The eye of a needle? Mark 10:24,25

Good morning everyone! God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

Well, last session we talked about the rich you man who was told to sell everything and follow Jesus. The young man was sad and left disappointed. Jesus told his disciples, v. 23 "how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

Mark 10:24-25 "This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God. In fact, 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!""

Again, many who are rich believe they have everything and need nothing else. If told to get rid of the riches....well....they have a very difficult time doing so. Hence the camel through the eye of a needle.

The "experts" of the Bible has 3 different explanations about the eye of the camel. However, we must remember what the gest of Jesus' words are - that it is difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God.

One theory is that at night the gates of the city were closed and there was a small gate that people could enter through. If they came after the main gates closed then to enter the small gate they would have to unload the camels of all they are carrying and then enter. Very difficult task and people probably unwilling to do freely.

Another theory is as they traveled overland a short-cut or quicker way to carry their goods was to go through the "eye of a camel" a narrow mountain pass of which it was difficult for a camel to go through. This is possible but there is not a pass with this name, maybe it has changed. The result was the same, the camels would have to be unloaded, then re-loaded - a burden.

The third theory is that in Aramaic the word for camel and rope was the same. It was difficult, yet not impossible for the rope (a part of it) to pass through the eye of the needle.

Or, it could have been a saying such as we have. There used to be a saying about if you could put salt on a birds tail you could catch it. Think about that, if you are close enough to salt a tail you are close enough to catch the bird.

What do these all really mean? They point in the same direction at the same object. The person who has everything on earth would be hard pressed to dispose of it all and follow Jesus, in essence, hold on to material possessions and miss eternal life with God.

Can your money save you? Your house save you? Your car save you? The only one and true salvation is Jesus Christ, Son of God! Again I ask, where are you? With Jesus or with the world (satan)? Go do the right thing. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny