crash!
"I repeat what I said: it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." —Matthew 19:24
Ezekiel predicted that the stock market would crash when prophesying against the prince of Tyre. Tyre by its worldly wisdom and intelligence made money for itself and put gold and silver into its treasuries (Ez 28:4). Tyre was the Wall Street or Madison Avenue of the ancient world. It had grown haughty in its heaped-up riches and was doomed to destruction.
Jesus predicted a crash even greater than the American stock market crash in 1929. He said it was very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mt 19:24). They live in jeopardy of the ultimate crash, eternal damnation. Therefore, "those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and a trap. They are letting themselves be captured by foolish and harmful desires which drag men down to ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. Some men in their passion for it have strayed from the faith, and have come to grief amid great pain" (1 Tm 6:9-10).
Prayer: Father, may I not have anything You don't want me to have.
Promise: "For man it is impossible; but for God all things are possible." —Mt 19:26
Praise: Having made and then lost material riches, Clem turned his life over to Jesus, entered the seminary to become a priest, and found true wealth serving his Lord.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our book, The Bible on Money.)
Rescript: †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 8, 2010
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