Complimentary Story
I heard that the Bible says that for a “wealthy” person to go to heaven it would be like a camel squeezing itself through the eye of a needle. Is that true and what does that mean? The Bible doesn’t say that someone who is rich can’t go to heaven, but Scripture does warn that it can be quite a struggle. In actuality, many of the Bible’s most faithful men and women were somewhat prosperous — people such as Abraham and Job in the Old Testament, or like Joanna and Lydia in the New Testament. If that is so, then what is the problem? Jesus said in Mark 10:25, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” So just what is this “eye of the needle” that Jesus is speaking of?
If we think in today’s terms, most likely the first thing we think of is the tiny hole in a sewing needle that thread passes through. Some Bible scholars will differ that it is referring to a camel passing through a small gate called the “Needle’s Eye.” This legendary gate was built in such a way that it could be used by pedestrians but not by bandits riding on their camels or horses. The camel could squeeze through the “Eye of the Needle,” but only after being stripped of its rider and cargo and literally had to crawl through the gate on its knees.
Whether Jesus was referring to a tiny needle or this legendary gate, the concept is basically the same. Jesus was trying to explain human impossibility! Someone once said the camel going through the eye of a needle story is an example of the Lord’s humor. Think of how strange that it sounds. A giant camel fitting through the tiny eye of a sewing needle! What Jesus Christ was actually teaching was that material riches were a hindrance to our walk with God. Think of the wealthy young ruler in Mark chapter 10, who sadly walked away after Jesus told him to give away all of his wealth and then come and follow Him. This was the very reason Jesus mentioned the camel passing through the eye of the needle in the first place! It was literally impossible to human thinking, yet nothing is impossible to God. Could a camel pass through a sewing needle? Possibly, but not in one piece, only if it were to be dissected into small enough pieces. God was emphasizing the fact that it could be very difficult for a “rich” man to follow God, yet not totally impossible.
The Bible does warn us about the dangers of wealth, and one of the greatest dangers is that the pursuit of wealth can keep us away from God. Instead of putting the things of God first in our lives, we put our money and wealth first, and end up forgetting God. Wealth can also make us prideful, and we put our trust in our money instead of trusting God. In 1 Timothy 6:10 the Bible warns us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” We must never forget that everything we have — our health, our abilities, and our finances have been given to us by God. We must be careful not to let money become our master. Instead we need to thank God for what we have been given and put our lives into His hands today. And ask the Lord to help us use all that we have in this world wisely, so we can glorify God with our lives.
Email: KBurisek@JesusAnswers.com
