“IF WE ARE HONEST, THE WESTERN MIND WILL ADMIT THE BIBLE IS FULL OF CONFUSING AND OFTEN STRANGE WORDS AND STORIES WE REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND. FROM CUBITS TO COCKATRICES, FROM SHEKELS TO SCAPEGOATS, THE SCRIPTURES ARE FULL OF MYSTERY.”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about one of the most mysterious and preposterous stories Jesus ever told which has puzzled the minds of many for more than 20 centuries …

…Scholars for centuries have tried to find answers to the often mysterious words and usage found in the Word of God; particularly, terms that are foreign to our western world of thinking. Many times they accomplish this, but at other times they simply fail to do so because they themselves are often confused about them. Now biblically we use various means to comprehend difficult passages of Scripture and related terminology used by God to communicate with us. Archeology is perhaps one of the great tools that enables us to find clues about people and objects mentioned in the Bible that simply don’t exist today. One in particular was used by Jesus in his preaching about riches and the kingdom of heaven. Let’s read the passages and text and after I do we’ll pause one more time for another moment of music, after which I’ll bring some challenging light and understanding on the mysterious and confusing account found there. We begin with the Bible…

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

Mat 19:16-26 (NIV)  Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “’Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus answered, “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.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to 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 man to enter the kingdom of God .” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

… I’m sure after I read that text to you, you were immediately captured by the phrase Jesus used to teach on riches and the kingdom of God . Jesus said,

Mat 19:24 (NIV)  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 .”

This astonishing statement has caused more confusion and variant teaching than many other strange words found in the Bible. Teachers down through the centuries have attempted to explain this phrase, “the eye of a needle.” Perhaps the most common explanation is this. In Biblical times in order to protect a community of people and society, they built walls around them and their cities. When nightfall came they installed various gates for entry into such cities that were closed from sunset to daybreak. Once the gates were closed no one could enter, especially the caravans of people and animals that approached the cities to do trade and business. However, the possibility was always there that during the late night hours certain individuals might arrive needing to enter the city. Therefore, within the huge tall heavy wooden gates, was built a small door for entry. This door was known as the “needle’s eye.” So explains a multitude of commentators. The door was so small that a man might enter if stooped down, and possibly a camel if all his burden of goods carried were stripped and it squeezed through with much difficulty as it crawled upon its knees. It is reported that some gates in Jerusalem even to this day have this small “door in a door,” such as the Jaffa gate in Jerusalem .

Now this all sounds nifty, but to rightly divide the Word of God we must interpret within the context of the passages that surround our text to find the meaning of words, rather than take illustrations from life. When one does that, a whole new concept of the “needle’s eye” appears. Let me share this with you now.

First of all, I do not believe Jesus’ use of the phrase  a “needle’s eye,” ever referred to some tiny door in a city gate. To understand this we must exegete the passages and reference. The occasion in question is when a rich young ruler came to Jesus and publicly challenged Him on His knowledge of how he could get to heaven and receive eternal life.  The text tells us,

Mat 19:16 (NIV)  Now a [rich] man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Two things were asked of Jesus, which he responded to. First he defined what “good” is and second he defined what a man had to do to get to Heaven. In so doing, here was another shock for the disciples’ scale of values. The man was not only rich, but he was apparently moral and more very eager to obtain eternal life. Yet shock of shocks, the disciples of Jesus saw him sent away by Jesus astonishing words. In fact, it cut to their own hearts and thinking. You see, it was common among the Israelites of the day that riches were a sign of God’s approval and blessing. If one were rich, he obviously was favored by God and the best candidate to inherit eternal life. Yet what Jesus told them, literally floored their thinking! If such a man could not be saved by doing “good” in the name of religion, who could be?

Indeed, the man was very sincere, but his thinking of eternal life was centered only on doing good works. However, in spite of his high position in society, his apparent morality, and his sincere religious emphasis, the rich man still felt a longing for something more. However Jesus’ reply did not immediately focus on eternal life. Rather, He forced the rich man to first think seriously about the word “good” that he had used in addressing Jesus. “Only God is good,” Jesus said. “Do you believe that I am good and therefore that I am God?” You see this was the reasoning Jesus wanted this man to understand first of all.  If Jesus is good, then He is God. If He is God then He alone is the way to eternal life. As the revealer of the way to Heaven and eternal life, Jesus told the rich man how to get to heaven. He said – KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS! The rich man asked him again, “Which ones?” Jesus replied, “ALL OF THEM!” Did He actually teach that people can receive eternal life by obeying God’s Law? The answer is yes! But with that answer comes the strange story of the camel and the needle’s eye. In this context Jesus explains, using what we call in language a figure of speech.

Jesus declared that “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 .” Here Jesus was using a particular figure of speech known as hyperbole. Hyperbole is “a statement made in intensified form to produce a vivid, unforgettable effect.”

The effect Jesus wished to convey was it was totally impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle! The Greek word for needle used here is found only three times in the entire New Testament. In every case it is found only in this story found in three gospels. Moreover, the word for needle is a particular word which was used by doctors of the day to sew up a wound, or the seamstress to mend clothing. It has no other meaning! It does not mean a small door in a gate. For to use this illustration destroys the teaching itself. You see, if a man could pass through the “door in the door” ( the needle’e eye) and even a camel could pass through such a gate if it crawled through unpacked, it then would  teach that some might be able to enter Heaven by their own works!

Rather, Jesus was illustrating that no man, rich or poor, but especially a rich man has any ability due to his riches or good works, any other ability to enter Heaven by them. Thus it is impossible! Now this didn’t escape the minds of Jesus’ disciples, for they responded upon hearing Jesus say,

Mat 19:24-25 (NIV)  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 .” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

It is perfectly clear from the “context” that the Lord was not speaking of difficulty, but of impossibility! Humanly speaking, a rich man simply cannot be saved, and for that matter if a rich man can’t, how much more is it impossible for a poor man? You see, if anyone could keep all the commandments perfectly throughout his life, he certainly would enter into eternal life. But no one has, nor can anyone keep God’s Law perfectly. The Bible warns us,

Mat 5:48 (NIV)  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Rom 3:20 (NIV)  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Rom 3:23 (NIV)  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Eccl 7:20 (NIV)  There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.

We see here that Jesus did not introduce the Law to show the young man how to be saved, but to show him that through it he could NEVER be saved and needed another way! The Law of God can only mirror our failure and reveal what lost sinners we are as we trek on to an everlasting Hell. What’s more, all our good deeds count for nothing for Heaven, because we fail to measure up, and worse the value before God of our paltry works is worthless since we do them for our own good and glory!

Prov 21:4 (NIV)  “… the lamp [light] of the wicked, is sin!

Isa 64:6 (NIV)  All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

The disciples were shocked at Jesus’ words in our text, for they like others of their day, by the false teaching of apostate Judaism. they were under the belief that by giving up things, doing good, and other religious works of righteousness, one could earn the favor of God. They said to Jesus in response,

Mat 19:27 (NIV)  Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

Is this so strange? This type of thinking overwhelmingly prevails in religious teaching to this day. Even in so-called Christian circles, followers are taught that through good works, penance, sacrifices and following sacraments, one can obtain forgiveness and possibly eternal life. But the Bible says different as Jesus did that day!

Rom 6:23 (NIV)  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eph 2:8-9 (NIV)  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

The fact is, all of our fallen and sinful human nature is incapable of saving itself and must rely on God’s efficacious grace for that which is humanly impossible, but very possible with God; For, the salvation of a rich sinner is just as miraculous as the salvation of a poor sinner, both are only possible with God! So, the needle’s eye was “hyperbole” to spell out the ludicrous impossibility of a camel going through a sewing needle’s eye! If one cannot do that a sinner cannot be saved rich or poor by good deeds, penance or religious following – there must be another way! That way my friend is Jesus. The Lord later astonishingly said,

John 8:24 (NIV)  I told you [before], that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins."

John 11:25 (NIV)  Jesus said… “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

Indeed how hard it so for those who “trust” in riches to enter God’s kingdom. In order to be saved, one must in a sense let go of all we have and believe on and transfer our trust from things and our own abilities – to the One who alone promises to grant us He life eternal. That is JESUS CHRIST THE INFINITE GOD/MAN, who died on the cross as a substitute payment for our sins.

You see, Christ alone being God was able to keep the whole law of God. Why? Because He was sinless! But becoming a man and keeping the Law of God, he qualified as a man to receive eternal life. Yet being God as well, His life was not finite as yours and mine. As God, He is the giver and source of all life, thus He is infinite life itself! So when this God/Man died on that tree, He offered up in death His life as full and forever payment for the sins of all mankind.

Now the great question is – Did God the Father accept Jesus’ death as a valid substitute payment for the sins of the world? The answer is yes! Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we know God accepted His death payment on our behalf. So now the only way to Heaven and the receipt of eternal life is to reach out by “faith alone,” to accept  God’s gift through Jesus Christ. We accept it by believing in Him as our God and Savior. As our God we surrender all we have to Him for His glory, and we give Him the rulership of our heart and life. Remember now what Jesus told the rich young ruler,

Mat 19:21-22 (NIV) “…“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.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

By giving away all he had, he would have, in effect, surrendered all to Jesus as His God, and by doing that, his good deeds that followed His salvation experience, would actually count for reward in Heaven. But also by following Jesus, he would then be one of the Lord’s disciples. Now, the sad part of this story is the rich young ruler went away and didn’t surrender his life and all he possessed to God.

But things haven’t changed. To be saved today the shocking truth is we still must surrender all we have to Jesus to be saved. No, we don’t have to liquidate our bank accounts, or give away our wealth and possessions to the church. But we do have to let go our grasp on things and offer them to the Lord. The truth is everyone who is genuinely saved, really does that in the heart. It is a heart transaction! Now I know this causes many to grimace or reject this, but that is what it means to be saved. Surrender! Like a rebel laying down his arms before his captor. we too must lay down our arms of sin, and the means whereby we maintain our own power and might.

Have you surrendered? Have you genuinely said to God. “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling?” The Bible says,

John 3:16   “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 1:12    “Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in His name, he gives the right to become children of God.”

To His followers, the loving Master Jesus Christ, always made His teachings clear by using common day illustrations. But on this memorable occasion Jesus illustrated the impossibility of sinful fallen man, rich or poor, good or evil to work ones way to Heaven and inherit eternal life. Yet with God everything is possible! Friend today, you can be saved from your sins, from a  failed life, from any anguish and pain, from ones loneliness and frustration, for God loves sinners, and Christ died for you. All you need to do right now to be saved is look up to Heaven, and in your mind’s eye, see the face of Jesus clearly for who He is. He is your Creator God, who died for your sins and purchased a place in Heaven for you. But you can only receive this free gift through faith. Will you rightly now reach out and receive this gift from your King? Wherever you are, just pause and bow your head and heart and pray a prayer such as this...

“Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I know I’m not worthy of being in heaven with you. But I know now you’ve promised I can be there, for You died in my place for my sins. I believe this now and I want you to be Lord of my life, and Savior of my soul. Grant me now forgiveness of all my sins, your gift of Eternal life, and take up your rightful residence in my life. All that I am and have I give to You now. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Friend, if you sincerely prayed such a prayer, regardless of who you are or what you’ve done, God accepts you and will give you His gift of life eternal. How do I know that, and how can you know it? Why simply because God says so, and God cannot lie. Listen to His promise to all who believe in Him,

John 6:47 (NIV)  I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

John 11:25 (NIV)  “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

May God grant you repentance unto life eternal, and an open mind and heart to understand God’s offer of grace and His goodness to us all, for Jesus sake. Amen.

 

… It is true, within the pages of Scripture there are often terms and teaching that is foreign to our western minds, but when one carefully examines the Bible in its context, one can find the truth that sets us free. “The Needle’s Eye,” was indeed an apt illustration to show the futility and absolute inability for man to earn his way to Heaven by riches, good works or religion. That way is forever closed by our sin, but another way is opened, but only for awhile. Scripture says, “now is the day of salvation… now is the accepted time.” We must surrender and receive Christ as Lord and Savior, for the promise is all may be saved who do. I thank God it was by faith alone I came and it is by faith alone I remain God’s servant and child. Thank God for His love and so great salvation which I’ve shared with you today.