Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Christ warns that riches present a deadly obstacle to the kingdom. Not that wealth itself bars the way, but the depravity of the human mind makes it scarcely possible for the rich to avoid being intoxicated by abundance. They are bound by Satan, buried and entangled in the earth, swelled with such pride they cannot endure the straits through which God makes His people pass.
AI summary
Some rich men are indeed called by grace into the kingdom, though comparatively few. The difficulty lies not in riches themselves but in placing trust and confidence in them, as this young man did. Mark makes this plain: it is those who trust in riches that find the entrance so clogged.
AI summary
Verse 23. Shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Shall with difficulty be saved. He has much to struggle with; and it will require the greatest of human efforts to break away from his temptations, and idols, and secure his salvation. (p) "That a rich man"