And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said,
How hard it is for those that have riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
All Commentaries on Luke 18:24 Go To Luke 18
Theophilus of Antioch
AD 184
Again, observe that He says, a rich man can not possibly be saved, but one who possesses riches hardly; as if he said, The rich man who has been taken captive by his riches, and is a slave to them, shall not be saved; but he who possesses or is the master of them shall with difficulty be saved, because of human infirmity. For the devil is ever trying to make our foot slip as long as we possess riches, and it is a hard matter to escape his wiles. Poverty therefore is a blessing, and as it were free from temptation.
With men therefore whose thoughts creep earthward, salvation is impossible, but with God it is possible. For when man shall have God for his counselor, and shall have received the righteousness of God and His teaching concerning poverty, as well as have invoked His aid, this shall be possible to him.
