Camels and Needle Eyes

 Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25 contain the following statement from Yeshua/Jesus: “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.”

Though the meaning is clear, the analogy is somewhat puzzling. The meaning is straightforward enough: it's very difficult for a wealthy man to enter the Kingdom of God. Prizing one's physical possessions may distract us from following God, and may even give us the illusion that we don't need God.

For this reason, we find the following prayer in the Book of Proverbs: "Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches— feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God" (Prov. 30:7-9).

Why a camel passing through the eye of a needle, though? Some have suggested that "the eye of a needle" is an allegory for a small gate in a city wall, which was difficult for a large animal, such as a camel, to squeeze through.

Another option is presented by the Lamsa (Aramaic) Bible, which reads, "And again I say to you, It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Mat. 19:24). Evidently, in Aramaic, the most common language of the Near East in Jesus' day, "thick rope" and "camel" are similar words.

Of course, Yeshua/Jesus may simply have used a camel as a large animal, and the eye of a needle as a very small opening. Either way, it's a clear warning to us not to value our physical possessions — not to value anything in fact — over God and His Kingdom.