Getting Through a Needle’s Eye
One goal that I’ve had for this Modern Day Jesus series has been to help clarify some stories and scriptures that are often misquoted or misunderstood. A few years ago I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and found an unlikely friend quoting scripture. I commented on the post trying to help put the quoted scripture in the proper context, and what followed was a long, drawn out conversation that I hadn’t planned on getting involved with.
The scripture in question comes from Matthew 19. I don’t want us to run into the same problem as my friend, so I won’t single out the verse just yet. Instead, I want you to read the entire passage in context (Matthew 19:16-26). The verse that my friend had quoted was Matthew 19:24, but it’s important that we go back to the beginning to see who this man was and the events that led to Jesus’ declaration.
This story is found in all of the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Each one gives us just a bit more information. Compiling all three stories together, we see that this man was a rich, young ruler. It’s safe to assume, based upon the location stated earlier in this chapter, that this man was a Jew. It is highly probable, being both a Jew and being a ruler, that the man was a synagogue ruler. He was in charge of what we’d consider today as a local church, yet he comes to Jesus asking how he can get eternal life. Jesus responds to the man’s question by telling him to obey God’s commands.
This is where we begin to see the man’s heart. Having grown up as a Jew and having followed the Jewish commands since childhood, he is well aware of what is required for eternal life. There has to be a reason that he comes to Jesus, the controversial teacher that seems to be continuing the ministry of John the Baptist. When Jesus tells him to obey God’s commands, this shouldn’t be a new revelation to him. Yet instead of declaring, “All these I have kept,” he asks the question, “Which ones?”
Which ones?! He has been taught the law since childhood. Being a Jewish ruler in the area, he should understand what is necessary for eternal life. He has access to pretty much any religious leader he wanted to talk to, possibly even being one himself. Instead, he comes to Jesus and asks him what is required for eternal life. I’d say it’s a safe bet that this man was seeking a way out. Jesus is the new teacher in town. He’s teaching a message of repentance, and this man wants to see if his answer will be any different from the law he’s grown up with. It’s like when your kids ask mom something and don’t like the answer so they ask dad. But Jesus tells him the same thing, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, etc., and his response, “I’ve done all that. What else?”
I’m sure at this point the man isn’t really seeking any more rules to follow. I’m sure he’s asking this question hoping to get a pat on the back. He asks and is expecting Jesus to tell him, “If you’re done all that, you’ve earned eternal life!” However, Jesus takes the opportunity to point out where this man has gone wrong. In each of the synoptic gospels (Mt. 22:37,39; Mk. 12:30-31; Lk. 10:27) as well as times throughout the Old Testament (De. 6:5; Lev. 19:18), we’re told that the law can be summarized as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus even alludes to this in his response to this rich, young ruler. While according to this man’s own words he had obeyed the law, he had ignored the principle of the law, which is to love.
Jesus’ command to him was two-fold. It’s purpose was to address the two areas of love expressed in the law, to love God and to love your neighbor. The first command, to sell his possessions, immediately tackles the root of the problem. As Jesus states in the gospel of Luke, “You cannot serve God and money.” He says, “Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Luke 16:13) This man’s response clearly indicates this struggle in his life. His money made him secure and self-sufficient. It made him comfortable and gave him the freedom to do whatever he wanted. However, he also was a Jew, and he knew the standard that God had set before him. This was why he sought Jesus with the question, “what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” As he walks away mournfully hanging his head, we get a clear picture of this man’s heart.
The second command that Jesus gives addresses the second area of the law, to love your neighbor. You can say that you love somebody, but as the common saying goes, actions speak louder than words. If you love somebody and they are in need, you will take action to help them. This could be giving them money or lending them money. This could be giving them a place to stay, giving them a job, coaching them through a difficult time in their life, etc. There are numerous ways to make this happen that may not all require a simple handout. This was where Jesus was trying to direct this man. He lived in his fancy house with his nice clothes and all of his money. He prided himself on being a religious man and keeping the law, yet in so doing he neglected the principle of the law, to love your neighbor.
Jesus then comes to the most often quoted verse from this passage, the same verse that my friend quoted, Matthew 20:23-24. There has been much discussion about what Jesus meant when he referenced the camel and the eye of a needle. Some will argue that there was a small gate in Jerusalem’s wall that was called “the eye of a needle.” Others will argue that the word for camel in Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke) and the word for the thick ropes used on ships sounded similar and were only one letter different. As such, they’ll argue that Jesus was really talking about putting a big rope through the eye of a needle. Others still argue that rabbis and teachers in that time had a common saying, “It’s easier for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle,” that referred to something impossible. As such, they say that Jesus’ words were simply a take on this.
I believe that when Jesus referenced a camel and the eye of a needle, that’s literally what he meant, but whichever way you interpret it, the message is the same. It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. We just discussed the reasons for this based upon the law, love God and love your neighbor.
Many times when I see this phrase quoted, it’s purpose is as a character attack against somebody professing faith in Christ that also happens to be wealthy, whether it’s a celebrity, a politician, or a rich businessman. This verse will be thrown out in order to discredit such a person that is speaking out against a particular sin, be it homosexual activity, adultery, or whatever. The implication goes that this person is speaking against one sin, but they won’t go to heaven either because they’re rich. This is why it’s important that we keep scripture in context, but we’ll touch more on that in a minute.
After Jesus makes this statement, the disciples react in astonishment stating, “Who then can be saved?” In our modern society, if someone were to make the claim that it is difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, we’d all nod our heads in agreement. We all understand the hurdles that come with wealth as Jesus pointed out, but this was a new idea in ancient Israel. In the eyes of the disciples, and everybody else during that time, a person was not rich because they lied and cheated their way to the top. A person was not rich because they labored hard and invested their money wisely. In their eyes, a person was rich because they had found favor with God. If you were good enough, if you were righteous enough, God would bless you with much wealth. Just look at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and King David. Each one was faithful to God and blessed with wealth. Even though they’d heard stories like Job that countered this thinking, it was still widely accepted that if you obeyed God he’d bless you and if bad things were happening it was because you had done something wrong. When the disciples, in astonishment, ask the question, “Who then can be saved,” they’re really saying, “If the most righteous among us can’t enter the kingdom of God, what hope is there for the rest of us?”
This is why it’s important to read scripture in context. Everything leading up to this point is talking about those who are rich, but when the disciples ask this question, they’re no longer worrying about that rich, young man. The focus has now shifted from him to him and everybody else. “If he can’t do it, and God has blessed him, how do we have any chance to find favor with God.” This next part, I feel, is the crux of the whole passage, but it is so often overlooked. It’s the passage that I quoted to my friend, “Jesus look at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
This is the heart of the gospel message. We can’t do it ourselves. It’s not a problem specific to the rich; it’s a problem for all humanity. We aren’t good enough. We can never be good enough, but with God all things are possible. Christ died to pay the price so that we might enter the kingdom of God. Christ paid the price so that rich and poor, young and old might come to him and inherit eternal life. This is the part of this passage that is so frequently overlooked, yet it’s so important. If getting into the kingdom of God is as difficult as getting a camel through the eye of a needle, the truth is that it’s impossible for us. Not just the rich man, but everybody. The good news is that we don’t have to do it by ourselves. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Money and wealth will continue to be a struggle for Christians, especially in America. Is it difficult for a rich person to remain close to God? Yes. Is it impossible? No. The tendency is to begin relying upon yourself and your pocketbook. When you don’t have any money, it’s easy to rely on God for what you need. You don’t have many other choices. You could worry, but that’s a topic for a different time.
The key is remaining humble. America is one of the richest countries in the world. We can have most anything we want when we want it. There are very few things that we truly need. With all this security and independence, it is even more important that we trust in God and humble ourselves before him. You see, the trick to getting through the eye of a needle is that you can’t. Instead, rely upon God, for “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”