Article: What did Jesus mean by it’s easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s hole, than the rich going to heaven?
Dear fellow seeker of truth,
Today, I stumbled upon an intriguing question about Matthew 19:24 within my social media notifications. Recognizing the need for a quick response, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this matter, albeit with the acknowledgment that my response is far from an in-depth study.
Matthew 19:24 is a verse that raises an important theological question, often subject to varying interpretations. Jesus states, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." This metaphorical statement has perplexed many, prompting discussions and debate among scholars and believers alike. I know that this passage is very deep but I try to stick to the user’s question of the impossibility of rich people being saved. Join the conversation and let me know what you see in this passage.
My Response:
This one was a passage that used to give me trouble as well. I used to believe that everyone must be poor and give all away in order to be pleasing to God. But in context, Jesus is talking to a man who trusts more in his earthly riches than in YHWH. Please take a look at the passage below...
Matthew 19:23-26 - Christian Standard Bible
23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
On the surface and reading through our Western eyes we think of a sewing needle and clearly see in our exegesis of this passage that Warren Buffett won't make it to heaven. That is not the case here. Apparently, there are scholars who hold to the idea that Jesus is referring to the gate to the city which would have been hard for a fully loaded camel to get through. So, the camel would have to unload some things in order to fit through it. There are others who profess that Jesus was describing an actual sewing needle. I do not come here to argue either case because I believe the key to this pericope is in verse 26. The baffled crowd responds to Jesus and asks "Then who can be saved?". Then in verse 26 Jesus says "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." He drops the mic and the crowd erupts in cheers! Not really, This rich man's account with Jesus is being used in a larger context to describe this upside-down Kingdom that Jesus has come to establish. It matters not if you are the richest, the strongest, or male. In the Kingdom of God "...the first will be last, and the last first.". That rich man did not prove that rich people could not get into heaven, he proved that there are some things on this earth that can become new gods to us, even supplanting YHWH. We would do well to know that even with that scary reality YHWH is still sovereign enough to save and He gives us the ability to choose Him first over everything else in this world.