Jesus said,

“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.”

Matthew 16:24

You may have been told at Sunday school that there was in Jerusalem a small gate into the walled city, called ‘The Eye of a Needle’, and that this gate was not big enough to allow a camel, carrying a heavy load, to enter. Unburden the camel, and with a bit of a squeeze, it could make its way through the gate into the city.

The idea was that, as Jesus said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, you could at least imagine a way of doing it: the rich man simply unburdens himself of his wealth, on his deathbed, ideally – like the camel being unloaded – and voila! He’s in.

You may have been told that: you were lied to. There is no archaeological evidence that any gate existed in Jesus’ day, even if Victorian travellers were sometimes shown its location. There is no reference to any such a gate before perhaps the 9^th century. And if you watch QI, you’d have known that.

Another possible explanation is that there is some confusion between the Greek word kamilos (‘camel’) and kamêlos, meaning ‘cable, rope’. You can imagine that it is tough to get a rope through the eye of a needle, but not impossible.

But why would you want to imagine such a thing? Jesus says, It’s impossible. (Matthew 19:25) So, the ludicrous picture of someone trying to force an actual camel through the tiny eye of an actual needle is probably what Jesus intended. That’s how the disciples heard it: it’s impossible for a rich man to get into heaven.

But wait a minute! Surely, rich people are God’s favourites?! After all, he has blessed them, rewarded them for their hard work and diligence! They must be high up on his list of who gets in to heaven. The same people who get the best seats at the Cup Final or who walk the red carpet into the starry premier of some Hollywood blockbuster – surely, they’re just the kind of people who get into heaven first? (The people who get called first when the aeroplane is starting to board, so that, when you and I make our way to our economy seats, they’re already sipping champagne and relaxing in their sumptuous seat before it reclines to make a proper bed.)

What the disciples say is, ‘If rich men can’t get into heaven, what hope is there for the rest of us?’ And Jesus says, ‘Exactly!’ The rich man cannot buy his way into heaven. It’s impossible. Like trying to force an actual camel through the tiny eye of an actual needle.

But before we get too smug about the fate of the 1%, the inhabitants of the Sunday Times ‘Rich List’, it’s probably worth asking what we mean by ‘rich’. Here’s a definition: if you have ever asked, “What shall we have for dinner?” you’re richer than most people who have ever lived. For most people in the world throughout the history of our species, the question has not been, ‘What shall we eat today’, but ‘Shall we eat today?’ Is there food or not, today? According to the philosopher Peter Singer, if you have ever drunk bottled water, when there was perfectly clean water available from a nearby tap, you are a rich person, compared with most of the people who share our world, the many who have no access to clean water, let alone fancy imported bottled water.

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.’
Matthew 19:25, 26

The slightly disappointing news – if you are rich – is that rich men get saved just like poor ones: by God’s grace –God’s underserved love. That’s tough for rich people who are used to getting want they want by paying for it. If you’ve paid for it, you know you deserve it. Imagine how humbling it is to admit that you are a sinner, in need of God’s unmerited love and forgiveness, just the same as the poor, the homeless, the refugee, the person who has nothing.

And that’s why it’s dangerous to be rich! Because we think we can make our own way in this world and the next. Jesus warns us – the rich – that we’ve had all we are going to get. If all your investment is in the wealth of this world, that’s where all your rewards will be. And who on earth would want to be as poor as that?

In Luke 6:20-26, Jesus blesses the poor and warns the rich; he blesses the hungry and warns the well-fed; he blesses those who mourn and warns those who laugh. Blessed are those who know their need of God (cf Matthew 5:3).