Passing Through the Eye of a Needle

In Luke 18, we see the Parable of the Rich Ruler. It's one most people are familiar with:

Luke 18:18–30

18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ”

21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

25 For 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.”

26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.”

29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

The popular version of this includes the notion that there was a gate in Jerusalem or a door in a gate called "The Eye of the Needle" that was so small camels had to be unloaded and stripped bare of any burdens in order to pass through. The lesson that this parable supposedly taught was that in order to enter heaven, you had to divest yourself of worldly things. 

It's a quaint notion. Some of it is true.  But, it's not the point of this parable. 

There is no such gate in Jerusalem. As far as historical records can confirm, there never has been. The danger of this popular interpretation of the parable is that it portrays the camel's passing through the eye of the needle as something difficult but achievable. All the camel has to do is drop everything he has, squeeze through and emerge into the city. That would seem to indicate that all the rich ruler had to do was sell all his stuff to get into heaven. 

It's far better, and far more accurate to see the camel as a

camel and the eye of a needle as the eye of an actual sewing needle. It's impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle...unless the camel is supernaturally transformed. The camel has no way of getting through the eye by any action he can perform. The rich ruler has no way of getting into heaven by any action he can perform. 

The ruler's question was "...what must I do to inherit eternal life?" - calling Jesus "Good Teacher." Jesus responds with "Only God is good." Jesus is good, then Jesus is God. The ruler thinks He's just a good teacher. The ruler doesn't see the truth of who Jesus is. Jesus' point goes right by him. 

Jesus responds with a short list of commandments, but not all of them. The ruler has met the short list...but not all. He has certainly missed the first two; You shall have no other god before me. You shall have no idols. He, quite obviously, does not worship God. His riches are his idols. Furthermore, as he is about to demonstrate, He clearly struggles with covetousness.

All he wants is eternal life. 

Jesus gives him the answer he's looking for. He simply doesn't get it. Jesus does not tell him it is impossible for the camel to enter through the eye. He says it is "...easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle..."  The follows it with, "What is impossible for man is possible with God."

The ruler leaves unchanged, walking away from the only hope for his transformation, turning his back on Jesus.

Peter valiantly reminds Jesus that they, the disciples have left all they had to follow Him. Jesus assures them they've done the right thing but, in Luke 18:29, is careful to include the truth. They have done the right thing with the proper motives, "...for the sake of the kingdom of God."

The Crimson Thread

It is easy to do things for our own sakes, in order to garner some benefit or blessing. It is much harder to do things with no expectation of return, solely for the sake of the kingdom. 

Only by the presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit can we divest ourselves of the worldly notions that weigh us down and prevent us from experiencing the full blessing of God. Only by being transformed is any of this possible. Praise God, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."