We don’t see prohibitions about earning, using, or saving money. Is money bad? Scripture never says so, although it does say that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). He says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) In fact, the Bible mentions money, wealth and possessions over 2,000 times ! In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus points out that money and God are rivaling masters.
Far from being neutral about the way we use our money, God devotes many words of Scripture to help us develop a proper heart posture toward it. Wealth has a curious effect on the human heart. If Jesus asked the same of you, would you obey? He was keeping all the rules, but his response to Jesus’ command revealed that he hadn’t taken the action of following Jesus. Jesus saw that the young man’s heart was not completely devoted to God. Still, Jesus was giving the man a test of his willingness to follow God. In fact, Jesus came because we can never earn our way into heaven. Notably, Jesus began his instruction with, “If you want to be perfect…” From the arc of Scripture, as believers, we understand that we can never be perfect. It was the man’s choice not to sell his possessions and give to the poor. Let’s not forget that Jesus did give the rich young man an option. Can You Enter Through the Eye of a Needle?
Rather than seeing Jesus’ teaching about wealth as a lesson for others, we must examine ourselves. Understanding ourselves as wealthy changes our mindset.
#Eye for an eye scripture how to#
But if you know how to read and write, if your home has electricity, and if the device on which you are reading this article belongs to you, chances are that you are in the top tier of the world’s most wealthy people. Now, compared to others in your geographic area, you might consider yourself to be middle class, or your income may even hover near your local poverty line. According to a paper from the World Bank in 2012, if you make more than $50,000 annually, you are in the global 1 percent. Worldwide statistics show that, in fact, you are probably one of the world’s wealthiest people.
If you’re reading this article and thinking of the rich as billionaires who lead Fortune 500 companies, you may need to reset your idea of wealth. Jesus himself settles the question: He was intentionally referring to something impossible. In fact, when the disciples then speculate that no one can be saved, Jesus replies, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) However, all of them point to the same lesson: Jesus said that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a rich person to enter His Kingdom. There are several potential explanations for what camels and needles could have meant in Biblical times. Still, others insist that Jesus’ statement was as absurd as it sounds, actually referring to our same notions of camels and needles. Other commentators suggest that, at that time, there was a type of small gate called a needle. In other words, He may have been referring to something extremely difficult, but not impossible. Some scholars say that the word was misspelled, and so Jesus may have been making an analogy to threading a thick rope through the eye of a needle, not a large animal. The Aramaic word for “rope,” kamilon, was almost identical to the Greek word for “camel,” kamelon, which appears in the verse. Commentaries suggest that He may have been saying something different. If Jesus was talking about an actual camel and an actual needle, then the rich are in big trouble. So what is the meaning of that verse? Was Jesus really saying that rich people can’t enter the kingdom of God? Let’s look more closely at the passage to see what we can learn. What’s immediately obvious is that camels are far too large to fit through the eyes of needles.
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” -Matthew 19:21-24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus tells the young man to keep God’s commandments, which the man quickly claims to have kept. A rich young man comes up to Jesus and asks Him how to inherit eternal life. The scene takes place in Judea, where Jesus has just finished an illustration about welcoming children into His Kingdom. Why does Jesus compare the wealthy with camels, and is He really saying that the rich won’t make it into heaven? One of the most well-known Scripture passages about wealth is also one of the most confusing. “Easier for a Camel to Go Through the Eye of a Needle”
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