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Eye of the needle.


HAZARD

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I heard a sermon about the rich man asking Jesus what he must do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told him to sell everything he had a follow Him. The rich man could not do this and Jesus said, Its easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. I read somewhere that one of the gates into Jerusalem was named "The Eye of the Needle," and was quite tricky to negotiate, since it was quite small. Does this mean that when Jesus said "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven," 


The interpretation that seems to make sense to me is this. The "Eye of the Needle" was indeed a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven.

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4 minutes ago, Yowm said:

 

The quote from Barnes Notes is how I have always understood it as Jesus right after says, 'with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible'...

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, 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. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
(Mat 19:23-26)
 

Yes, remembering, not everyone is rich. There are around 1 billion people in the world who live with less than 1 dollar per day and most have not even heard of Jesus or have seen a Bible. We know God will do right by them if they lived a decent life in the society they were born into..

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20 minutes ago, Yowm said:

Abraham was rich and was saved. 

Our job is to get the Gospel out even to the poor (they're usually burdened under all types of superstitions), as God has already judged the world guilty and need of a Savior. ..even if they lived a 'decent' life, they need the Gospel!

 
So was David and many others. There are many millions of people living now, and in days gone by who have never heard of God, Jesus, the Bible, or God's Word, who will be judged by God, not according to the Law or commandments, but by the way they lived their lives in the society they were born and raised in. Jesus in His 33 years on this earth never reached every person and neither did His disciples or apostles. If the gospel was an absolute necessity then billions have no hope at all.
 
Paul wrote this in Romans 2:11-15, which covers those who have not heard the Word of God or the Name of Jesus.

Romans 2:11, For there is no respect of persons with God.
12, For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13, (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14, For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15, Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

V. 16, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 16, In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
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10 hours ago, HAZARD said:

I heard a sermon about the rich man asking Jesus what he must do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told him to sell everything he had a follow Him. The rich man could not do this and Jesus said, Its easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. I read somewhere that one of the gates into Jerusalem was named "The Eye of the Needle," and was quite tricky to negotiate, since it was quite small. Does this mean that when Jesus said "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven," 


The interpretation that seems to make sense to me is this. The "Eye of the Needle" was indeed a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven.

Yes, I also have heard that a gate in Jerusalem was called the Eye of the Needle and this is what Jesus was referring to.

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On 5/2/2018 at 5:27 PM, HAZARD said:

The interpretation that seems to make sense to me is this. The "Eye of the Needle" was indeed a narrow gateway into Jerusalem. Since camels were heavily loaded with goods and riders, they would need to be un-loaded in order to pass through. Therefore, the analogy is that a rich man would have to similarly unload his material possessions in order to enter heaven.

Close. But I don't think He was saying here that it would be impossible for all rich men, "loaded down" or not, just difficult.

Paul allowed believers to maintain their wealth, so long as they still trusted in God and not their money, telling Timothy, "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." (1 Timothy 6:17). I think this was the same lesson Jesus wanted to teach the rich young ruler. He was one of the rich types who needed to be in a position where he would have to trust the Living God alone, i.e. without his money to save him. But the command was not that all rich men necessarily had to divest themselves of their wealth; simply that they needed to trust in God more than in their money.  

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