- Matthew 19:24 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 greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
I’ve heard this myth propagated several times. Once I even had a coworker come and share it with me in an attempt to show her cleverness. But, alas, it misses the whole point.
No, Jesus was not talking about a literal gate in Jerusalem called ‘the eye of the needle’ that camels had to squish their way through. I’ve checked and rechecked the evidence on this one, and there is no proof that there ever was such a gate.
The idea of Jesus talking about a small gate that was very difficult to get through is quite convenient for us. It means that though it is not easy, and you may have to unload a few things along the way, it is possible to get into the kingdom if you’re willing to make the necessary sacrifices. But this is not Jesus’ actual point at all. He meant what he said. He was being hyperbolic, he was being somewhat humorous – the thought of a camel going through the eye of a little needle is preposterous – it’s impossible. Do you see that? Then you have his point.
It’s like an elephant springboard diving into a cup of water, like a giraffe doing the limbo under a three-foot-high stick, like a Clydesdale getting into the driver’s seat of a Smart Car. Get it?
It’s not possible for a rich man to save himself. In fact, it’s not possible for any man to save himself. You can’t make enough sacrifices, you can’t unload enough baggage to squeeze in. The disciples understood precisely what he meant. That’s why they immediately asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’
Jesus’ answer implies that it takes the working of a divine miracle for a sinner to make it into the kingdom. We call this miracle the new birth – impossible with man, but possible with God.
The gospel of Jesus Christ declares that salvation is a miraculous act of God. That is why he gets all the glory. So instead of trying to work your way into the kingdom, trust in this miracle working God who sends his Son to redeem us and Spirit to convert us.
Edit: For those wondering whether the ‘camel’ of this text should actually be translated ‘thick rope,’ see HERE. Also note the the Greek word ‘kamelos’ (κάμηλος) is used in the versions of the ‘eye of the needle’ stories recounted in the other synoptic gospels (Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25).
For other posts on common misrepresentations of the Bible, read these:
B.I.B.L.E. ‘Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth’
the way you read this tells me that on rich man can go to heaven. I do not believe that.
Rich by who’s standard is the question. In the US most of us live in a house with clean water hot and cold and enough food to eat daily. Compared to a poor country we are all rich but not compared to some in the US. Material wealth only causes a problem if it takes the place of God.
You may be right in getting that impression where you say enough details were not provided on how God can make the impossible possible while the rich will stay rich. But this whole explanation in Bible is about a man (self righteous and good but not generous) who came to Jesus seeking a confirmation on his faith that he is definitely going to heaven, but while Jesus almost seem to confirm that what he was doing indeed was right, there was a final thing that can turn everything upside down. A commandment. Now go and sell all your possessions and give to the poor. This is vital. A rich cannot on his own, sell his entire possessions to become poor just to enter heaven. It is very very difficult. Sharing itself is difficult, selling everything he ever had was next to impossible. But with God all things are possible. He can transform your heart like he did to the 3000 believers on the day of Pentecost. They sold everything they had and put it at the feet of apostles. The verse implies that God can do the impossible transformation that a person needs to sell everything he has and give it to poor (it doesn’t imply that God can help the rich to go heaven by being still rich or loving his riches).
The verse says vs 23 “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”. It doesn’t say the rich man was trying to enter on his own merits just that its harder because rich people act like they don’t need help.
It’s been a few years, hopefully you’ve done some better research. It is a literal gate in Jerusalem. Camels had to be unloaded and stoop down to pass through. Easier for a Camel to pass through the Eye of the Needle than a rich man to enter heaven – because you know rich were critiqued for their materialism and inability to be humble (to stoop down).
Lando Daddy, actually you are totally wrong!! The gate you refer to did NOT EXIST at the time of Jesus!! It wasn’t built until HUNDREDS of years later. And If it WERE referring to a real gate, something that was POSSIBLe, the disciples would not have been STUNNED!!! Back at that time, wealthy people were considered to be BLESSED BY GOD, even RIGHTEOUS! They must have God’s FAVOR to be so rich!! So for the disciples to hear that NOT EVEN A RICH MAN can enter Kingdom, it STUNNED THEN, and they therefore LOGICALLY asked Then WHO CAN BE SAVED???? They would have no reason to ask this if Jesus were speaking of something POSSIBLE, Jesus actually goes on to ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, if you’d bothered to read on a little farther, He CLEARLY implies that what he was referring to was something IMPOSSIBLE, not just DIFFICULT., He says what is IMPOSSIBLE (NOT DIFFICULT) with MAN, is POSSIBLE with GOD; He is speaking of something MIRACULOUS that needs to happen, not simply DIFFICULT. Please do a little more studying before casting stones and accusations at others.
“In fact, it’s not possible for any man to save himself.” This is the literal truth, regardless of your worldview or favorite dogma. Man is a very small aspect of divine will, but mankind has value, what men do while alive makes a difference. Every drop in the ocean is required to make the ocean whole. Your perspective will reset dramatically when you lose your human body and this will then be more apparent.
In one of the Russian othodox churches close to the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem there is an ancient city gate revered as “the eye of the needle”.
It was used as a security gate, that is heavily laden camels would have to be unloaded of all goods and could only enter on their knees, the goods could then be inspected brought through the gate and the camel could be reloaded.