For G-d to not punish one group of sinners but punish another group of sinners would go against G-d's Word for it is written in Romans 2:11 CJB "For God does not show favoritism." It is written in Mattityahu/Matthew 5:45 CJB "Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun shine on good and bad people alike, and he sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike."

Does G-d punish people for sin? For those who follow Yeshua, the punishment we deserved was taken by Yeshua. According to Roman 8:1 CJB, "Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with the Messiah Yeshua." Because of the sacrifice of Moshiach, G-d only sees the righteousness of Moshiach when He looks at us. Our sinful nature was nailed to the Cross with Yeshua and we shall never be punished for it.

The sin that remains in our lives that we are supposed to overcome in our new sinless nature, however, does sometimes require G-d's discipline and some sin brings judgment if we do not make teshuva/repent and turn from that sin. The judgements of G-d are fair, righteous and true. They don't always come quickly. G-d does not treat us as our sins deserve but He is ever patient with us so that we will come to teshuva/repentance. And He judges His children so that they do not perish with the wicked.

Mashiakim Yehudim / Hebrews 12:6-7 CJB says, "My son, don't despise the discipline of ADONAI or become despondent when he corrects you. For ADONAI disciplines those he loves and whips everyone he accepts as a son.

Regard your endurance as discipline; God is dealing with you as sons. For what son goes undisciplined by his father?"

Why does it seem that some people never receive discipline from G-d? Adonai only disciplines His children, not someone else's. Impunity? No. Our G-d does not punish but He does correct and discipline.

Is discipline from G-d's hand great punishment? Does a Father send his child cancer when the child breaks curfew? No. So how does G-d discipline and correct? By His Word, through His servants, but always....ALWAYS in love. G-d loves His children!!

So let's consider the "prosperous man." Mattityahu/Matthew 19:24-26 CBJ "Then Yeshua said to his talmidim, "Yes. I tell you that it will be very hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Furthermore, I tell you that it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." When the talmidim heard this they were utterly amazed. "Then who," they asked, "can be saved?" Yeshua looked at them and said, "Humanly, this is impossible; but with God everything is possible."

This same story is recounted in greater detail in Ur/Luke 18:18-27 CJB. "One of the leaders asked him, "Good rabbi, what should I do to obtain eternal life?" Yeshua said to him, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good but God! You know the mitzvot -- Don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't give false testimony, honor your father and mother..." He replied, "I have kept all these since I was a boy." On hearing this Yeshua said to him, "There is one thing you still lack. Sell whatever you have, distribute the proceeds to the poor, for you will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me!" But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

Yeshua looked at him and said, "How hard it is for people with wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! It's easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!" Those who heard this asked, "Then who can be saved?" He said, "What is impossible humanly is possible with God."

What was this prosperous man missing and what do people with wealth miss most often? Without unreserved commitment to the Lordship of Yeshua Ha Mashiach, a man cannot have eternal life. G-d has no intention of playing second fiddle to ha'satan. You either serve G-d or you don't.

Not only did the rich young ruler not understand nor recognize his need for G-d's mercy and grace because of his own sinfulness, it showed his low view of G-d's requirements and his high view of his own accomplishments. He was big in his own eyes. He failed to see his total lost state because he didn't see his sinfulness, just his accomplishments. He actually thought he was righteous.

Is wealth a stumbling block to salvation? It is if the wealthy person isn't willing to give it all away to have Yeshua. HE is the pearl of great price.

In Ur/Luke 12 is a parable that reveals even more. Ur/Luke 12:13-21 CJB "Someone in the crowd said to him, "Rabbi, tell my brother to share with me the property we inherited." But Yeshua answered him, "My friend, who appointed me judge or arbitrator over you?" Then to the people he said, "Be careful to guard against all forms of greed, because even if someone is rich, his life does not consist in what he owns." And he gave them this illustration: "There was a man whose land was very productive. He debated with himself, 'What should I do? I haven't enough room for all my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and I'll store all my wheat and other goods there. Then I'll say to myself, "You're a lucky man! You have a big supply of goods laid up that will last many years. Start taking it easy! Eat! Drink! Enjoy yourself!'" But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night you will die! And the things you prepared--whose will they be? ' That's how it is with anyone who stores up wealth for himself without being rich toward God."

We can make all the plans we want but are they in tune with G-d's plan for our lives? Do we make our plans based on G-d's guidance or do we just make our plans and expect G-d to bless them? So many people make their own plans, omit G-d, do things their own way and wind up filling a cemetery plot with dead dreams and visions. I've said this before, cemeteries are full of wealth of dead dreams, visions unfulfilled. This is pure ignorance on the part of men of G-d and His ways!

Ur/Luke 16:19-31 CJB "Once there was a rich man who used to dress in the most expensive clothing and spent his days in magnificent luxury. At his gate had been laid a beggar named El'azar who was covered with sores. He would have been glad to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table; but instead, even the dogs would come and lick his sores. In time the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Avraham's side; the rich man also died and was buried.

In Sh'ol, where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Avraham far away with El'azar at his side. He called out, "Father Avraham, take pity on me, and send El'azar just to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue, because I'm in agony in this fire!' However, Avraham said, 'Son, remember that when you were alive, you got the good things while he got the bad; but now he gets his consolation here, while you are the one in agony. Yet that isn't all: between you and us a deep rift has been established, so that those who would like to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

He answered, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house, where I have five brothers, to warn them; so that they may be spared having to come to this place of torment too.' But Avraham said, 'They have Moshe and the Prophets; they should listen to them.' However, he said, 'No, father Avraham, they need more. If someone from the dead goes to them, they'll repent!' But he replied, 'If they won't listen to Moshe and the Prophets, they won't be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!"

I still find this parable shocking. Although the rich man had shown no mercy to El'azar in his earthly life, he believed he still had a right to have El'azar to serve him as an underling in eternity! Such arrogance! He still insisted and assumed he had a right to mercy from G-d even in his agony in the fire. He still just couldn't grasp the truth that he was in need of a Savior, even in his eternal agony. By the way, he's still in agony and this story was recorded over 2000 years ago.

The earthly weath accumulated by men is irrelevant in the Kingdom of G-d. Despite earthly wealth, a rich man has no control over his life when he meets G-d. Wealth is temporary, not eternal unless one has invested in the true riches of G-d.

It is written in Luke 16:11-13 CJB "So if you haven't been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who is going to trust you with the real thing? And if you haven't been trustworthy with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what ought to belong to you? No servant can be slave to two masters, for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can't be a slave to both God and money."

As we can see, wealth has a great responsibility attached with it. To be trustworthy with it, we must give G-d His rightful place in our hearts and lives. We must be willing to do with that wealth whatever G-d tell us to do. And finally, we must recognize it isn't our wealth, but G-d's. We have to be trustworthy in handling it or we cannot receive the true riches of the Kingdom of G-d. We have to place G-d where He belongs in our lives....ahead of the riches of this world. Even if He asks us to give all our possessions away...we must trust Him and obey. Our souls are worth much more than all the wealth of this world but even greater is the value of His Majesty.

A wise, prosperous man believes Hagai/Haggai 2:8 CJB, "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine," says ADONAI-TSVA'OT." A wise, prosperous man will know that wealth is never really his, but G-d's. He will hear and obey the voice of the L-rd knowing that all he sows into G-d's Kingdom will come back to him multiplied so he will only become more wealthy. Not only shall he live prosperously in this life but in the next also.

An unwise, prosperous man just continues gaining wealth by his own means for himself but never sees that wealth never really belongs to him and can be taken away at any time. He'll be working and worrying his life away to hang onto and add to wealth that isn't his but never find the true wealth of the Kingdom of G-d. He might live prosperously at times and for a season in this life but not the next.

Why be in poverty in eternity? Get the wealth of Heaven!