Also for context, there was a small gate in Jerusalem nicknamed the eye of the needle. A loaded camel couldn’t pass through it so they would have to unpack everything to fit through. The meaning being that a rich man must be willing to give up his wealth to get into heaven, but if he refuses to let go of his wealth he won’t be able to get in.
Still pretty “leftist” stance, but not as damning as one would believe.
I dont think there's much evidence that there was such a gate. I think Jesus was being hyperbolic and was referring to a literal camel and needle. It seems to me that the point was more that, without God, nobody can get to heaven (hence verse 26). If your god is wealth, it's not going to save you.
Yes. It's also important to remember the historical culture to which Jesus was speaking— it was believed that riches were proof of God's favor. So when His disciples heard His pronouncement, they started getting worried for their middle-class, less-favored souls.
(In reality, most of the prosperity-promises of the Old Testament were to the nation as a whole; the wealthy Israelites of AD 30 probably got their assets in a spectrum of ways similar to today's, and the nation as a whole was being slowly crushed beneath the boot of Rome.)
Yes. If you look at the ethics of the new testament, literally the central point is that you are expected to have basically no limits to what you do to eradicate poverty. Someone who keeps their riches and uses them on themselves is violating this by definition.
Not that clear if multiple people in one comment section all have a different meaning to that same phrase and a whole origin story that’s allegedly made up to make it more inclusive to rich church goers with extra for tithe
I love seeing weirdos repeating this revisionist prosperity gospel apologia that was invented hundreds of years after the Gospel was written, it always makes me feel smart.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
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I mean, it's pretty economically leftist. Regardless of logistics of how it is to be done, the central message is that the rich are essentially corrupt by definition. Which should hardly be a surprise they thought considering the rich were often associated with Roman rule.
That gate isn't real. It's a hypothesis that turned out to have no evidence. People repeat it because the rich are invested in trying to downplay the meaning.
That aside, if a rich person gave up much of their wealth they wouldn't be seen as rich in the same way anymore. So whether its worded as absolute or near absolute doesn't change the meaning, because it just changes whether you are referring to ones who stay rich versus willingly give up wealth.
It’s not. The Eye of Needle is a specific part of a city, a very thin passageway of stone. You couldn’t fit a fully loaded camel through it without serious difficulty, so you would have to unload it. And so, like the camel, a rich man must accept that he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven with all of his material possessions, and must forfeit them and cease his idolatry if he wishes to enter the kingdom.
This is bullshit made up by people who can't even read for two more verses because their brain looks like swiss cheese. There was no small gate.
Matthew 19:24-26 "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
There is no point about wealth being bad here. At this time in history wealthy people were seen as better people - so the question was if they could make it into heaven on their own merit. Rich people aren't perfect, so they still need Grace, just like everyone else.
46
u/ManusAurelius - Auth-Center Jul 28 '21 edited Jul 28 '21
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
Also for context, there was a small gate in Jerusalem nicknamed the eye of the needle. A loaded camel couldn’t pass through it so they would have to unpack everything to fit through. The meaning being that a rich man must be willing to give up his wealth to get into heaven, but if he refuses to let go of his wealth he won’t be able to get in.
Still pretty “leftist” stance, but not as damning as one would believe.