Author’s Note
“All things (e.g., a camel’s journey through a needles eye) are possible, it’s true. But picture how the camel feels, squeezed out in one long bloody thread, from tail to snout.
--C.S. Lewis
Reflections
“I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Matthew 19:24)
This proverbial axiom used by Jesus can be found in Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25. Interestingly, these three accounts are the only references to “needle” in the Bible. Jesus seems to be describing the conflict between dependence on wealth and entrance into the kingdom of God to his disciples, after advising the rich young man to sell his possessions. This is a form of hyperbole, used often in the rabbinic literature. The Talmud speaks of an elephant passing through the eye of a needle, an impossible reality. But the quotation by C. S. Lewis above, tells us anything is possible based on our understanding of physics.
You might ask, how could C. S. Lewis be right in his description of pushing a camel through the needle of an eye. Astronomers have long studied the theoretical possibility of black holes. The following account, taken from an article by Eric Betz entitled “What Would Happen If You Fell into a Black Hole” (Astronomy, July 28, 2020), describes what would happen if you entered a black hole and supports Lewis’ quotation:
“But as you flew closer to this strange spot, you’d be stretched in some directions and squished in others, a process that scientists call spaghettification. This is because the black hole's gravity compresses your body horizontally while pulling it like taffy in the vertical direction. If you jumped into the black hole feet first, the gravitational force on your toes would be much stronger than that pulling on your head. Each bit of your body would also be elongated in a slightly different direction. You would literally end up looking like a piece of spaghetti.
So, as you fell into a stellar-mass black hole, you probably wouldn’t worry much about the existential mysteries you might be able to unlock on "the other side." You’d be as dead as spaghetti-shaped doornail hundreds of miles before you hit the singularity.”
Another meaning attributed to Jesus’ saying equates the term eye of the needle to a gate in the Hebron wall, which was low and shaped like the eye of a needle. This gate was apparently two feet high and would force the camels to stoop down to get through, rather than charge through endangering the city inhabitants!
No matter what the meaning of this hyperbolic passage is, this brings us to the next question of plausibility of many apparent hyperbolic rabbinic passages in the Bible. Another question you might ask, are the teachings of Jesus realistic?
When you begin asking these types of questions, the concept of the inerrancy of the Bible is brought to the forefront. For instance, many biblical scholars dating back to the nineteenth century have challenged the inerrancy of the Bible. Biblical scholars, like Bart Ehrman, talk about the many problems with interpreting the Bible. The Bible is not a single book written by one author, but an anthology of sixty-six books, written by different authors, over a span of centuries, written long after the events they describe. When reading these sixty-six books, the reader needs to interpret the book’s meaning, within the context they were written, considering the agenda each author had during that period in history. What one author says, may not have the same meaning as another author of a different book of the Bible.
Although fundamentalists will strongly disagree with the above discussion, each of us needs to determine if every word of the Bible was truly inspired or do the writings of so many different authors over a period of thousands of years, give the reader a glimpse into the mind of the author, during that period, who have an agenda to advance! We all need to develop our spiritual worldview as we sift through religious and philosophical texts, and through our gift of reasoning, keep what we like, keep what makes sense to us and ignore what we don’t. For an example, during your study of the Bible, using the creator God’s power of reasoning he has given you, look at the teachings of Jesus with a critical eye. Even if you reject some of his teachings, you will learn something from them, maybe a moral view of how others should be dealt with, solidifying your own thoughts about morality! Another point to consider during your studies…the underlying morality perceived in Jesus’s teachings can also be found in different religions, in the writings of philosophers, and even in the belief system of atheists!
Finally, life is too complex to ascribe simple laws to every event that might occur, as the Pharisees tried to do in early Jewish culture. Through the process of reasoning, even if at first hard to swallow, I believe Jesus’ teachings have much merit, and can have a positive impact on our understanding of how to live our lives as individuals and as a society.
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Silent Prayer
Oh, creator God, help us to understand what is inspired and what is not!
Music
Camel Through a Needle’s Eye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVDcoStBatM
Lyrics
Well I got something that I think you'll wantIt's not for sale, it can't be boughtLean closer let me fill you inBaby you need a friendYou got money, you got diamond ringsYou're finding out they don't mean a thingWhat good's the soul that cannot sing?So take a chance, take a chance with meOpen your eyes and you will seeI own nothing but I'm a wealthy manI'll share it with you if you'll take my handYour daddy's money gonna give you the bluesTell your mama take her hands off youPick up the cross, God'll see you throughYou know I love you babyI'll love you hard and I'll love you longAnd I don't want this love to perishSo listen to the message and the musicAnd the lyrics of this songA camel through a needle's eyeNot all the rich have to dieFollow closely, do not strayYou can probably keep the moneyJust give your soul awayDon't negotiate, just stop and prayLift your head up to heaven and sayPlease forgive me, take these things awayAnd then keep walking, walk tall, dollCarry that cross
A light unto your path, a lamp unto your feetYou fall down, get back up againIt's foolishness to them that perishI'm gonna love you 'til your dying day'Til you're born again or turn me awayIt's up to you, there's nothing left to sayJust keep walking
Have a great day!
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