Q. In Matthew 19.23-24 it talks about a camel going through the eye of a needle. I heard this was a gate in Jerusalem. Is this true?

A. There is no historical evidence that the “eye of a needle” is a gate in the ancient city of Jerusalem and that was what Yeshua was referring to. But, repetition of this idea has given it “dogmatic” status in some circles. As the story goes in Scripture, Yeshua tells a man to give up his riches and follow him. The man becomes grieved because he was rich and decides not to follow Yeshua, prompting Yeshua to say that it is “hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven “and that it is” easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” Now there are several things going on here. This verse is very similar an old Jewish proverb. There is a midrash ( which is a teaching or an interpretation)on the Song of Songs which says” “The Holy One said open for Me a door a big as a needle’s eye and I will open for you a door which may enter tents and camels.” This saying was showing God’s willingness and ability to accomplish His work in a person. Some have even suggested that the word “camel” in the Greek should read “rope” because they are almost exactly the same in Greek, with only one letter difference. But, either way the message is the same. He said it is hard ( but not impossible) for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because it’s the work of the Lord. Now remember He is not necessarily talking about salvation alone when He talks about the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom is God’s rule in your life and it is hard for a rich man to totally give himself to what the Lord may want him to do because he is distracted by too many things. Remember the parable of the sower and the seed In Matthew 13.18-23. In v 22 he talks about the one who hears the word but the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful. This is the idea Yeshua is getting at in this proverbial saying about camels and the eye of a needle and it is very unlikely that he was referring to a particular gate in the walled city of Jerusalem.