God's Kingdom and Camels
The Reformed Church of France, Paris, France (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 19:23 –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” (v. 24). Seeing the difficulty with which the rich young ruler faced the choice Jesus gave him, our Lord ’s observation that it is very difficult for rich people to enter God’s kingdom (Matt. 19:23) comes as no surprise. Christ underscores just how hard it is for the wealthy to be saved with a proverb that says it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than it is for the rich to find salvation (v. 24). Our Savior’s proverb is similar to other Near Eastern sayings that vividly depict a near-impossible task. Other writings refer to “elephants,” but Jesus speaks of a “camel,” which, as the largest animal used in His culture, is naturally chosen for the illustration. Christ is also talking about the eye of a sewing nee...