Matthew 19:23-26 23But Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you that only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24But again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25But when the disciples heard this, they were greatly amazed, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26But looking at them, Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Jesus turns to his disciples for a teaching moment that serves as an invitation to grow deeper in their own commitment to him. The disciples were wondering about the situation. They saw someone who was successful from the world’s perspective be confronted with the same call they had received from Jesus. Yet, the young man had walked away from it all. They may have looked at their own lives before this with a certain arrogance and superiority that they had chosen the right way. But they had missed the pre-eminence of God’s grace in salvation. Obedience and following are important, but they are only the response to the call to full commitment.
Wealth–no matter how we define this in relative terms–can be a serious hindrance to entering the kingdom of heaven. Many people interpret wealth, power, and position as blessings and approval from God. We center our lives around what we have so much that we cannot imagine life without these things. The world deceives us into thinking that possessions will bring happiness. Many things will indeed make life more pleasant, but true happiness comes with peace with God because our sins have been forgiven and we have the hope and assurance of eternal life. Wealth is one of the greatest temptations to rely on ourselves, just like the young man of the previous passage.
Jesus’ illustration in verse 24 is one of his best known statements but also one of the more challenging to understand. It is often suggested that Jesus is referring to a gate in the wall of Jerusalem called “the eye of the needle.” The challenge with this is that Jesus was far away from Jerusalem still, and most of his disciples were from Galilee, so this reference would not have been the first in their thinking. It is more likely that Jesus was referring quite literally to a needle used in sewing. He chose the largest animal of that area and the smallest hole to make his point.
This illustration left the disciples wondering even more about who can be saved. They at least had made the crucial theological connection between salvation and the kingdom of heaven, but they could not reconcile their interpretation of the world’s values with Jesus’ teaching. Their question in verse 25 almost reeks of despair and confusion. Did anyone have hope of making it to heaven if the wealthy and powerful who were also righteous and obedient to the law could not?
Jesus’ statement in verse 26 provides important insight into the whole problem of wealth, power, and position. It is not impossible for wealthy people to be saved, but they must make the same essential commitment as everyone else: faith in Jesus. God can save anyone–the worst of criminals and the proudest wealthy people. All must follow the same path of discipleship.
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