Skip to main content

The Bible Means What it Says! (Unless I don’t like it??????)

                 After his encounter with the “Rich Young Ruler” (Mark 10:17-31), Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God!” (verse 25).
                When we came to that part, I asked the Bible study class how they had heard this verse explained.  One man raised his hand and said, “Apparently, there used to be a gate in the wall of Jerusalem and it was called ‘The Needle’s Eye’.  It was so small that a camel had to get down on its knees and crawl through it.  It could get in, but it was really difficult”.   Several people nodded their heads in agreement.  They had heard the same explanation.  Of course, I had too.
                There is only one problem:  It is not true!   It is a complete lie!  No such gate ever existed! 
Why, then, would almost everyone in the room know that story?  More to the point, why would the church teach something that is untrue?
                Could it be that we are looking for a way around what Jesus said? 
The point of the gate story is that the camel can get into the city if he humbles himself, lowers himself and crawls in.  The application then is that, with some effort, a rich man can keep his stuff and enter the kingdom without ever having to chose one or the other.
However, Jesus’ point is the exact opposite!  He says that if you want to love God and money at the same time, you are in big trouble.  You would have better luck pushing a camel through a needle’s eye.  Jesus is not saying that it is hard.  He is saying that it is impossible!
After hearing this, the disciples were amazed (Mark 10:26).  Other versions describe them as indignant, upset, or exasperated.  They clearly understood that there was no loophole here.  The choice was going to be love God or love money, but not both.
Now, it is worth noting that this conversation was motivated by love (verse 21).  Jesus challenged the young man to loosen his grip on material things, so that he could reach for eternal riches.  If he could become a “cheerful giver”, he would bless others instead of just himself and, in that way, he would begin to reflect the very nature of God.  In fact, he would be participating in God’s work and helping to draw others to Christ and the kingdom (see 2 Corinthians 9:6-14). 
We can try to side-step the truth.  We can make up stories about camels and gates.  We can make a big deal about the fact that Jesus did not tell everyone to “sell everything you have and give to the poor”.   We can point out that this was one command to one specific person.  If we try hard enough, we can negate this teaching, and the self-examination that goes with it.
However, Jesus also said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13).
That passage is uncomfortably clear! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: A Path Worth Following

  Jehoram was a terrible king.  He reigned in Judah around the year 850 B.C. and he did not care about God or his people.  His first act as king was to assassinate his six brothers so that no one could challenge his authority.  He was brutal and selfish.   Therefore, when the Bible sums up his life, it says, “Jehoram… passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David” (2 Chronicles 21:20).  Did you catch that?  “To no one’s regret!”  What a terrible phrase for your tombstone. On the other hand, consider a lady named Tabitha.  She lived in the city of Joppa in the first century A.D. and we are told, “… she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36).  She became sick and died.  This caused the community so much grief that they called Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda, to come and help them.  When Peter arrived, a crowd gathered, bringing all the robes and other clothing that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This.... Which Way Are You Leaning?

   When Ben Patterson agreed to join three friends climbing Mount Lyell, the highest point in Yosemite National Park, he did not realize what he was signing up for.  Early in the day, it became clear that he was completely unprepared for the task.  In an effort to keep up with his more experienced friends, Ben took a shortcut.  It did not occur to him that there might be a reason the others had not selected this route, but he soon found out why.  Ben became stuck on the glacier.  He could not move up, down or sideways and one wrong move would send him sliding down a forty-five-degree slope to the valley floor miles below.   That is when one of his friends came to the rescue. His buddy leaned over the edge and carved some footholds in the ice.  He told Ben to step to the first foothold and immediately swing his other foot to the second, then his buddy would pull him to safety.  Lastly, his friend gave him one more piece of advice....
Post a Comment
Read more