Wealth and a Needle’s Eye
Ask anyone today how life is going and soon you’ll hear about money. It is a big part of life. No wonder the Bible says so much about it, Sometimes we can sympathize with Agur the son of Jakeh. He prayed, “Give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”
A verse that has puzzled Bible readers for centuries is what Jesus said to the rich young ruler. We may not be as wealthy as he was, but we can learn a great deal about money and the distractions and temptations it can bring. This episode will use other passages in the Bible to illuminate this interesting discussion.
Read about this subject:
- Scriptures: Matthew 19:16-24; Deuteronomy 8:1-18; Luke 12:13-21
- “Here to Make Money”
Listen to more on this subject:
Transcript
Kerry Duke: Hi, I’m Kerry Duke, host of My God and My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee Bible College, where we see the Bible as not just another book, but the Book. Join us in a study of the inspired Word to strengthen your faith and to share what you’ve learned with others.
Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew chapter nineteen verse 24). Did Jesus mean that a rich man cannot go to heaven? Does the Bible teach that being wealthy is a sin?
There’s no doubt that money and the things you can buy with it is one of the greatest temptations Christians face. Jesus said “the deceitfulness of riches” causes some Christians to fall (Matt. 13:22). Jesus said that riches are deceptive. Money will fool you. You can think you’re in control of it when it’s actually in control of you. You can tell yourself you’re not being selfish or greedy, but your actions may say otherwise. You can feel like you’re putting God first, but you may not notice how many times a day you think about money.
This was one of the first things God told the Israelites to remember when they went into the land of Canaan. In Deuteronomy chapter 8 we find a warning that is fitting for any generation of people anywhere. Moses begins in this chapter by reminding the people of Israel where they’ve been and what they’ve been through. In verse two he said, “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” The 40 years of wandering in the wilderness was punishment. The Israelites didn’t trust in God when they came to the border of the promised land the first time, and God made them to live in the desert for 40 years. Now it’s 40 years later. This is a new generation of Israelites. And God shows them in this verse that their wandering in the desert for 40 years was not just punishment. It was a test. It was a test to see if they would listen to God and trust and obey Him. Notice what he says in verse three. “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Did you notice what Moses said God did with his own people? He allowed them to go hungry sometimes. Why? To humble them. God didn’t let them starve to death. But He did let them feel hungry. It’s not always a bad thing for a man to go without food for a while. As a matter of fact, that’s what brought the prodigal son to his senses in Luke chapter 15. Moses said God fed the Israelites with manna from heaven. They didn’t grow manna like they would grow their crops. That special food came straight from God, straight from heaven. God did that to make the Israelites realize how dependent they were on Him. But Moses said God fed them with manna for another reason: to “make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” That’s the verse Jesus quoted to the devil when Satan tempted Him to use His powers to turn stones into bread.
Look at how God took care of them in verse four. “Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.” Many of the Israelites in the first generation that came out of Egypt were upset with Moses. They told Moses he had led them into this wilderness to die. They said we’re going to starve to death, and our children are going to die with us. But that didn’t happen. God sometimes made them wait before they had food and water, but He made sure that they were fed. But verse four says that God supernaturally preserved their clothes and even their feet.
Verse five tells us another very important part of how God deals with His people. This applies today as much as it did then thirty-five hundred years ago. “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.” God disciplined the Israelites in the desert. He did that in many ways. Moses already mentioned one. He said sometimes God let them go hungry for a while. That’s divine chastening. And the Bible teaches in Hebrews chapter 12 verses five through 11 that God disciplines Christians today. Christianity is not about God giving us everything we want. God is not some kind of celestial Santa Claus as C. S. Lewis said who’s just sitting up in heaven to shower us with everything we want. God does bless his people. There’s no doubt about that. This passage says that God blessed the Israelite people. But it also says that God corrected or chastened them. Sometimes he made them feel pain. So in verses one through five, Moses told the Israelite people to remember the hard times they have been through. He told them not to forget that God took care of them. Moses understood human nature. He knew that when people have hard times, they pray to God. But when they have it good, they forget about God. Moses isn’t talking to these people like this because of anything he can get out of it. Moses is not going into the promised land. He’s doing this for their benefit. Once they get into the promised land, these Israelites can have more than they ever imagined. And that’s where they will be tempted.
In verses six through nine, Moses gave them a glimpse of all the prosperity they were about to enjoy in their new home. “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.” Imagine all the opportunities these people would have to make money! Talk about a financial boom! These people that had lived in the desert are about to be rich! And Moses, knowing human nature like he did, and knowing these Israelites like he did, knew that they might get so caught up enjoying their good life that they would forget about God. That’s why he warns them beginning in verse 10. “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” Therein lies the danger. God gives man a good life. Then man becomes independent and proud and forgets about God. This has been the story of mankind down through the ages. There are many enjoyable things in this life. There’s nothing wrong with that. The Bible says in first Timothy chapter 6, verse 17 that God gives us richly all things to enjoy. But that’s not all that verse says. Paul said, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” The problem is not enjoying what God has given us. It’s enjoying those things and forgetting about the God who gave them to us! We can excuse ourselves all we want by saying that we get busy and that we don’t mean to be unthankful. But if we fail to be thankful and we forget about God, that’s our fault. It’s a serious thing with a man forget about God. It’s a serious thing when men, women and children are ungrateful. Deuteronomy chapter eight needs to be read to every person in this country at least once a week! Moses goes on to say that God is the One “who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end.” If you forget all that God did for you those forty years, then you’re in danger. He said in verse 17, “ Then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’”
That’s what happens. A man works hard and makes a good living. He’s paid off his debts. He’s saved plenty of money. He’s got enough to leave something for his children. He tells himself, “I worked hard. I didn’t throw money away. I used my head and it paid off.” In his mind, he’s the one that made it happen. He made himself rich. You know, the sad thing about this is that many in our nation do even worse. They don’t just say this to themselves. They brag about it to anybody that will listen. What happens to people like this? Many times they forget about the hard times they’ve been through. But whether they came up hard or had the good fortune of being born into wealth, they make the same mistake: they forget all about God.
Moses warned the Israelites and God is warning us in verse 18: “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” Did you notice what God gives? Moses didn’t say God gives wealth. He said God is the one who gives you the power or the ability to get wealth. How many people today even consider this? A man who owns a business thinks the only reason he’s done well is because he’s a savvy businessman. A doctor thinks the so reason he’s made a good living is because of all the years he went to school. A construction worker thinks he’s earned a good paycheck because he’s put his back as well as his brain into his work. But none of these men could even breathe or move without God. Acts chapter 17 verse 25 says, “He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” No billionaire could have even made his first dollar without the strength to get up out of bed. Where did that strength come from? God gives us the power to get wealth. That means He gives us the ability and the opportunity to acquire money. How many people even consider this today? How many people like this ever think that God can and will take all that wealth away some day? That will happen when we die. The richest man that ever lived—far richer than anyone today you’re thinking about—Solomon—said, “As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor which he may carry away in his hand” (Ecclesiastes 5, verse 15). Paul said, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (First Timothy chapter six verse 7). How can a human being know that he’s going to die and leave every penny he has behind, and yet spend all of his time thinking about how to make more money and how to hold onto it? It doesn’t make sense does it? In fact, you would think a man like this has lost his mind. And that’s really what has happened. Not in a clinical, psychological sense. But he’s lost his moral and spiritual mind.
This is what Moses warned. God people about in Deuteronomy chapter 8. Money is deceptive. That’s the very thing Jesus said in Matthew chapter 13 verse 22: even some Christians are fooled by the deceitfulness of riches. In fact, some of the last words Jesus says in the Bible are about Christians who have become independent and prideful because of their money. In Revelation, chapter 3 verses 14 through 22, Jesus talks to the church at Laodicea. Laodicea was is a wealthy city. They had done well for themselves. There was a congregation of God’s people there. But these wealthy Christians had lost their zeal. Jesus said they were lukewarm about their Christianity. He said, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Why would the Lord use this kind of language? He tells us in the next verse—verse 17: “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.’” There was the problem. These Christians did the very thing Moses warned God’s people not to do. They had money and they felt like that was all they needed. In their own words, they said, “We don’t need anything.” They were like some today. They have enough money and then some. They don’t think they need anything from anybody, and if they do, they’ll pay for it. People today talk about being “financially independent.” What an illusion. What a lie. There is no such thing as a man being financially independent. Even on a human level, every man needs help from somebody or at least from circumstances he didn’t create. But on the divine level, it is disgusting to the God of heaven for mankind, especially Christians, to get the big head over money. That’s why Jesus told the Christians at Laodicea they were making Him sick to His stomach with their arrogance! And, He straightened them out about their real condition—their condition on the inside, not the outside, their spiritual condition, not their material state. He said you “do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”! They were rich with money, but they were poor in faith!
Money gives a false sense of security. People today say money empowers them. It makes them feel like they’re in control. But again, the Bible has been warning mankind for thousands of years about this delusion. There’s an interesting story in Luke chapter 12. The Bible says beginning in verse 13, “Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” Even Jesus didn’t try to settle every dispute. And this family problem was over money. It was about the inheritance. Jesus said there were men in a position to answer these questions, but that wasn’t why He was here. But then He went even deeper into the problem. He used this request as an opportunity to teach the people about their attitude toward money. Verse fifteen says, “And He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.’” There’s more—much more—to life than money. Do you remember these words of our Lord: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew chapter 16, verse 26)? Let’s continue in verse 16: “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” This man was already rich. Then he became richer. He said it was time to enjoy himself. He had plenty. He had enough saved up to last for “many years”—not just a few years, but many. But he lost it all in one night. He lost his wealth, his life, and worst of all, he lost his soul. Some security his money gave him!
The Jews in the days of the prophet Zephaniah fell into this trap. They had done well for themselves financially. But they had forsaken the Lord. And, they weren’t concerned about any trouble that might come their way. They didn’t think God would do anything one way or the other. Zephaniah chapter one verse 12 says they were “settled in complacency.” The King James Version is more literal. It says these Jews were “settled on their lees.” The word “lees” refers to the sediment in the bottom of a cup or bottle. When juice sits for a while, the particles settle on the bottom. That’s why we shake it or stir it first. That’s an illustration of these Jews. They sat back and took it easy in their spiritual life. They didn’t trust God or fear God. They said in verse 12, “The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.” They were spiritually lazy and didn’t care. What they needed was what we do with juice that’s settled on the bottom. They needed a good shaking from God. They needed stirring up. And God was about to give them just that. He was about to punish these Jews. And when that time came , God warned this later in Zephaniah chapter one verse seventeen: “Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath.” Their money that they trusted in wouldn’t do them any good when God’s wrath was poured out on them.
Here’s another verse that shows how much false hope people put into what they own. Listen to it and see if it doesn’t describe a lot of people today: “Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, their dwelling places to all generations” (Psalm 49 verse 11). It’s always foolish to assume the future will unfold the way we plan it, especially when those plans involve money and possessions.
These are just a few of the warnings in the Bible about the subject of money. But does this mean that being rich is a sin? No. Not necessarily. It’s not having money that’s a sin. It’s the attitude you have toward it, and what you do with it, or fail to do with it. The Bible says in Genesis chapter 13 verse two that Abraham “was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” And yet Abraham was a great man of faith who went on glory when he died according to Hebrews chapter 11. Job was also very wealthy. But the Bible also says he “was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job one verse one). We just saw in first Timothy chapter 6, verse 17 that there were rich men in the church at Ephesus where Timothy was preaching.
In that same chapter, there are some words that have been misunderstood. The King James Version says in First Timothy chapter six verse ten, “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” That has been misquoted. It says the love of money is the root of all evil, not money is the root of all evil. That’s clear when you read the whole context. Notice First Timothy chapter six verses 9 and 10: “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Verse 9 warns about having a “desire to be rich.” Verse 10 explains that further. The love of money is the root of the problem.
But what about the story of the rich young ruler? What did Jesus mean when he said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”?
The story begins in Matthew chapter 19 verse 16: “Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” You have to put Matthew and Luke together to get the title of the “rich young ruler.” Matthew says in verses 20 and 22 that he was a young man. Luke says he was a ruler, that is, a ruler of a synagogue, in Luke chapter 18 verse 18. Luke also adds that he was “very rich” in verse 23. When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, “He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth up. What do I still lack?” The young man said he had kept these commandments of the law since he was young, that is , since he was even younger than he was when he met Jesus—as we would say, since he was a boy. It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t mention the greatest commandment of all—to love God with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. And that just happened to be the area where this young man had fallen short.
In verse 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect”—which means complete, not sinless—“go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Both Mark and Luke say he lacked “one thing.” Jesus put him to the test to bring out what was inside of him. He told him to sell what he owned and give it to the poor. Luke 18 verse 22 makes this even more plain. It says “sell all that you have.” Every command of God Jesus mentioned put him to the test—don’t steal, don’t bear false witness and the others. But none of those commands tested him like this one. It was a test of who or what he trusted most—God or money. Before he met Jesus it appears that he had a very good reputation. That’s clear from what the apostles said. When Jesus said what He did about the eye of a needle, the disciples were amazed and said, “Who then can be saved?” (verse 25). They were saying if this man, as good as he was, is not saved, then who can be? For him to give up his great riches was the ultimate test. Sadly, the Bible says, “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” So what does Jesus mean?
He cannot mean that it is impossible for any rich man ever to be saved. We’ve already seen that can’t be true. Another suggestion is that Jesus is alluding to some gate in the wall of Jerusalem called the needle’s eye because it was so narrow it was hard to go through it when there were crowds trying to get in through it. That wouldn’t mean that it was impossible for a rich man to enter heaven but it would be very difficult. That sounds good and a lot of people believe this is what Jesus means, but there’s no clear proof there was a gate in the wall of Jerusalem in Jesus’ day called the needle’s eye. There’s no evidence that it actually existed.
Another point to consider is that Jesus may be using a figure of speech known as a hyperbole, a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. It’s not intended to be taken literally. We use hyperboles today for emphasis to stress what we’re saying. For instance, we say “I laughed my head off” or “I saw him in his car and he was flying down the road.” Nobody takes those statements literally. If this is what Jesus is doing, then He’s using the eye of the needle as an illustration, an intentional overstatement to make the point, which is: It is very hard for a rich man to be saved.
But there’s something else to think about. When you hear the words “rich man” what do you think of? A man that has riches? But in the Bible sometimes the words “rich man” or “rich men” mean men who trust in riches. This is where it’s important to read Mark’s account of the rich young ruler. He records something Jesus said that Matthew and Luke don’t. Here is what Jesus said in Mark chapter 10 verses 23 through 25: “Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” If you stop there, you’ll just see him saying the same thing you read in Matthew and Luke. But notice verse 24: “And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Jesus is not talking about men who have riches. He’s talking about men who trust in riches. That’s why He says it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. A man who trusts in riches cannot enter the kingdom!
The book of James uses the words “rich men” the same way. James doesn’t mean that a wealthy man can’t be saved. He begins this book by talking to the poor Christians and the rich Christians. In James chapter 1 verses 9 and 10 he said: “Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.” So there were poor brothers and rich brothers. But later he talks about a certain kind of rich men—wealthy men who are greedy and prideful. These are rich men who take advantage of others to get rich, and mistreat others because they have it! Notice what James says in chapter 2 verses 6 and 7: “Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” Then in chapter five verse 1 he says, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!” These are the kind of rich men Jesus was talking about when He said it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man (a rich man like the ones James is talking about; a man who is rich and trusts in his riches) to enter the kingdom.
But regardless of whether you’re wealthy or poor by any standards, we need to look at these verses and check our hearts, not just today, but on a regular basis. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 through 21).
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