“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,” Jesus says. The disciples are astonished. We have a problem here, but it isn’t without a solution. If the goal is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than we either need an extremely small camel or a too-large-to-be-functional needle. Let’s explore option number one—the camel is much too large.
Alice follows the rabbit through the rabbit hole to a world of wonder and absurdity, which is not unlike our Christian journey. She comes to a door and tries to follow the rabbit, but the door knob says to her, “You cannot fit through. You are much too big. Simply impassible,” to which Alice replies, “You mean impossible.” “No, impassible. Nothing’s impossible.” Like the rich man in our story, it is not impossible for Alice to fit through the door, but she certainly can’t get through in her current state. So, by eating a cookie and drinking a potion, or dare I say, through the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup, she is presented a way through the door to begin her journey.
The camel is much too big to fit. Now, you can read this story as metaphorically as you like, but it is about money. We squirm in our seats when people talk about money because we’re in love with it, as is the young man who approaches Jesus. The man says, “What must I do to inherit eternal life? I have followed all the commandments.” Jesus says, “You lack one thing. Go, sell all that is yours, give the money to the poor, and follow me.” Have you ever gone to store to get one thing and you leave with ten . . . and forgot the one thing you went to the store to get in the first place? Imagine if Jesus said, “You can bring one thing with you into heaven. Go to Kroger, pick it out, and meet me in the parking lot.” Then you come out with ten things, none of which is what you intended to get. Jesus says, “You are carrying too much to follow me. You, Mr. Camel, are much too big.”
Go, sell all that is yours, and give the money to the poor. What simple and difficult words. I think we are all biblical literalists until we get to verses like this. It is curious advice. If someone is in need of food, and you sell your food and give them money to buy food, the only person enjoying this plan is the shop owner. It seems rather capitalist of Jesus, to be frank. Wouldn’t you expect Jesus to say, “Give what you own to the poor?” Wouldn’t that make it easier? If the queen of hearts wants red roses, don’t plant white roses and paint them red; plant red roses. If Jesus wants the poor to have what they need, don’t sell what you have and give them money for what they need; give them what they need. But this is not what Jesus says. Curious.
On the other hand, imagine if your boss, instead of handing you a check, gave you the TV she doesn’t use anymore or the suit he’s outgrown, or instead of pay, he gives you a coupon for a list of groceries he has purchased for you. Sometimes giving to the poor can be demeaning. Several years ago, I went with the Wesley Foundation at LSU on their mission trip to New York City. We split up into several teams which went throughout Manhattan doing various work. One team went to the St. Andrews/St. Paul’s Food Pantry. This pantry was unlike any I had seen before. Each item on the shelves had a point allotted to it, so I asked the lady behind the desk what the point system was about. She said that the poor in the neighborhood earn points according to the kind and amount of service they give to the community. They can then use the points for items in the store. This provides much more dignity and empowerment to those in need, instead of being given the hand-me-downs of the wealthy. So, go, sell all that you own and give the money to the poor makes perfect sense because in so doing, you are empowering the poor and your hands are open to receive God’s gift of eternal life.
On the other, other hand, it seems like the Do-do’s caucus race by the sea, where everyone is running around in a seemingly endless race. If the man sells everything he owns, then he becomes precisely whom he is trying to help. This seems rather pointless until, until we realize that this is exactly what God has done in the person of Jesus, the Christ. God emptied himself, put on flesh, and was born under the Law so that God might fulfill the law and bring about the Kingdom in which we find eternal life. God cannot redeem what God did not assume, which is why God was made in the flesh under the Law, said Athanasius. Those who love money, those who love the goods from God more than God’s goodness, are much too big to enter into the kingdom. The camel must be smaller. We must empty ourselves as Christ emptied himself.
Though, there is that nagging thing Jesus says when the disciples ask him, “This is a tough teaching Jesus. With this kind of standard, who can be saved?” Jesus says, “For mortals, it is impossible.” We cannot earn heaven. It is a gift. I would love to tell you that if you tithe, you are assured heaven. Maybe we aren’t being asked to shrink the camel at all. Maybe we are being asked to make the eye of the needle bigger? If the church needs more money to change more lives, we will just make following Jesus very simple. If we make the eye of the needle huge, then just think of all the camels who can pass through. You can make following Jesus simple in at least one of two ways. First, you can establish a new law. You can tell people what to wear, what to eat, what to think, for whom they should vote. This makes following Jesus very simple because you don’t have to think or pray or read scripture. Just follow the checklist. “Teacher, I have kept all these commandments since my youth.” The other way to make following Jesus very simple is to make the needle so big that it is completely unrecognizable. It’s like starting a new church of parfaits. Everybody likes parfaits. We’ll make them in all flavors and all sizes. Our mission statement will be simple. We make parfaits. We won’t get involved with politics. We won’t ask difficult questions of why people are homeless or hungry. We don’t want them to sacrifice. We want them to like us. Maybe we just need to make the needle bigger? The problem with that is you can’t knit a scarf with a javelin. In other words, if the needle gets too big, it no longer functions as a needle. If the church no longer produces disciples, it is no longer the church. Now, hear me. The needle is big enough for you, regardless of how old you are, what country you defend, which side of politics you fall. You are welcome regardless of to whom you say “I love you,” no matter which language you choose to use. When I say that the eye of the needle is small, it is not because the only people getting in look like me or think like me or vote like me. The eye of the needle is an ethic of love, not law, of selflessness, not prideful boundary. Yes, there are boundaries in the church, and they are written by God’s grace and self emptying love. I heard an advertisement the other day ,which said, “Standing up for myself is great. Standing up for someone else is greater. Standing with them, is the greatest of all.”
What if the scene went like this: “Go, sell all that you own, and give the money to the poor.” “But master, all I own is not mine. It is God’s.” What if the man acknowledged that he truly doesn’t own anything, that everything is a gift from God. Jesus didn’t tell the Pharisees “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Give to God what is God’s. Keep the rest for yourself.” “But master, all I own is not mine. It is God’s.” “Now, my child, you are ready to inherit the Kingdom of God.”
So which is it? Should the camel get smaller or the needle get bigger? Well, the camel can get smaller for sure. The more money surrounding our heart, the harder it is to love anything but our money. You cannot serve both God and money. Well, the eye of the needle can be a bit bigger as we break down the barriers we so much like to build, but you can’t knit a scarf with a javelin. The goal of the church is, “To make Discples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World,” and if the church has lost that purpose, it has lost its identity. 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. The point is that a camel going through a needle is absurd. Camel’s are not supposed to go through needles, nor are needles equipped to handle passing livestock. The camel is not supposed to go through the needle. We are supposed to get onto the camel, pick up the needle and sew up the wounds within the world. Camels are for transportation and needles are meant for mending and creating. Stop trying to do something which is impossible for humanity to do. Do you hear Jesus’ verbs? Go, sell, give, follow. A camel going through a needle is absurd, and so is the thought that money brings salvation.
I have rarely met a generous person who was angry or selfish or stressed or worried. Most of those who tithe are peaceful, happy, selfless, helpful people. Which of the two recognize the kingdom of God when they see it? I would imagine while one group is shrinking camels and knitting with javelins, the other group understands the purpose of the camel is to go, the purpose of money is to sell, the purpose of the needle is to give so that we might follow. Amen and amen
Since I was sick yesterday it was so great to read your sermon. Thanks for posting it. Grrrreat as usual.