Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
The rich young man has just walked away because he could not bring himself to give up the possessions that stood between him and following Jesus. Jesus now turns to His disciples and says that “it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 23).
Jesus then gives them a striking image: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (v. 24). The image should not be softened into a reference to a narrow gate through which a camel might squeeze with difficulty. Jesus deliberately describes something physically impossible. Wealth can become spiritually dangerous because it can give a person a false sense of security and make dependence upon God seem less necessary.
The disciples are therefore “greatly astonished” and ask, “Who then can be saved?” (v. 25). Their reaction becomes easier to understand in light of the Old Testament, where material prosperity could sometimes be regarded as a sign of God’s favor. If even those who appeared blessed could face such difficulty entering the kingdom, the disciples naturally wonder who can be saved.
Jesus answers, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (v. 26). This is the center of the passage. Salvation cannot be achieved by wealth, status, human strength, or by accumulating good deeds. God desires the salvation of every person and offers the grace by which we can be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). That grace must be received in faith, expressed in obedience to God, and lived out by following Christ. God does not force His gift upon us; He calls us to respond freely to Him.
Peter then contrasts the disciples with the rich young man: “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” (v. 27). The question is understandable. The disciples have done what the young man could not yet bring himself to do. They left their former lives behind in order to become followers of Jesus.
Jesus responds with a promise. Those who have followed Him will share in the life of His kingdom. He speaks of “the new age” when “the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory” and the Twelve will sit on twelve thrones (v. 28). His words point to the fulfillment of God’s kingdom and to the special role of the Twelve in the restored people of God. The image also looks forward to the final fulfillment of the kingdom when the Son of Man comes in glory.
Jesus then extends the promise beyond the Twelve: “Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life” (v. 29). Following Christ sometimes requires real sacrifice. Whatever must be surrendered for His sake is not lost before God. Jesus promises that those who place Him first will receive far more than they have given up, above all the inheritance of eternal life.
The passage ends with another reversal: “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (v. 30). The values of God’s kingdom do not always correspond to the values of the world. Wealth, influence, and status can make someone appear first in this life, while those who sacrifice for Christ may appear to have lost. Jesus teaches that God sees according to a different measure.
The disciples’ question remains important for every Christian: “Who then can be saved?” Jesus’ answer directs us away from confidence in ourselves and toward confidence in God. God desires every person to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and gives us the grace necessary to respond to Him. He does not force us to accept that grace. We remain free to turn toward Him in faith and follow Christ, or to reject His call. Our eternal destiny is therefore not something God arbitrarily chooses for us; it depends upon our free response to the saving grace He offers.
Lord Jesus, free us from trusting in anything more than we trust in You. Give us the grace to follow You faithfully, to surrender whatever keeps us from You, and to place our hope in the salvation that comes from God. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Notes on Matthew 19:23–30.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Notes on Matthew 19:23–30.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Notes on Matthew 19:16–30.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. 662–63, para. 119.
- Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010. 248–50.
- Aguilar Chiu, Jose Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 948–49.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition. With a foreword by Pope Francis. London: T&T Clark, 2022. Commentary on Matthew 19:16–30.
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