Page 416 - Pleasant Words from the Gospe

Pleasant Words from the Gospel

They Do Not Want to Spend in
the Way of God

[Jesus:] "You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adul-
tery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
honor your father and mother." "All these I have kept since I was
a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still
lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor,

and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a
man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard

it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God [paradise]! Indeed,
it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for
a rich man to enter the kingdom of God [paradise]." (Luke,
18:20-25)

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, al-

so sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he
kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest
and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how
is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you... have kept for
yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't

it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't
the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing
such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts, 5:1-
4)

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and
into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ru-
in and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of
evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy,
6:9-10)

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