Juxtaposition

Proverbs 10:22(NKJV)

22    The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,      And He adds no sorrow with it.

VS.

Matthew 19:23-24(NKJV)

23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 

24And again I say to 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.”

Many people, including Christians, use the Matthew verses to attack and condemn the wealthy.  But is that an accurate interpretation of Scripture? 

Let's go back to basics.  God and Jesus are always in agreement.  Proverbs tells us that the blessing of the Lord makes one rich.  That same verse also tells us that He (God) adds no sorrow with it. 

So if being rich is a blessing from God and God doesn't add sorrow to our blessings of richness, then how do you square that with the Matthew verses.

 I believe the key is righteousness.  I am reading Proverbs right now and throughout Proverbs it continually links righteousness and success, riches, etc. 

So based on that, my conclusion is that if a person accumulates wealth as a result of blessings from God it is because of their righteousness in God's eyes.  As long as they keep their eyes on God and continue to live a life focused on following God, entering the Kingdom of Heaven will be no problem, even if they are rich.

Make sense?