It is harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter heaven so says Jesus. The Eye of a needle as we all know is very very very tiny. Without glasses we can hardly thread a needle so you can imagine how hard it is for anyone to enter heaven. What was Jesus getting at?
Most commentaries you will read is that it is the man or woman who has abundant monetary wealth who can’t leave it behind that will prevent them from entering heaven. Some commentaries will state that the money is not the problem but the love of money is the issue. That is a cop out for justifying those who have beaucoup bucks and are “Christians” and for preachers who preach the prosperity gospel to justify their great wealth.
I will take what Jesus proclaimed to include not only wealthy people but people who have any kind of physical and emotional attachment to anything physical in this world. All world things and all worldly emotions. These attachments also make it difficult to enter Heaven. If a person is emotionally attached to his or her poverty by always complaining about their poverty and then sinking into despair and turning to drugs and alcohol and or entering into nefarious types of businesses to get them out of poverty this type of emotional attachment also blocks someone from entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
Any attachment to anything that the physical senses can perceive which invokes an emotional and physical response both negative and positive is a block to entering the Kingdom of Heaven. These emotional and physical attachments also applies to family, friends, mother or father, and even your own body both in sickness and in health.
Whew!!!! How is it possible than to enter Heaven? As Jesus states, With God all things are possible.
What does that mean? Complete surrender through Faith of your entire life, Spirit and soul and mind to trusting in Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father makes entering the Kingdom of Heaven possible. If we can not fully do what Jesus tells to all of his believers, “sell all that you possess, take up your cross and follow Me, we will not enter into the Kingdom of Heave. Jesus goes even further and says, “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” This Is very very very difficult for the majority of people to do. In fact, I would say that 95% of people living today could not do this. To give up all physical attachments in the world, all riches whether you have money or not, is what is required of all of us. Jesus says, “the road is narrow and there are few that find it.”
The Eye of the needle statement is found in the following Gospel passage in Matthew.
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.