a hole of needle

[Thinker108]

Jesus says a camel can pass from a hole of needle but not a rich person. Do you believe in this statement?

Hey Thinker,
I beleive the statement is;

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven...haven't checked but I think that is how it goes...

nightowl

[Silver]

Originally Posted by Thinker108

Jesus says a camel can pass from a hole of needle but not a rich person. Do you believe in this statement?

In the early 70's, I read one of the Sunday family supplements from the Sunday newspaper and Dale Evans was explaining what this meant. The "eye of the needle" is one of those long tall archways in the walls of the ancient cities where the camels could get in and out. And it went like this. When the camels were leaving and they had no goods on their backs they could walk through the arch without a problem, but when they came back carrying many things, they had to literally get on their knees to clear the archway. So it simply meant that a man has to humble himself, that is kneel before god, that sort of thing. I am blown away that nobody else has heard that story or seems to give it any credence, but it sure makes a whole heck of a lot more sense than just to be some off the wall mysterious statement.

Hey SG,
I heard a similar explanation sometime back...I agree I believe it speaks to humility before God.

nightowl

[Silver]

That was a great story, but the only doggone time I've ever heard anybody use that to explain it.

[psychoslice]

It just means if your materialistic and you love your materials more than who you truly are, then yes it can keep you out of heaven, heaven within, that is.

[Silver]

Right, exactly slice. It's just I remember as a kid in sunday school hearing that mysteriuous eye through the needle story and was very puzzled over it until I read the story that explains the terminology they used back then to describe the camel and the doorway in the city walls. It reminds me of the Indiana Jones movie where Sean Connery played the dad and he was trying to avoid getting his led lopped off by the booby trap, "...penitent man will pass..." then he kneeled and ducked and got through the first trap, lol. Great movie.

Hey psychoslice,

Yeah, I agree it is a material minded vs spiritual minded is another way of putting it as well...

nightowl

[psychoslice]

Also it has been debated that the word camel was actually meant to be, rope.

[Silver]

Originally Posted by psychoslice

Also it has been debated that the word camel was actually meant to be, rope.

How does that fit into the story? Now I'm puzzled all over again, slice!