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| PentecostalTheology.com
THE EYE OF A NEEDLE –
THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS CAN’T GET THROUGH – Ray E Horton
“Again I say, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24) What does that mean? Someone posted the traditional understanding, which isn’t untrue. But there is a deeper meaning that Jesus was getting at.
It depends on one’s heart
She wrote: “The rich man turns to his money not only to meet his needs but his desires. He has no need for God because he trusts in himself. If he loses his fortune and becomes poor, he realizes his own inability and seeks God! The poor man knows he needs God and must trust in God alone! It is then He will come to their aid and rescue!”
But that isn’t true across the board. It depends on the heart. A Christian can have wealth and be a good steward of it, blessing the Kingdom for the spread of the Gospel.
A deeper revelation
Matthew 19 is also speaking of being rich in spirit, or self-dependent, trusting in one’s own works
Here is the deeper, more important revelation in this parable:
Yes indeed, the rich do face that temptation. But Matthew 19 is also speaking of being rich in spirit, or self-dependent, trusting in one’s own works. The rich young ruler kept the law well, but what was needful was for Him to put his trust in Jesus and not his good works.
It is just as impossible for a person trusting in his own work to be saved as a camel going through the eye of a needle.
When Peter asked, then who can be saved? (not just the material rich are mentioned here), Jesus said, for man it is impossible (salvation is only through Him), but He then added, for God, nothing is impossible (God made the provision for salvation in Jesus – we only must put our trust in Him).
“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Matthew 19:26).
