PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO WATER DOWN JESUS' STATEMENT in the Bible about it being harder for a rich man to enter Heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
Some wrongly interpret the eye of the needle to be a small gate entering the city of Jerusalem. Others wrongly interpretcamelas meaningrope. But Jesus used a wonderfully clever illustration and meant what He said:The eye of a needle means the eye of a needle. How brilliant is that!


Jesus said, “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. Similar verses are in Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25). What is theeye of a needle, or aneedle's eye?
We believe the phrase means exactly what it says, and does not need watering down to make it easier for a rich man to enter Heaven. We will show you why.
Small gate?
Some say the needle's eye, or the eye of the needle, was a small gate at the entrance of Jerusalem and other cities. When the city-keepers had locked the main gates, camels and their owners who arrived after the lock-out could squeeze through this gate.
But scholars have searched in vain to find ancient evidence that people referred to any of these gates as “the eye of a needle”.
Camel means rope?
Others have said the Aramaic word forcamelwas the same as the word forrope, and that Jesus meant it was hard for rope to go through the eye of a needle. Well, Jesus did speak Aramaic, but again, reliable evidence is weak that this is what He meant.
Such explanations downplay the wonderfully memorable and clever illustration that Jesus came up with to teach the difficulty of getting into Heaven if you are loaded with loot. He was talking to the rich young ruler at the time, and the man was sad at hearing this because he was very rich.
He would hardly have been sad knowing that camels always got through the city gate. And he would hardly be sad knowing that anyone could untwist a piece of rope to thread it through the eye of a sewing needle.
Impossible means impossible
What the rich young ruler was sad about was that Jesus said it would be impossible for him to enter the kingdom of God because of his riches.
The bystanders recognized this is what he meant, because they said, “Who then can be saved?” (Luke 18:26). And Jesus replied, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
This kills the “little gate” theory, because that was not impossible. And it kills the “camel rope” theory, because that was not impossible either.
What these verses say are that:1.The rich man had to be willing to put God before his possessions.
2.Only God could save him.
Rich people can be saved like anyone else if they do what God wants. Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy. And Paul said in Romans 2:11 that God doesn't show favouritism. Anyone can be saved.
The illustration of the camel going through the eye of a needle was perfect for those He was speaking to.The eye of a needle means the eye of a needle.Jesus' explanation that what is impossible for men is possible with God shows that rich people can be saved and enter Heaven. But only if they put their faith in God rather than in their riches.

Christain Teaching at it's best.

He was talking about how difficult it will be for someone so materialistic to be saved

Arrowman:
PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO WATER DOWN JESUS' STATEMENT in the Bible about it being harder for a rich man to enter Heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
Some wrongly interpret the eye of the needle to be a small gate entering the city of Jerusalem. Others wrongly interpretcamelas meaningrope. But Jesus used a wonderfully clever illustration and meant what He said:The eye of a needle means the eye of a needle. How brilliant is that!


Jesus said, “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. Similar verses are in Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25). What is theeye of a needle, or aneedle's eye?
We believe the phrase means exactly what it says, and does not need watering down to make it easier for a rich man to enter Heaven. We will show you why.
Small gate?
Some say the needle's eye, or the eye of the needle, was a small gate at the entrance of Jerusalem and other cities. When the city-keepers had locked the main gates, camels and their owners who arrived after the lock-out could squeeze through this gate.
But scholars have searched in vain to find ancient evidence that people referred to any of these gates as “the eye of a needle”.
Camel means rope?
Others have said the Aramaic word forcamelwas the same as the word forrope, and that Jesus meant it was hard for rope to go through the eye of a needle. Well, Jesus did speak Aramaic, but again, reliable evidence is weak that this is what He meant.
Such explanations downplay the wonderfully memorable and clever illustration that Jesus came up with to teach the difficulty of getting into Heaven if you are loaded with loot. He was talking to the rich young ruler at the time, and the man was sad at hearing this because he was very rich.
He would hardly have been sad knowing that camels always got through the city gate. And he would hardly be sad knowing that anyone could untwist a piece of rope to thread it through the eye of a sewing needle.
Impossible means impossible
What the rich young ruler was sad about was that Jesus said it would be impossible for him to enter the kingdom of God because of his riches.
The bystanders recognized this is what he meant, because they said, “Who then can be saved?” (Luke 18:26). And Jesus replied, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
This kills the “little gate” theory, because that was not impossible. And it kills the “camel rope” theory, because that was not impossible either.
What these verses say are that:1.The rich man had to be willing to put God before his possessions.
2.Only God could save him.
Rich people can be saved like anyone else if they do what God wants. Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy. And Paul said in Romans 2:11 that God doesn't show favouritism. Anyone can be saved.
The illustration of the camel going through the eye of a needle was perfect for those He was speaking to.The eye of a needle means the eye of a needle.Jesus' explanation that what is impossible for men is possible with God shows that rich people can be saved and enter Heaven. But only if they put their faith in God rather than in their riches.

You explanation is flawed for the following reasons:
1. If Jesus actually meant the eye of an actual needle, then it'll be impossible for even some insects to enter through it, not to talk of an animal as large as a camel. It would even be unthinkable and ridiculous for him to make such an analogy.
2. The city gate explanation remains the best since there was actually a gate called the eye of a needle, so small that the camels have to squeeze through. This is what he meant - that it would be difficult, not impossible.
3. Why would Jesus claim impossibility for a reach man to make heaven when there are well documented evidences of rich men already in heaven? Abraham (Genesis 13:2), David (1 Chron 29:28), Solomon (2Chron 9:22). Jacob was described as being extremely prosperous.
In the New Testament we have Joseph, called Barnabas ( Acts 4:36-37 ), Dorcas ( Acts 9:36 ), Cornelius ( Acts 10:1 ), Philemon ( Philemon 1)
Are you saying it will be IMPOSSIBLE for these men to make heaven because they were wealthy?