Rich people going to heaven

Luke
I want to build on my previous post about the eye of the needle and a rich man going into heaven.  Check out the blog post on March 24 (click here).  That one was about the parallel passage in Mark 10.  Today's reading is Luke 18:18-30.  Not only is it impossible for a camel to go through the eye of an actual needle, but it is also impossible for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of heaven... on his own.  The ruler in this story had asked "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"  This question is similar to the one of the rich young man in Matthew 19, which I posted about on January 27 (click here).  It's all about doing.  We can't do anything, so of course it is impossible for us to get to heaven.  But with God, through Jesus Christ, we can!
I think that the emphasis on the fellow being rich demonstrates that rich people don't think they need God as much as poor people, because they have the resources to get through life comfortably without really having to rely on God.  So for rich people, it is more difficult to get to the point where they can depend on God for salvation.  Of course, this is a major generalization, so if you have a differing view, let me know.

The eye of a needle

Mark

Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25).  Some people have suggested that a camel going through the eye of a needle referred to a small gate into Jerusalem, where camels had to get down on their knees in order to go through it.  Such a task was very difficult, but not impossible.  However, Jesus was likely just referring to a real sewing needle, in which case it would be impossible for a camel to go through the eye of the needle (referenced from the Archaeological Study Bible).  This latter interpretation is supported by Jesus’s later statement in Mark 10:27 – “With man this is impossible…”.  That is, it is impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God on his own.  But the good news is that “with God all things are possible”.  Not to say that following Christ will not be difficult at times, because Jesus also goes on to say that we have to leave family and possessions and follow him wholeheartedly.  But we’ll receive more than what we left behind when we go after God.  The hard part is that we have to give it all up in order to receive.  Ask God today to help you loosen your grip on this world so that you’ll be able to receive more abundantly from the next – eternal life with God!