the poor
- You cannot serve two masters
- Camel and the eye of the needle
- Sell all that you have and give it to the poor
- Think not of tomorrow's needs

If jesus showed up at the door of most churches, they would not let him in.

Answer 2

Money is not a good or bad thing but it shows who a person really is. If a person is evil they will become more so when they are rich. If a person is very charitable and selfless then they will be even more with lots of money. Jesus said it's impossible for man to be rich and get to Heaven by himself, but he said all things are possible with God. Therefore being rich is only a bad thing if a person does not have the love of God on the inside. With God a rich person can definitely get to Heaven as long as they use it for good and don't hold on to it selfishly. Rich Christians have Jesus in them and they use their money not only on themselves but to help spread the Gospel, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and so on. Abraham, Job, King Solomon and many other men of God were rich but still godly. I'm not a rich Christian yet but when I get there I plan to do the same thing. I think there are too many millionaires and billionaires in the world for there to be so many hungry people.

Answer 3

In Jesus day they had the rich religious leaders that were money lovers. They were not poor by any means. They didn't want to lose that great wealth so had Jesus killed.
But doesn't it seem funny that you hear about Madona spending millions in Africa for the poor, starving orphans. Building orphanages. Opray Winfrey, makes hospitals and schools.
But these TV evangelists make millions they are all on the Forbes list of richest men in America. We never hear about anything they do? Or the Catholic Church barely a wisper for the billions of dollars they have.

Answer 4

God didn't say He wanted us to be poor. He is pointing out that people tend to fall in love with money and you cannot love both God and Money, you can only love one and hate the other. So, although money is nice, people tend to worship it, especially when they have a lot of it. That's why he said the poor would inherit the Kingdom becuase the poor are meek in spitit and will follow Jesus nomatter what. But, how often do you see a rich man sell up His things to follow the Lord? Or fall on his knees to Praise God? It happens sometimes, but not usually.

Answer 5

I think the point Jesus was saying is teh rich tend to make wealth, and the pursuit of wealth, an idol. That would include televangelists (they are people too, subject to all the lures that money have). I do not see it as a Christian problem, but as human one.

Answer 6

between the main serious issues that drove me remote from Christianity become the greediness of lots of the human beings I knew interior the Church. some Christians--those I admire--do no longer hang to their money and are greater beneficial than happy to assist out human beings financially. Others, however, have been unrepentently grasping and had each form of rationalizations to this verse and likewise the myth of wealthy guy and Lazarus the place Dives is going to hell for being miserly. Having examine the recent testomony, i become surprised at how anti-materialistic Jesus quite become--he'd be quite offended at some million-dollar Megachurch. each time I heard lots of the wellbeing and Wealth Gospel preached by applying televangelists ('seed money'?), i had to puke. And the extremely evil, IMHO, have been the tricky-center Calvinists who thought that their wealth become information that they have got been the choose. I in basic terms desire extremely good Christians could examine the e book wealthy Christians in an Age of starvation--very thought upsetting...

Answer 7

With respect to your question, Jesus was referring to those who couldn't unloose their minds from the ways of this world. He was referring to the mindset of this world that inhibits the inner kingdom from manifesting. Again when he spoke of giving all you have and following him, what was being said was this, unloose the mindset and the other mental baggage that is of this world, the attachment to the worlds philosophies and etc and walk in The Way.

It's all about unloosing the mind from the ways of this world. A person can be rich and still not have the mindset of this world, but more so individuals taking care of their responsibilities. One can be rich and not be materialistic. It's the way, mindset, and lifestyle which is essential to growth. When Jesus/Yeshua spoke of the poor in spirit, he was referring to those who are poor in the ways of this world. Much like the poor walk towards the better, those poor in spirit work towards the spirit. Peace

Answer 8

I think he meant that rich people are harder to get to believe because they have everything that they want down here. So they would rather have their material possessions over God. Now, as for christians getting rich, a lot of people proclaim to be christians and are not, but the ones that I know that have money would give you the shirt off their backs and money too.

Answer 9

Not that I'm defending xians, because I'm NOT one, but I think that "camel" reference was meant to show that rich people become corrupt and that's why they don't get to heaven. It's not the riches that is the sin, it's the corruption and greed that is. Such as the televangelists that get richer and greedier "in the name of God".

Answer 10

You see, the rich man lived of the world not just in the world.
The Rich Young Man
16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

18"Which ones?" the man inquired.

Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[a] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"

20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Matthew 19:16-22
However teleevangelists use the money to visit nations of the world in order to save more people!