Eye of the Needle

[AwesomeSavior]

"And again I say unto you, 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 19:24).
"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" (Mark 10:25).
"For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Luke 18:25).

I had heard from a source yesterday regarding that "eye of a needle". Supposedly Jesus was referencing the original Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount, which was discovered 10 feet below the current eastern gate, back in 1969. The current eastern gate was built centuries after Jesus.

Apparently the original gate was a small entranceway, and the only way a camel could go through was to offload its goods or riches on its back, and crawl through on its knees.

I found a children's video yesterday on YouTube with a lady explaining this very concept I had heard to the kids. Was it that Jesus was teaching humility for both the "camel" and the "rich man", different sides of the same coin?

Here is that children's video if anyone is interested:  https://youtu.be/OADSH6WvIMs

[indianabob]

Awesome savior,

I watched the video and enjoyed it, but have something to add.
It is not so much that a rich man must give away all that he has as much as it is he must give up his pride in self.
Of course we know that one cannot change one's self without the power of God to strengthen us for the task.
And we know that only those called by God have the willingness to begin the task.
The original statement by Jesus illustrates that only by God's intervention in our lives may we grow in grace and knowledge and begin to please God.
The man Abraham is an example as Abe was very rich in goods and yet had God given faith to obey.

Indiana Bob

[AwesomeSavior]

Bob:

I agree with you about pride vs. Abraham and riches, and that it is all God's work.

Knowing that Jesus was referencing a different object than a modern day eye of a needle, using that simplistic video, makes the whole thing easier to understand