Jesus met a lot of people throughout his earthly ministry. He dined with the sinful. He met and healed many crippled, disabled, and diseased desperate for his touch. He came to the defense of a woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:2-11) and shared a deep conversation with the outcast Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). He even met with the man notorious for his demonic possession among the tombs of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:1-20). In all of his encounters, he never indicates their qualification to be welcomed into God’s kingdom.

In westernized cultures today, we have been raised believing that success, wealth, and the acquisition of possessions contributes to our overall level of happiness. Not only are we susceptible to this belief system, but we are targeted by marketing strategies backed by billions of dollars to convince us that what we have isn’t enough.