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A Camel and a Needle's Eye
A rich young ruler hurried
towards Jesus and knelt at his feet. He may have been
thirty years old, or even forty - the word is used of Saul
when he must have been thirty, and by Josephus of one about
forty. He had however, the earnestness and zeal of youth, and
withal a sincerity that attracted Jesus: "he loved
him". "Good Master", the ruler said,
"what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal
life?" Jesus answered, "Why callest thou me
good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if
thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments".
Various ideas have been deduced from the answer of Jesus.
It was no disclaimer of sinlessness, all agree; but some
say that Jesus was asking if the man knew what he
affirmed; that since only God is good, Jesus too must be
divine. It is better to treat the question of Jesus as an
enquiry whether the words were used by the young ruler
merely as a courteous form of address, or with a sincere
desire to obtain Christ's answer; besides this, the enquiry
also turned the man's thoughts to God and to His standard
of goodness. Jesus therefore instructed him to keep God's
commandments if he would enter into life. This answer was so
general in form that it cannot be regarded as complete;
nor would it appear that Jesus expected it to be so
regarded. The commandments were many, independently of
all the various interpretations of the Rabbis, which
would also be included in the ruler's thoughts. The next
question, Which? was to be expected. In the answer Jesus
only directed him to the Second Table of the Law,
together with the summary of it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. This would be a remarkable limitation if Jesus
were giving a complete answer; but he was evidently leading
the man to a recognition of his position. The man was not hypocritical
when he claimed that he had kept all those; his answer,
however, prepared the way for the last word of Jesus:
"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure
in heaven; and come and follow me" (Matt. 19:21).
The answer evidently touched a secret weakness - the
fascination of riches had a strong hold upon him. To sell
all he had was therefore a call to break free from the
toils that held him, to break away from the worship of
mammon. Although often treated as the whole of Christ's
answer, that renunciation was only half of the demand; it
was, however, preliminary to the second half: "Come and
follow me". This demand was a call to centre his
affection on "treasure in heaven"; it was also
a call to enter the line of the crossbearers, the mark of
Christ's followers. Although the young ruler could not
meet the demand, his possessions being too great to be
renounced, yet Jesus loved him. And as he went away sorrowful
we may not be wrong in thinking that Jesus too was sorrowful
as he watched him go. It was therefore with a sad note that
he pointed out the dangers of riches, as turning to his disciples
he said, "Verily I say unto you, that a rich man
shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again
I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into
the kingdom of God" (verses 23, 24).
Jesus did not say it was impossible - yet he indicated
how difficult it was by the hyperbole of the camel going
through a needle's eye, which if taken literally would
indicate impossibility.
A rather attractive explanation has been put forward in
modern times, that the needle's eye was a small postern
gate, used after nightfall when the large gates of the
city were shut. Only by the load being removed from the
camel's back, and with much pushing and pulling, could
the animal be got through; so the rich man must get rid
of his load of riches if he wished to enter the Kingdom
of God.
Against this idea there are two objections. No ancient
writer ever gives this explanation; yet if it was
customary for camels to get through postern gates such an
explanation might have been expected from men familiar
with the sight. In addition, the variant form in the
Babylonian Talmud, where an elephant takes the place of
the camel, points to the saying being proverbial; for
whatever may be possible with difficulty for a camel
would be quite impossible for an elephant. The saying is
hyperbolic - an exaggeration, to describe a thing very
difficult to do.
Very difficult, but not impossible. The disciples
concluded that it was impossible; they also felt that the
saying of Jesus also implied that none could get eternal
life. To them a rich man seemed to have so many
advantages that if he could not get salvation. No one
else could possibly succeed. "Who then can be saved?"
they despairingly ask. The answer of Jesus is obscured by
the translation of the preposition by the word
"with". He said in effect, "If you stand
by the side of men, and see it as men see it, it appears
impossible; but stand by God's side, see it by His side, and
all things, even the salvation of both rich and poor,
becomes possible".
Watching the retreating figure of the young man, Peter
asked, since the apostles had left all, what they should
have? Jesus promised to them thrones in his kingdom; he
also said that all who for his sake had forsaken present
advantages, should receive eternal life. He then added
words which, while concluding his answer to Peter, are
also the text of another parable, the chapter division in
the English Bible obscuring the connection. "But
many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be
first." When he had finished the parable of the
Labourers, he repeated this statement: "So the last
shall be first, and the first last: for many be called,
but few chosen".
Looking at difficulties from God's point of view the
humanly impossible becomes not only possible but is
actually accomplished when part of God's purpose. Sarah
laughed at the idea of having a son when she was ninety
years old. God, however, promised it and the words of God
to Abraham are both a remonstrance against doubt and a
call to faith. "Is anything too hard for the
Lord?" (Gen. 18:14). Jeremiah performed a great act of
faith when he bought a field in Anathoth while the
Babylonian armies were investing the city of Jerusalem;
but he was fortified by his knowledge that God had made
heaven and earth by His great power; and he could say:
"There is nothing too hard for thee" (Jer.
32:17; cf. God's response, verse 27). Mary, the Lord's mother,
was encouraged to accept her sublime responsibilities as
the mother of God's Son by the angel's words: "With
God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1: 37). Other
things follow from this greatest of all God's acts - that
He has given us His own son for a saviour. Thus the
"impossible thing of law", that sin should be
condemned in the flesh, has yet been accomplished, for
Christ overcame every impulse that was contrary to His Father's
will and so was an acceptable offering for sin (Rom. 8:1-3).
Paul can therefore say: "I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13).
"With God", or "beside God" was
always the outlook of Jesus himself. He saw that men
chained in bondage to riches and power and office, could
yet be released from their slavery and by God's grace
become servants to God.
From:
Parables of the Messiah by John Carter
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