Matthew 19:24-27
24 “Again I tell you, 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.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

In this passage, Jesus has just finished speaking with a rich young man, who has “gone away sad” because he cannot bring himself to give away all his wealth to the poor, as Jesus had stated. No wonder, then, that Jesus remarks to the disciples that it is “easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle” than for a rich person to get into Heaven on his own. The rich young man, just like most of us modern folks today, have a REALLY hard time giving up money and material possessions to replace them with “treasure in heaven,” which we can’t touch or see.

It is also no wonder, then, that the disciples begin to worry about “who can be saved,” if it’s so difficult to get into Heaven. Jesus’ answer to that worry is beautifully simple: a human being cannot go to heaven on his own merits, but he or she can be saved with God’s grace. (The disciples hadn’t figured out yet that Jesus was going to form the spiritual bridge between God and man, and would provide that grace to make salvation possible.)

But notice that Peter voices a little different concern in the last verse. He says that all the disciples have given up everything to follow Jesus, including material wealth…but he wants to know what kind of reward there will be for doing so. Peter, like most of us, is still thinking of “treasure” in terms of tangible wealth–obvious rewards and acclaim, etc.

We often make the same mistake when it comes to Christianity; we want to see and touch the rewards for being a faithful Christian, and we want everyone to see that we’re getting rewards. But spiritual wealth is not something we can put a price on, nor is it something which is always obvious by our lifestyle. It resides in us: it is the gift of salvation itself, which leads to eventual eternity in heaven. That grace is not a reward for good works, but for surrendering pride and personal gain to trust God fully with one’s whole being. If you’re looking for “treasure in heaven,” as Peter was, salvation and an eternity with God are the answers.