Is it a sin to be rich, especially in the world today when millions are starving? Didn’t Jesus tell the rich man that to follow him that he should sell all that he had?
The rich young man Jesus encountered asked Christ what he needed to do to achieve spiritual perfection since he already observed the commandments. In response, Jesus* invited* the young man – he did not order or *command *him – to follow Christ more closely by the radical divestment of all his possessions. The young man could not do so and went away sorrowful
(cf. Matt. 19:16-22). In response, Jesus commented to his disciples that riches can be a hindrance to spiritual perfection (cf. Matt. 19:23-26), but he did not say that being rich is a sin.
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