David Bahn – Reflections

It’s not impossible to get a camel through the eye of a needle. It’s just that the camel will be dramatically changed by the process!

Matthew 19:23-30

And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person 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.” ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ²⁷Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Many explain this teaching of Jesus by positing the existence of a small doorway in the city wall of Jesus’ time. This doorway is called the eye of the needle. In order for a camel to get through the doorway, it must be unloaded of all but the camel itself, and actually crawl through the door. Sounds interesting, and it may be true. But I’ve never seen credible evidence that there ever was such a doorway.

What I have seen, however, is evidence of God’s miracle-working grace and truth in the lives of people who have been put through the eye of the needle spiritually. They’ve been changed by God; and their lives are different because their hearts are different. They don’t trust in their wealth. They trust in God. They don’t hoard their possessions, they use them for the benefit of others. They don’t stand aloof and judgmental, they stand in humility at the foot of the cross.

Perhaps you are wealthy by the world’s standards. Perhaps you are poor by the standards of the people in a nearby exclusive neighborhood. In either case you and I need the grace of God so that we do not trust in wealth of any kind, but seek to honor God who has given us all that we have, and trust him to provide for all our needs now and throughout all eternity.