The Eye of the Needle
Luke 18:25 is awkward to hear: “how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” Ched Meyers (2001:32) says that: “The clarity of the text has somehow escaped the church through the ages, which instead has concocted a hundred ingenious reasons why it cannot mean what it says”. The church has been so anxious that Jesus may be saying something negative about the rich but it is not about us at all! The text (Lk 18:15-30) is not about the rich, it is about the kingdom of God!
For Jesus, the kingdom of God is a social condition where there are no rich or poor. Thus Jesus challenges the ruler with economic justice as a precondition for discipleship: “there is one thing lacking, sell all you have, give it to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven, and then follow me” (Lk 18:22). Jesus has re- interpreted currency/wealth for him.
The context of the conversation between Jesus and the ruler may be helpful. In first century Palestine, land was the basis of wealth. The primary means for acquiring wealth/land for the rich ruler (Lk 18:18) was the debt-default of the poor. Small landowners/households were oppressed because of an immense burden of tax, rent, tariffs and tithes. Loans secured with their land were necessary to pay these expenses. Loans were obtained from wealthy landowners. Land belonging to small households was lost to these lenders when payments fell behind. The rich lenders became even richer through gaining land from the poor who became poorer. This is how the rich were too rich and the poor were too poor. This is the background of how one would be a “ruler” and “rich” in the context of the first three Gospels.
The implication of Lk 18:22 is that Jesus expects the ruler to deconstruct the economic and political system from which he derives his privilege. Why? Because the kingdom of God is a place where there are no rich and poor. Stung, the ruler walks away. Disbelieving, the disciples anticipate our question: “who then can be saved?” With God all things are possible, says Jesus.
Is the kingdom of God as Jesus envisions it a possibility? Is it possible that some can deconstruct economic and political systems from which they gain privilege/wealth as a precondition for the kingdom of God?
The Gospel according to Luke 18:15–30
15 People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. 16 But Jesus called for them and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 17 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 He replied, “I have kept all these since my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, 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.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.” 28 Then Peter said, “Look, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not get back very much more in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”