“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 ESV).
After a rich young ruler came to Jesus asking what good thing he must do to have eternal life, the Lord told him to sell his possessions, give them to the poor and come follow Him. But the young man went away sorrowful, for he was very wealthy. As the rich young ruler walked away, Jesus told His disciples that it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom.
Jesus used a greater to lesser hyperbole to illustrate the problem. The camel represents the rich man and his possessions, oversized and burdened with a load, while the eye of a needle represents the narrow gate that leads to the kingdom of God. Some have suggested that the “eye of the needle” referred to a small, narrow door within a city gate used for foot passengers, which even a man would need to bow low to enter. However, the metaphor still holds true. A large camel would not be able to enter through either a small door nor a needle’s eye.
Riches have a way of owning us, rather than us owning them. To rely on worldly wealth, rather than God’s provision is idolatry. The rich young ruler who claimed to be a keeper of the commandments had actually failed to keep the first, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are so easily distracted and enamored with the things of this world. Forgive us. Help us to take our eyes off of worldly wealth and to fix our eyes on things above. For You have made us coheirs with Christ and all things are ours through Him. In Jesus’ name, amen.