Camels

Camels. One of my favorite all time commercials is the camel walking through the office asking everyone what day it was. Everyone tried to ignore him until he finally got someone to admit that it was Hump Day!  I used to have a guy I worked with named Mike and I would ask him every Wednesday what day it was and he would make me happy by telling me it was Hump Day. Little things make me happy.

One of the most confusing sections of Scripture involves the mention of a camel. “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." - Matthew 19:24. Putting it context, a rich young man had approached Jesus about what  good deed he need to do to have eternal life. When He overconfidently confirmed he had done all things Jesus required of him, Jesus told him to sell all his stuff and give it to the poor and follow Him. He couldn’t do it.

That leads to Jesus telling the crowd that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven. There is some debate about this saying. In the 15th century a story originated that the “eye of the needle” was a small entrance in the wall around Jerusalem that was used after the gates have been shut for the night. However, no opening has ever really been found to confirm this. Second, it is said that the word “camel” was misspelled during translation and the word should read “rope”. They are very similar in the original Hebrew.  Either way, a rope nor a camel can fit through the eye of a needle.

Either debate really doesn’t matter to the context of the story. The point is this, whether “rope” or “camel,” Jesus’ point still stands; no matter whom you are and what you’ve accomplished, it is impossible to enter the Kingdom of God on your own “good works”. Which is exactly why Jesus had to take on human flesh and come to earth. It goes against our desire to be self-sufficient, the Gospel tells us that apart from being in Christ Jesus, we are deserving of the eternal judgment that God is going to hand out to the unrighteous on the last day.

It does not mean that rich people can’t get into heaven and that they need to sell all their stuff if they want a chance to make it. Remember, Jesus was talking to an unbeliever and not a Christian. In Jesus’ day, being rich was believed to be an outward sign of God’s blessing on someone. Jesus was trying to prove to the young man that material possessions don’t always mean that you are blessed by God. Having accepted His Son means you are blessed by God.

Have a great day and God bless.