Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 88

March 29;      Mark 10:25;       38/260(IV);        ‘The Eye of the Needle’

Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 

 The rich young ruler came sincerely to Jesus asking Him how he may inherit eternal life.  Jesus listed the commandments this young man was to keep and he told Jesus that he indeed kept all of these commandments since he was a youth.  In verse 21, the Lord Jesus looked at this man and loved him.  Now Jesus was going to go for the core issue with the rich young ruler, his money.  In order for the blessings of the Lord to flow properly in our lives, we must have no ‘gods’ before us. Jesus knows us well and He knows the areas of our lives that we have to deal with.  You must know that Jesus was not telling the ruler to give everything he had to the poor.  Jesus was simply looking to see the ruler’s willingness to give away what was so dear to him.  The disciples of Jesus were astonished at what Jesus said.  Jesus shared with them that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.  What Jesus said cannot be literal.  A camel cannot go through the tiny opening in a needle. The cities back then were walled to protect the people. At night the gate was shut for safety.  If someone came during the night and needed to get in, there was a small door in the gate called the eye of the needle.  If the traveler had a camel with things to sell on the camel, they had to be removed so the camel could enter the ‘eye.’  Then the camel could be reloaded inside the city.  If you willingly remove your ‘stuff,’ it is yours to take back.  If Jesus means the most to you, anything else important to you is yours to enjoy.