“. . . Therefore the cost of having a mansion in Heaven is way more difficult than owning a mansion on Earth. We cannot just sit down having a good time here on Earth always, while expecting to have a slot in Heaven in the hereafter.”
For the rich men, this line of question is saddening or unacceptable, but Biblically speaking, it is impossible for the rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Gospel tells us about a rich man who asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life [Mark 10:17 & Matthew 19:16]. Jesus admired this man for having kept the Ten Commandments since his boyhood [Mark 10:21]. But what he lacked? it was his unwillingness to give his possessions to the poor. Being rich is not forbidden by God in fact He made king Solomon wealthy, but there’s a responsibility that lies on it. The haves are instructed by God to help the have-nots. Jesus commanded us, “love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22: 39). Therefore, to love your neighbor lesser than yourself means you disobey this commandment. If truly you love your neighbor the same as yourself, you can’t bear watching poor people around you in sufferings. Rich men live in luxury everyday, they can buy expensive foods for themselves and even for their pets. They can buy expensive dresses for themselves and even can buy dresses and diapers for their dogs. They can travel around the world and check in at a 5 star hotel. Rich men can afford to do these stuffs while neglecting their neighbors who have nothing to eat, nothing to wear, nothing to take shelter in, and no means to medicate their illnesses. God will become unfair and a liar if He will let wealthy men continue their luxurious life from Earth to Heaven. Christ said, “woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort, woe to you who are well fed now for you will go hungry” (Luke 6: 24-25). To enter the Heavenly kingdom is not easy to obtain, God laid commandments for us to observe so that we might be guided in living a holy life. To fail to follow God’s commandments means to fail to enter His abode. One must undergo sufferings in going through the path of eternal life. Jesus said, “take up your daily cross and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The more you suffer, the more you are to be exalted in the afterlife. If you want to be the first, you must be the very last and be the servant of all (Mark 9: 35). The greatest among us here on Earth will be the least in Heaven. In the parable of a rich man and Lazarus, Abraham replied the rich man who pleaded him, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony” (Luke 16: 25). To have a luxurious life on earth will deny us from entering God’s abode, “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth . . . but store up for yourself treasures in Heaven” (Matthew 6:19). Jesus Christ said, “Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22: 38). It means one should be bound to obey all His laws including to give up their possessions in helping the needy. Christ also said, “blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God, blessed are you who hunger now for you will be satisfied, blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh” (Luke 6: 20-21).
People’s wealth is only a dot compared to the magnitude of the world’s poverty. Assuming that all rich people combine their wealth, still the resulting amount is insufficient to feed the billions who suffer starvation around the world. Certainly, there would be no rich people provided that everyone is willing to follow the will of God. Being wealthy means you are truly greedy, because you cannot possess or amass wealth if only you have pity on your neighbors who can’t buy foods, who can’t pay their hospitalization, and who can’t afford decent houses. Likewise, you cannot get rich in just a short period of time if you don’t accept bribes from corrupt people, accept kickbacks from government project contractors, if you don’t pinch the salaries of your employees, if you don’t cheat your customers, or if you don’t impose high interest rate on your money lent. These acts are detestable to God and will send the committer to hell. If you are a billionaire and you give millions to calamity victims, this has no weight in the eyes of God, for what is millions to you compared to your billions? And if you are a millionaire and you give thousands, this has no weight to God, for what is thousands to you compared to your millions? When you give, it should incur a heavy effect on you. In (Luke 21:3), Jesus commended the 2 mites put in by a widow as greater than the large amounts put in by rich people. For that widow out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. If you plan to own a mansion, it is imperative that you work extra hard in order to afford that dream. How much more to have a mansion in Heaven? Isn’t having a mansion in Heaven is way more fantastic than owning a mansion on Earth? Isn’t it to have an eternal life is way more pleasant than to have a transitory life? Therefore the cost of having a mansion in Heaven is way more difficult than owning a mansion on Earth. We cannot just sit down having a good time here on Earth always, while expecting to have slots in Heaven in the hereafter.
∼ο∼
ALSO READ: