After watching sadly as the rich young ruler walked away Jesus, looking around, said to His astonished disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” They had been surprised when the seemingly hopeful prospect rejected Jesus’ terms and abruptly turned and left. The disciples were even more amazed at His words concerning the difficulty the rich find in entering the kingdom. In their culture, as previously noted, it was assumed that wealth and power were signs