The “common man” always seems to have a hard time “making ends meet,” often having “too much month left over at the end of the money.” It’s not a new phenomenon – in fact, those who do such studies say money and possessions were the subject most often discussed by Jesus. To hear our political leaders talk, you would think our spending is the only thing that keeps our economy going. Maybe that is true, but Jesus made a very clear statement of God’s view of money and possessions. In Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18, we read a story of a man who asked Jesus a very significant question. The essence of that question was simply, “What can I do to inherit eternal life?”
Mark’s account states that a man came “running” to Jesus and that Jesus “loved him,” while Luke says the man was a “ruler.” Matthew states he went away “sorrowful” and that he “had great possessions.” The bottom line lesson of these events is found in Mark 10:24-25:
“And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 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.”
We should note that it is not money itself that is the problem, but putting our trust in money and possessions that causes trouble. Paul told Timothy very similar things:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows,” 1 Timothy 6:6-10.
Again we see that it is not money that is the “root” of all evil, but the “love of money.” It is so easy for us to fall into the trap of having money on the “altar”, of loving and of trusting in money as the solution to all of our problems.
The use of the “camel...eye of a needle” figure has been an intriguing point for us. I have read of different ways by which this figure of speech might be understood. Some have suggested that the very size of the gate of the city of Jerusalem was such that, at the onset of evening it took several men to close it. For an entrance at night a small gate, just large enough for a man, was put next to the main gate, and it was called the “needle’s eye.” If this is Jesus’ point it would reveal the difficulty of a camel’s passage, hence the plight of a “rich man.”
Barclay says the Greek words for camel and cable (kamelos and kamilos) could have been mistaken one for the other. If that is the case Jesus is saying that it is as difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God as it is to thread a rope/cable through the eye of a seamstress’ needle.
However, my own study leads me to believe that neither of these explanations is likely. As was mentioned before, it has been suggested that some 20% of Jesus’ sermons and lessons were on the subject of man’s obsession with money, possessions and material goods. Jesus simply used a figure of speech known as hyperbole. Hyperbole is “exaggeration, statements or claims for the use of emphasis; not intended to be taken as literal.”
Note that the issue is not money, just material goods, but a person’s attitude toward those goods. When we put our “trust” in riches we cannot put our trust in God and in His kingdom. This danger is for those who “will be rich,” as quoted previously by Paul. Money is not evil. Possessions themselves are not evil, and in fact “things” can be used for good or evil, and that will always depend on how we look at life and things.
Abraham was a man who possessed great riches. He owned cattle and land. He prospered in his work, and that was partly because of his faith. In Luke 12:15, Jesus was asked to intervene in the settlement of a person’s estate. Evidently there was conflict between brothers concerning what each man was to inherit. The words of Jesus speak to us even today if we will but listen:
“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth,”
To “covet” is to have an inordinate, inappropriate desire for money and possessions. Colossians 3:5 says that to covet is to practice “idolatry”. Don’t let Satan claim you eternally by tempting you to covet. You don’t want to end up like that camel.
