The Camel and the Needle

Jesus's remark that it's harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle is one of his most poetic sayings. But, if you happen to be rich, it is also one of his most chilling . I haven't seen recent research but some people used to say it was based on a mistranslation and should have been a rope not a camel that was referred to. That is more mundane but almost as difficult a feat. Then there's the theory that the Eye of the Needle was a gate in Jerusalem through which a camel could only pass when the baggage with which it was laden (its wealth) had been removed. That makes sense but I still prefer the saying in its original form. It has an additional symbolic impact because of the incongruity of the two objects in the image.

I believe that these words of Jesus's have a particular significance for us today. Why? Because we are all rich. Most of us in the West are very well off by historical standards with comforts that our ancestors could only dream of. We have fast personal transport, cheap mechanical servants, as much food and drink as we could want and so on. We can travel far afield and often and have almost unlimited entertainment at our fingertips. We are more distracted than ever before by an abundance of material things, and that seems to me to be a good definition of the primary problem associated with wealth.

It is hard for a rich man to get to heaven because he is attached to his wealth. His mind is taken up with what he possesses and his easeful life does not push him to search for meaning beyond this world. At least, that is less likely than it would be if he did not have the means to fulfil his desires whenever he wanted to. It is obviously not a sin to be rich but riches make worldliness easier and the hardships that spur one to look for help in God are kept at bay. By and large, this is more the case for a greater number of human beings now than it has ever been. Except for those at the extreme margin of society, we are all, to a greater or lesser extent, rich. Consequently, we are all in spiritual peril.

Jesus speaks these words at the conclusion of the story of the rich young man who wanted to become his disciple but was unable to sacrifice his wealth. This young man was a devout God-fearing person who had kept the commandments all his life. But when it came to the crunch he was unable to let go of his worldly advantages. He had become too comfortable. Nowadays I don't think we are normally required to give everything we own to the poor but we are required to sit lightly with material things and not get caught up in them. Whatever we might think, it will be hard to resist their pull on our minds if we over-exposed to such things. And nowadays practically all of us are over-exposed.

The disciples are shocked by Jesus's extreme attitude. How can a camel ever get through the eye of a needle? It's impossible. So it is for Man but nothing is impossible for God, replies Jesus. Nonetheless there is one thing that God cannot do and that is override our own free will. God can save us, however far we have strayed from the truth, but we have first to turn to him. However rich we are, in money, intelligence, artistic talent, elevation of birth, whatever it might be (for remember that wealth is not just measured in money or gold), we can find help in God if we give up our attachments to the things of this world. 

For a camel is to go through the eye of a needle it must become small. For that might we read humbled? Could this be the pointer to what we must do to be saved? Wealth tends to breed arrogance and the sense of superiority. Giving up our riches means giving up our inflated sense of self. And actually, when you come to think of it, doesn't a camel sometimes look rather self important?