Eye Of Needle

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” (Matthew 19:23-30)

Some have said the "Eye of the Needle" was a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven.

Some have said the word "gamla" means both "camel" and "thick rope." Assuming the original manuscript with that teaching of Jesus was recorded in Aramaic and later translated to Greek, the translator may have been familiar with only the "camel" definition of the word. 

Who knows and really, who cares?  Jesus emphasized that to follow him everything had to be given up.  That’s how one enters the kingdom of God.  Perhaps this was the clever way Jesus made his point about the first being last and the last being first.  Perhaps it was his way of dramatically making his point about helping the poor and defenseless – the dispossessed.  We are to use our riches wisely and compassionately enabling us to pass through the eyes of our own needles called selfishness, ambivalence, and lack of love for our neighbors.

Deacon David Pierce