Camel and “Eye Of The Needle”
After the morning church service, the three old classmates decided to meet for special “laksa” at Goody-Goody food stall last Sunday. Finding an empty table was not an unusual waiting “problem” when the eatery was always full of customers especially so during Saturday and Sunday morning.
“I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23-24. Parallel versions appeared in Mark 10:25; and Luke 18:25).
The aphorism or figure of speech was used by Jesus in response to a young rich man who had asked Jesus what he must do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered that he should keep the commandments to which the man said he had kept them. Then Jesus said in response: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." While the young man became sad and unwilling to sell all his possessions, Jesus’ disciples were astonished at the response.
The Conversation
Jiang Seng: “What is your understanding about the sermon preached this morning? .....I find it interesting how ‘wealth’ can be burdensome for rich people to ‘enter’ the Kingdom of God.....That teaching of Jesus Christ seems to discourage believers to become rich....”
Caleb Andang: “In this particular teaching Jesus Christ used the story of ‘The camel and the eye of the needle’ as aphorism to make hearers think of the unthinkable thoughts.....a figure of speech implying the unlikely or impossible.
Wanye Salih: “My understanding of “the eye of the needle” refers a gate in Jerusalem, which opened after the main gate was closed at night. A camel could only pass through this smaller gate if its baggage was removed and that the camel had to stoop and crawled on its knees in order to enter... I also read somewhere two other mentions about “the eyes of the needle” referring to: (i) that of ancient inns having small entrances to prevent thieves by night; and (ii) that of an old mountain pass. The entrance or pass was so narrow that camel-riders would have to dismount from their camels.”
Jiang Seng: “It was believed in the Old Testament time that being poor was a curse from God, and being wealthy and prosperous were blessings from God (Deut.8:18). The beliefs seem contradictory. If wealthy persons being seen righteous by God from their blessings cannot be saved, who can be? It does portray wealth as a hindrance to salvation. The concept of salvation is theologically difficult for me to understand........”
Caleb Andang: “As I see it- yes! Wealth can but not necessarily be a hindrance to salvation, and it is no more or less than many other things. Yeshua’s usage of the aphprohism or figure of speech (sempama jaku): “eye of the needle” was to correct the false assumption that wealth was always a blessing from God. More often than not the pursuit of wealth tends to isolate us from the workings of God in our lives. Wealth can overtake the words sown in our hearts thus robbing us of God-eternally promised treasures. This is fact and “truth” in reverse.....Under normal state it is difficult (but not impossible) for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God....... Beyond the impossibility is the possibility with God. In Jewish midrash it was recorded: "The Holy One said, open for me a door as big as a needle's eye and I will open for you a door through which may enter tents and [camels?]"......It is inferred that God only needs a sinner to open up just a crack for Him and God will come pouring in and set up room for an oasis. Jesus said: “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear my voice and open the door, i will come in to him nd will dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev.3:20). The message and way to salvation is clear through the grace of God and God-sent-Word born as Yeshua al-Messiah.
Wanye Salih: “By the way, the Bible does not seem to have record on the existence of ‘the eye of needle’ by the wall of Jerusalem apart from being mentioned by Jesus Christ in His teaching .....I read an article and comments on this issue..... ”
Jiang Seng: “An aphprohism or figure of speech figure is an abstract concept or an idea being used to analyze and explain deep meanings of a particular subject matter... In this case the physical existence and variations over “eye of the needle”- be it the wall of Jerusalem, or of ancient inns; and of an old mountain pass; including a claim that kamilos (meaning camel) is a Greek misprint of kamêlos meaning ‘rope" or "cable’ are less important than the intended meanings and impacts of message of God’s salvation.”
Caleb Andang: “To me whether it was kamilos (‘camel’) or kamêlos (‘rope or cable’) is immaterial. It is the stark contrast between the small size of the needle's eye and the large size of a camel (or lesser size of a rope) is a crux of the message explaining how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God because of distraction by wealth and the difficulty to share when a wealthy person is too attached to his wealth.....There is a dierct connection between “eye of the needle” and a "rope" or "cable" in the trade of a “sewer” or a “cobbler”. However, by comparing the economic value of a “rope or cable” and the economic value of a “camel with its baggage of wealth”, I see the contextual relevance of the message in the aphprohism of “camel and the eye of the needle” above that of “rope and the eye of the needle."
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