what do you think this scripture means?

Question

not exact, but something along the lines of "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven"
Does that mean rich as in a lot of wealth/power/money....or does this mean to have a "rich mans ATTITUDE"??

Answer 1

The scripture (found in Matt. 19: 24, Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25) read (and I'm quoting the Matthew verse), "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."

I believe they are talking about the rich man in Proverbs 18:11, which reads, "The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit."

Proverbs 28:20, says that anyone who focuses on wealth is not innocent. Jer. 9: 23 talks about rich man glorying in his riches, and Micah 6: 12 talks about rich men being full of violence. Verses like this explain the general personality of the "rich man" would be.

Certainly, money won't prevent you from returning to God. It's a matter of how you use it, and how you let it affect you. However, if you glory in riches instead of Heaven, and it causes you to be violent and self-righteous, THEN you're in trouble.

Answer 2

I you look at a map of old Jerusalem you will see a gate also called Eye of needle.

It was a small gate, and you could get a camel throughgh it as follows.

1 bring camel to gate
2 unload camel
3 get camel on knees
4 have came walk on knees through gate
5 load camel

A master camel driver could get a camel throu the gate in under an hour! It can be done, but on a daily bases, no way!

A rich man one that is wealth, easily finds himself wrapped up in the world, at times to the point of neglect of all else.
This is what is spoken of, for it is hard to be wealth, and attend to God, can, and has been done, but getting a camel through the Eye of Needle on a daily bases is far easier!

Answer 3

It is hard for the rich to enter heaven. Not as impossible as it seems as the eye of the needle is the gate made for foot traffic in olden times and the camel would have to kneel down and crawl. It says a lot about humility.

Answer 4

These words are essential for understanding where Jesus stands with regard to wealth. The image is striking, paradoxical, in keeping with the Semitic style. Wealth and the kingdom of God are incompatible, and there is no point in attempting to play down a teaching which appears several times in Jesus’ preaching, as for example, when he says that it is not possible to serve God and mammon (=wealth),1 or when he seems to ask the rich young man to give up something which is impossible for man but not for God.2
But let’s try to understand the true meaning of these words spoken by Jesus himself, which reflect his relationship with the rich.
He associates with people who are well-off. To Zacchaeus who gives away half of his goods, he says: "Today salvation has come to this house."3 Moreover, the Acts of the Apostles testify that the communion of goods was spontaneous and free in the early Church.4
Therefore, Jesus did not intend to found only a community of people who, when called to follow him, leave all their riches.
And yet he says:

"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than
for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God’’

Then what is Jesus condemning? Certainly not the goods of this earth
in themselves, but those who are attached to them.
Why?
It’s clear: because everything belongs to God. The rich person, instead, acts as if the riches were his or hers.
Riches can easily take the place of God in the human heart; they blind us and favor every vice. The Apostle Paul wrote: "Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains."5
What should be the attitude then of those who have possessions? They need to keep their hearts free and totally open to God. They should feel that they are administrators of their goods and know, as John Paul II says, that these goods are under a "social mortgage."6
Because the goods of this earth are not evil in themselves, they should not be scorned, but they must be used well. Our hearts, not our hands, must stay far from them. It’s a matter of using them for the good of others. Those who are rich are rich for the benefit of others.

Answer 5

AS i UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS VERSE IS SAYING IS THIS:
The eye of the needle in this case is the name of a small gateway into Jerusalem, so much so that a camel had to be unpacked [his load removed] before he could get into the city, plus the camel had to get thru by walking on his knees. I think when you have this picture in mind that the illustration becomes clear. The rich man's attitude has go be such that his money cannot stand in the way of him loving or doing things for God. The lesson to us is for us to get out of the survival mode and get in the God loving and doing mode. http://www.carm.org/doctrine/100truths.htm

Answer 6

It is attitude. Abraham was a rich man, but it didn't control him, and he didn't worship the riches. Paul the apostle says that if any Christians are rich, they should remember to trust in the Lord and not the riches. The Bible always explains itself that way.

Answer 7

Needle's Eye was the name of a well known city gate. The gate was built low and small. It's difficult, but not impossible for a camel to bend down low enough to pass through it. In the same way, it's not impossible, but difficult for a wealthy person, who seems to have all their needs met on a daily basis, to come to God.

Answer 8

It means wealth/power/money. These things very easily become a god.

A god is that in which we put our hope and trust.

And God has made it clear in the First Commandment that He will not allow any other God than Himself to be our Lord if we are to enter His kingdom.

Answer 9

Look at the verse in context. As I recall at the time I was talking about material wealth.

And the "eye of a needle" isn't a sewing term. It's a hole in the town wall that was very difficult to get through. It protected against invasion and a camel would have to get down on all 4s and wiggle through.

Answer 10

I've heard that the eye of the needle could have been refering to small passages in the cities back in those days. It was a slang for narrow alley or something like that.