Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”
- KJV And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
- BSB Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
- NASB And Jesus, looking around, *said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
- NLT Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus observes how hard it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom. Wealth easily becomes a barrier to wholehearted trust in God.
Overview
Turning the encounter into teaching, Jesus warns that riches breed self-reliance and divided hearts. The difficulty lies not in money itself but in the trust and security people place in it. This challenges the common assumption that prosperity is a sign of God's favor and readiness for the kingdom.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- 1 Cor 1:26For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;
- Luke 18:24Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!
- Mark 3:5When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other.
- Jas 2:5Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
- Matt 18:3and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Mark 10:15Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.”
- Jas 4:4You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
- John 3:5Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
- 2 Pet 1:11For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Matt 19:23–26Jesus said to his disciples, “Most certainly I say to you, a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty.
- Mark 5:32He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 10:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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