A Post About The Camel Passing Through the Eye of an Needle, and Riches

Photo by lapideo

Part of my daily bible reading via my LifeJournal plan at YouVersion this past week included Luke 18:18-27.
There is a popular legend that explains this verse as such: One of the gates into Jerusalem in Jesus' day was called The Eye of The Needle. It was used by travelers who came to the city after hours when the main gates had already been shut for the night. The legend explains that this gate was intentionally made small so that marauders couldn’t overtake the city via its access. Yet, the stray traveler could enter this very narrow passageway and find safety within city walls during the night. To get through it, the rider had to dismount their camel, and all saddles and bags had to be removed. The rider had to carry the saddles and baggage, or rather push and pull through the very small opening, possibly even unpacking some of it, and the camel had to scoot through on its knees. So, the semi-popular teaching of this legend goes that a rich person can indeed go through an Eye of the Needle like camels and their riders enter through this Gate - “on their knees” and “without baggage.” It’s a very sensible teaching to stress such points - all of us indeed must humble ourselves before the Great God of the Universe, and get rid of the baggage that weighs us down. So you can see how the popularity of this legend has given it quite a following among many Western Christians.

I decided to do some digging, because I could never find any evidence of this particular gate in concordances, commentaries or study bibles I have. There is a reason for that, and really, it’s quite plainly there in the very passage. So let’s read it again with emphasis:

A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For 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.” They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

It’s right there in what I italicized and put in bold print: If this gate was a real and common feature of the city, they would have all known it and their response would not have been “Who then can be saved?” The disciples reply might have gone something like this, “Ahh, only those who strip themselves down and humble themselves on their knees can be saved.” (Which is rather the truth, by the way, so long as it is motivated by faith in Jesus and His redemptive work.) No, Jesus was messing with the common wisdom of the day that the rich were somehow automatically blessed and approved by God. One article I read, and if I find it again (I misplaced it!), I will gladly give link and credit, anyway, the writer said something like this: If Jesus had been speaking in modern day America He might have said, "The rich will get to heaven when pigs fly" because that best explains the colloquial use of language Jesus was employing in using this saying. Jesus told them, not only was it not true that wealth=equals=God's approval, but quite the opposite, that it was a practical impossibility that the rich could be accepted by God. Wow. Re-read that again. Then recall the disciples response, “Well, then who CAN be saved?” And I remind you of Jesus’ response “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” There is hope.

There is always hope. Jesus perceived in the rich young man from the passage the one thing He wasn’t willing to surrender or give up. God will have no idols above Him in our lives. Some of us are the same way that young man was. If it’s not wealth, it could be a relationship, a habit, pride, comfort, whatever. Some people have hobbies, goals and even "good things" they are passionate about, but those things out-distance their passion for God. Jesus’ words here should be taken soberly and it’s best not to make light of what is being said. If you think about it, what He said about riches hits you like a very strong blow, not so much a knock-out blow to the head, as a powerful whack to the gut that leaves you reeling and catching your breath as you process it.

He’s Our Teacher and He said this for a reason. It is harsh. I think that is one of the problems I have with this Needle Gate Legend. It seems like a good and sound teaching, at first glance. But it still diminishes the severe truth Jesus was stating. Jesus also stated, The Truth will set us free (see here). The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God.

I cite the following sites as being helpful and informative in me writing this post: Christianity beta; The Straight Dope; Old City Gates.

An Old Column by Charley Reese

Having spent my formative years in the Orlando-Metro region of Florida, and having been an avid Orlando Sentinel reader, I recall columnist Charley Reese with fondness. This article is neither pro nor con any particular political party, just expressive of that plain sense that seems to have evaporated from our political system. It's been making the rounds on facebook after a dormant period. It had quite an active streak as an email forward (remember those?) in the 2000s, with various incarnations and modifications that mentioned the politicians and wars of the day. I think it bears repeating, and is just as timely now, perhaps more so, as it was when it was originally published in 1984.

The 545 People Responsible For All Of U.S. Woes
BY Charley Reese
(Originally published in the Orlando Sentinel) exact date of publication unknown, circa 1984)

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits? Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes? You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The president does. You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don’t write the tax code. Congress does. You and I don’t set fiscal policy. Congress does. You and I don’t control monetary policy. The Federal Reserve Bank does. One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president and nine Supreme Court justices – 545 human beings out of the 235 million – are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank. I excluded all but the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislation’s responsibility to determine how he votes. A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACY Don’t you see how the con game that is played on the people by the politicians? Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of Tip O’Neill, who stood up and criticized Ronald Reagan for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating appropriations and taxes. O’neill is the speaker of the House. He is the leader of the majority party. He and his fellow Democrats, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetos it, they can pass it over his veto. REPLACE SCOUNDRELS It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 235 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts – of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns, that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist. If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red. If the Marines are in Lebanon, it’s because they want them in Lebanon. There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take it. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exist disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 545 people and they alone are responsible. They and they alone have the power. They and they alone should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses – provided they have the gumption to manage their own employees.

Have a Groovy Day

10 Songs, Old and New(er)

Some days are like a dreamy purgatory, if I don't have enough solitary time, I know that it will not be good for me later. So please Do Not Disturb unless there is blood, vomit or a bump on the head. My Christmas tree is still up, the Three Kings have come and gone, and it isn't even losing needles and it smells good. Calvin stepped on my toe last night and I thought it was nothing much, but today the one that went weee, wee, wee is black and blue and broken(?).


Thank you "said the gramophone" for helping when I am stuck in a music rut. Leave feedback if you feel like it's the right thing to do. One more thing. Bleed is an incredible song, I never heard it before this week.

A Radical Test

Abraham and Isaac Climb Mt. Moriah by Gustave Dore

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

This is another potentially violent and disturbing passage of scripture, the Old Testament (OT) is full of them. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Requests like that are the stuff of lunacy - if we heard of such a thing today we’d consider schizophrenia or delusions. Why would God do that? What kind of God would do that? I'm sure Abraham had such questions, but he must of kept them to himself and reasoned it out. Maybe Abraham's reasoning went something like this:

God told me to leave my father's country and I did and it has gone well for me. God has been teaching me not to lie, or to do any other sinful activity, and it has gone well for me. God seems different from - and displeased with the activities associated with the other pagan religions I observe around me. They commit human sacrifice, among other things, and this God who has called me, and brought me this far has never before made such a request. God told me that my barren wife would bear me a son, even in our old age, and it happened. God told me that I would have numerous descendants through that son, so...I must therefore trust God.

It must've been so difficult for Abraham to obey this command, but we see that he does and all the while, he says "The Lord will provide the sacrifice." And God does! He does not require Isaac's life and intervenes at nearly the last moment. It seems fairly clear that the Lord never intended for Issac's life to be taken this way. I once heard a very inspiring teaching that the entire time Abraham and Isaac were walking up one side of Mt. Moriah, God had sent the ram up the other side, allowing it to get caught in the thicket, and thereby being the sacrifice in Issac's stead. God had planed it and provided it all along! God asks for radical faith and obedience. He was simply testing Abraham's faith and obedience AND pointing to the fact that one day, God Himself would fulfill the covenant by providing His Own Son Jesus.

This was today's reading within my yearly reading from the LifeJournal plan at YouVersion.

Out of the mouths of babes...

So, just as I was thinking to myself last week, this Master Cleanse fast does really make my skin look and feel better, I was hit with an honest opinion from an outside source. Calvin, my youngest child was playing with the other neighborhood boys - a group of them ranging in age from 5-9. I called down to Calvin to ask him a question and he answered me, naturally addressing me as "Mom." To which one of the boys started laughing and said, “Mom? I thought she was your grandma!” So I rather think the fast has made me delirious from lack of food, and my earlier assessment of my skin was, ummm, unreliable. Edited to add: This also points to another facet of US culture. The age range of motherhood. I think Calvin’s friend’s mother was in her late teens or early 20’s when she had him. I was 35 when I had Calvin, so I am indeed closer to the age of the child’s grandmother than his mother.

The first book I've read this year is....

From Touching Rock Bottom To Touching The Nations by Nick Park. It's an interesting and encouraging account of how a young, alcoholic, inhalant-addicted punk from Ireland and England turned his life around through faith. I read it with great interest because I love biographies and stories of transformation and redemption (see Keith Green’s No Compromise and Brian “Head” Welch’s Save Me From Myself). Secondly, my interest was piqued by my husband, known fondly here as Big Daddy, having heard Nick Park speak at a Men’s Conference. He enjoyed Nick Park’s message at the conference immensely! We could both relate somewhat by having been teenage punks ourselves and all that went with it - partying, brawling, and varying degrees having a malcontented attitude with our lives. And then eventually with substance abuse issues. The book chronicles Nick Park’s life and transformation, and the many challenges he faced and overcame, both before and after his sobriety and spiritual change. From rubbing elbows with Sid Vicious to dedicating the babies of Nigerian refugees - it is an interesting chronicle! I recommend this book.

I'm also reading through the bible again this year, along with our denominational initiative, although I have opted to use the LifeJournal reading plan from YouVersion, found here.