Jesus warned wealth can hinder salvation if riches are valued over God

JESUS WAS NEGATIVE YET HOPEFUL FOR THE RICH
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
LUKE 18:25-2725 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for someonewho is
rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who
heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus
replied, “Whatis impossiblewith man is possiblewith
God.”
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Wealth And Piety
Luke 18:24
W. Clarkson
Wherein lies the difficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom? This young
ruler shrank from parting with his property, but Jesus Christdoes not
ordinarily ask men of wealth to "sellall that they have and give to the poor."
His difficulty, therefore, is not the common one.
1. It is not that the rich man is not as welcome to the friendship of Christ as
the poor man. He does not make distinctions in his invitation, or in his desire
that men should come to him. In him in whom is neither male nor female,

bond nor free, there is neither rich nor poor. The poor as much as the rich,
and also the rich as much as the poor, are the objects of his love and of his
seeking. The Lord of our nature regards us, and concerns himself for us, not
on accountof our circumstances, but because he knows the value of our souls.
2. Notbecause the rich man cannotillustrate the distinctive graces of
Christianity. The sale and distribution of property in apostolic times was an
expedient which was adopted for the occasion;but it was not insisted upon as
necessaryeventhen (Acts 5:4), and it was very soonabandoned. Paul, writing
to Timothy, wrote on the supposition that the Christian Church included
many wealthy men (1 Timothy 6.). Every age and every country has witnessed
the lives of wealthy Christian men, who have illustrated every grace that the
greatTeacherhas commended. It is clearthat a rich man map be as humble,
as generous, as temperate, as pure, as devout, as any poor man can be; and he
sometimes is so. The explanation of our Lord's language is found in the fact
that riches are apt to put a serious obstacle in the way of entrance into the
kingdom. If we would find our wayinto that holy and blessedkingdom, it is
necessarythat we should have a sense of our personal emptiness and need. We
come to Christ to be filled with his fulness, to be enriched by his grace and
love. He is a Physician, and it is they who feel that they are sick that are likely
to apply for his healing power. He is the Divine Source of all wealth and
enrichment (Revelation3:18), and they must know themselves to be poor who
come to buy of him gold that they may become rich. Hence the difficulty. It is
for this reasonthat -
I. A MAN WHOSE MIND IS FULL OF KNOWLEDGE finds it hard to
receive distinctive Christian truth. He is rich, as comparedwith his fellows, in
the acquisitionof knowledge.He is proud of this possessionofhis, and is bent
on making the most of it. Jesus Christ comes to him, and says that he must lay
aside his own views and notions, and sit at his feet and receive the truth he
brings to him from God. Then the "rich" man has to sacrifice his favourite

theories, has to make nothing of his learning, that he may admit to his mind
the wisdomthat is from above; and he finds it very "hard" to do this.
II. A MAN WHO IS CLOTHED WITH HONOUR finds it hard to take a very
humble view of himself. For honour is an order of wealth, and one that is
highly prized. But the natural and common effectof it is to leadthose who are
the objects ofit to form a flattering view of themselves;it is hard to getthem
to believe that in God's sight they may be as sinful as those held in very much
less regardby their fellow-men. But the ground on which human souls must
come to Christ is that of humility. "Blessedare the poor in spirit: for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven."
III. A MAN WHOSE CHAMBERS ARE FULL OF TREASURE is tempted
to seek his satisfactionin the lower good. We have to make our choice, as
Divine truth is presentedto us, whether we will live for the service of Christ or
for our own personalenjoyment and aggrandizement. To the poor, to the
afflicted, to the suffering, to those who know they have not long to live, the
temptation to live for this present world is not so strong; on their ear the
overtures of the gospelof grace fall as that very thing they need for theft
comfort and their peace;they have little to surrender, they have much to gain.
But to those to whom every avenue of enjoyment is open; to those who may
look hopefully, perhaps confidently, for place, for power, for society, for
pleasure, for honour, - the inducement is very strong and urgent to castin
their lot with those "whose portionis in this life." Many voices very close to
their ear, very clearand convincing, callfor their strength to be given to the
material rather than the spiritual, to the temporal rather than the eternal, to
the human rather than the Divine; and it is "hard" for them to resistand to
overcome.
1. Let poverty find its ample consolationin the accessibility of the riches that
always satisfyand never flee.

2. Let those who know neither poverty nor riches thank God for the happy
mean in which his providence has placedthem - not subjecting them to the
temptations of either.
3. Let wealth beware lestit make a sad, a supreme, mistake;lest, in the great
spiritual strife, it -
"Clutch the tinsel gilding, and let go the crown of life." C.
Biblical Illustrator
GoodMaster, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luke 18:18-30
The rich youth's address to Christ

J. Burns, D. D.
I. THE FAVOURABLE TRAITS OF CHARACTER EXHIBITED IN THE
QUESTION PROPOSED BYTHIS YOUNG MAN.
1. The question itself was of supreme importance.
2. The question was a personal one.
3. The question was put at an interesting period of life.
4. The question was put by one who possessedan abundance of riches.
5. The question was put with feelings of greatmodesty and respect.
6. The question was put with greatsincerity and earnestnessofspirit.
II. THE DEFECTSWHICH WERE ELICITED BY THE SAVIOUR.
1. He evidently expected salvationby the works of the law.
2. He was held in bondage by one reigning idol.
3. He was unwilling to yield to the extensive requirements of the Saviour.

III. THE LESSONS WHICH HIS HISTORY FURNISHES.
1. The exceeding deceitfulness of earthly riches.
2. That we may go far in religious practices, and yet not be saved.
3. We are in greatdanger from spiritual deception.
4. Religionrequires a total surrender of ourselves to God.
(J. Burns, D. D.)
Thou knowestthe commandments
Keep the commandments
J. Jowett, M. A.
I. INQUIRE INTO THE DESIGN WITH WHICH OUR SAVIOUR SPOKE
THESE WORDS. His aim was to expose ignorance, self-righteousness, and
insincerity, in one whom the spectators were doubtless admiring for his
apparent devotion.
1. The man was ignorant of Christ's realcharacter.
2. He expectedlife as the rewardof his own merit.

3. He was not sincerelywilling to sacrifice anything for the kingdom of
heaven's sake.
II. ENDEAVOUR TO PROMOTEA SIMILAR DESIGN BYA FAITHFUL
APPLICATION OF THEM TO OURSELVES. "If thou wilt enter into life,
keepthe commandments." These words, duly considered, may —
1. Convince us of sin. There is no doubt, that we ought to keepthe
commandments. But, have we done so?
2. Drive us to Christ as a Refuge.
3. Guide the steps of the justified believer. The curse of the law it at an end —
not its obligation.
(J. Jowett, M. A.)
Yet lackestthou one thing
One weak spot
Bishop F. D. Huntington.
When Jesus tells us that we cannot be His disciples so long as we lack one
thing, does He mean that we must have supplied every moral defect, must
have attained every grace, must have vanquished every spiritual enemy, and,
in fact, have ceasedto sin, before we canbe His disciples? That would be
simply saying that none of us canhope to be a Christian unless he is morally
perfect; and that of course involves the converse, thatevery true Christian is
thus morally perfect, The shock this statementgives to our common sense,

and its manifest contradiction of the whole drift of the New Testament, at
once drives us from any such interpretation. We find a consistentmeaning, I
suppose, if we understand Him as declaring that no heart is really
Christianized, or converted, so long as there is any one conscious,deliberate,
or intentional reservationfrom entire obedience to the Divine will. So that if I
say, Here is one particular sin which I must continue to practise;all the rest of
my conduct I freely conform to God's law, but this known wrong I must
continue to do — then I am no Christian. If you single out some one chosen
indulgence, however secret — a dubious custom in business, a fault of the
tongue or temper — and, placing y our hand over that, reply to the all-
searching commandment of the MostHigh, "This I cannot let go; this is too
sweetto me, or too profitable to me, or too tightly inter. wovenwith my
constitutional predilections, or too hard to be put off" — then the quality of a
disciple is not in you. There is a portion of your being which you do not mean,
or try, to consecrate to heaven. And that single persistent offence vitiates the
whole character. It keeps you, as a man, as a whole man, on the self. side or
world-side, and awayfrom Christ's side. For it not only shuts off
righteousness from one district of your nature, and so abridges the quantity of
your life, but it inflicts the much more radicaldamage of denying the
supremacy of the law of righteousness, and thus corrupts the quality. It
practically rejects the heavenly rule when that rule crosses the private
inclination. And that is the essenceofrebellion.
(Bishop F. D. Huntington.)
The test-point
Bishop F. D. Huntington.
When Jesus spoke thus of one thing fatally lacking to the Jewishruler, He
spoke to us all. But with this difference: that one subtle passionwhich spoils
the whole characterfor us may not be his passion. With him it seems to have
been avarice;he could not bear to turn his private property into public
charity. His religion broke down just there: in other respects he had done
admirably; he had kept other commandments to the letter — aye, to the

letter; not perhaps in the spirit, for all true obedience has one spirit. But so far
his literal, formal obedience came, and there gave out. But then you may
happen to be so constituted that such an abandonment of wealthwould be a
very small sacrifice — one of the leastthat could be required of you; you are
not naturally sordid; you are more inclined to be prodigal; and so this would
not be a test-point with you. But there is a test-point about you somewhere.
Perhaps it is pride; you cannot bear an affront; you will not confess a fault.
Perhaps it is personalvanity, ready, to sacrifice everything to display. Perhaps
it is a sharp tongue. Perhaps it is some sensualappetite, bent on its unclean
gratification. Then you are to gatherup your moral forces just here, and till
that darling sin is brought under the practicallaw of Christ, you are shut out
from Christ's kingdom. I have no right to love anything so well that I cannot
give it up for God. God knows where the trial must be applied. And we are to
know that whereverit is applied, there is the one thing lacking, unless we can
say "Thy will be done," and bear it. The gospeldoes not propose itself as an
easysystem — easyin the sense ofexcusing from duty. Were we not right
then, in the ground taken at the outset, that the powerof Christianity over the
characteris proved by the thoroughness of its action rather than by the extent
of surface over which its actionspreads? It displays its heavenly energy in
dislodging the one cherishedsin, in breaking down the one entrenched
fortress that disputes its sway. At the battle of Borodino, Napoleonsaw that
there was no such thing as victory till he had carried the greatcentral redoubt
on the Russianline. Two hundred guns and the choicestofhis battalions were
poured againstthat single point, and when the plumes of his veterans gleamed
through the smoke onthe highest embrasures of that volcano of shot, he knew
the field was won. It matters very little that we do a great many things
morally irreproachable, so long as there is one ugly disposition that hangs
obstinately hack. It is only when we come to a point of real resistance thatwe
know the victory of faith overcoming the world. Finally, our renewing and
redeeming religion delights to reachdown to the roots of the sin that curses
us, and spreadits healing efficacythere. It yearns to yield us the fulness of its
blessing;and this it knows it cannot do till it brings the heart under the
completeness ofits gentle captivity to Christ. Submission first; then peace, and
joy, and love. "Jesusbeholding him, loved him"; yet sent him away
sorrowing. How tender, and yet how true! tender in the sad affection — true

to the stern unbending sacrifice ofthe Cross!It is because He would have us
completely happy that He requires a complete submission. "One thing" must
not be left lacking. Whosoeverwouldenter into the full strength and joy of a
disciple must throw his whole heart upon the altar.
(Bishop F. D. Huntington.)
How hardly shall they that have riches enter
The dangerof riches
E. B. Pusey, D. D.
Rather, if one asked, Whatperil have riches? one might ask, What peril have
they not? First, then, they are wholly contrary to the life of Christ and His
passion. That cannotbe the safe, the happy lot, which is in all things most
opposite to His. Unlike Him, we must ever here be; for we are sinners, He
alone, as man, was holy; we are His creatures, He our God. But can it be safe
not to be aiming, herein also, to be less unlike? Canit be safe to choose that
which in all its pomp and glory was brought before His eye as man, to be
wholly rejectedby Him; to choose whatHe rejected, and shrink back from
what He chose?This, then, is the first all-containing peril of riches. They are,
in themselves, contrary to the Cross ofChrist. I speak not now of what they
may be made. As we, being enemies, were, through the Cross, made friends, so
may all things, evil and perilous in themselves, exceptsin, become our friends.
The Cross finds us in desolation, and they, He says, "have receivedtheir
consolation";it finds us in evil things, and they are surrounded by their good
things; it comes in want, and they have abundance; in distress, and they are at
ease;in sorrow, and they are ever tempted even to deaden their sorrows in
this world's miserable joys. Happy only in this, that He who chastenethwhom
He loveth, sprinkles His ownhealthful bitterness over life's destructive
sweetness,and by the very void and emptiness of vanity calls forth the
unsatisfied soul no more to "spend money on that which is not bread, or its
labour on that which satisfiethnot." But if it be so hard for the rich to seek to
bear the cross, itmust be hard for them truly to love Him who bore it. Love

longeth to liken itself to that it loves. It is an awful question, my brethren; but
how can we love our Lord if we suffer not with Him?
2. Then it is another exceeding peril of riches and ease that they may tend to
make us forgetthat here is not our home, Men on a journey through a
stranger's, much more an enemy's, and linger not. Their hearts are in their
home; thither are their eyes set;they love the winds which have blown over it;
they love the very hills which look upon it, even while they hide it; days,
hours, and minutes pass quickly or slowlyas they seem to bring them near to
it; distance, time, weariness, strength, all are counted only with a view to this,
"are they nearerto the faces they love? can they, when shall they reachit?"
What then, my brethren, if our eyes are not set upon the everlasting "hills,
whence cometh our help"? what if we cherish not those inward breathings
which come to us from our heavenly home, hushing, refreshing, restoring,
lifting up our hearts, and bidding us flee away and be at rest? What if we are
wholly satisfied, and intent on things present? can we be longing for the face
of God? or canwe love Him whom we long not for? or do we long for Him, if
we say not daily, "When shall I come and appear before the presence of
God?"
3. Truly there is not one part of the Christian characterwhichriches, in
themselves, do not tend to impair. Our Lord placedat the head of evangelic
blessings, poverty of spirit, and, as a help to it and image of it, the outward
body of the soul of true poverty, poverty of substance too. The only "riches"
spokenof in the New Testament, exceptas a woe, are the unsearchable riches
of the glory and grace ofChrist, the riches of the goodness ofGod, the depth
of the riches of His wisdom, or the riches of liberality, whereto deep poverty
abounded.
4. Poverty is, at least, a fostering nurse of humility, meekness, patience, trust
in God, simplicity, sympathy with the sufferings of our Lord or of its fellow
(for it knows the heart of those who suffer). What when riches, in themselves,
hinder the very grace of mercifulness which seems their especial grace, of

which they are the very means? What wonderthat they cherish that brood of
snakes, pride, arrogance, self-pleasing, self-indulgence,self-satisfaction, trust
in self, forgetfulness ofGod, sensuality, luxury, spiritual sloth, when they
deaden the heart to the very sorrows they should relieve? And yet it is
difficult, unless, through self-discipline, we feel some suffering, to sympathize
with those who suffer. Fulness of bread deadens love. As a rule, the poor show
more mercy to the poor out of their poverty, than the rich out of their
abundance. But if it be a peril to have riches, much more is it to seek them. To
have them is a trial allotted to any of us by God; to seek them is our own.
Through trials which He has given us He will guide us; but where has He
promised to help us in what we bring upon ourselves? In all this I have not
spokenof any grossersins to which the love of money gives birth: of what all
fair men would condemn, yet which, in some shape or other, so many practise.
Such are, hardness to the poor or to dependents; using a brother's services for
almost nought, in order to have more to spend in luxury; petty or more
grievous frauds; falsehood, hard dealing, taking advantage one of another,
speaking evil of one another, envying one another, forgetting natural
affection. And yet in this Christian land many of these are very common. Holy
Scripture warns us all not to think ourselves out of dangerof them.
(E. B. Pusey, D. D.)
The deceitfulness ofriches
J. Parker, D. D.
Notice the deceitfulness of all kinds of riches. Riches may corrupt the very
simplest of you. Take care. How many men have receivedhold of the gallows
and hanged themselves just through the deceitfulness ofriches. We could
trace the history of many a man, and see how he died in the bank, that great
mortuary. The man begansimply, and was a right genial soul. He brought
with him morning light and fresh air wherever he came;and as for casesof
poverty, his hand knew the way to his pocketso wellthat he could find that

pocketin the dark. As for religious services, he was there before the door was
opened. He never thought the Sabbath day too long. He loved the sanctuary,
and was impatient until the gates were openedunto him. He even went to the
week-evening services.But then he was only a working man, and only
working men should go out into the night air! What does it matter about a few
working men being killed by the eastwind? The man whose course we are
tracing doubled his income and multiplied it by five, and then doubled it
again, and then found that he must give up the prayer-meeting. Certainly.
Then he proceededto double his income, and then he gave up the Sunday
evening service. There was a draught near where he sat, or there was some
person in the third pew from his the appearance ofwhom he could not bear.
How dainty my lord is becoming! Oh, what a nostril he has for evil savour! He
will leave presently altogether. He will not abruptly leave, but he will simply
not come back again, which really means practically the same thing. He will
attend in the morning, and congratulate the poor miserable preacheron the
profit of the service. Did he mean to do this when he beganto get a little
wealthier? Nothe. Is he the same man he used to be! No. Is he nearer Christ?
He is a million universes awayfrom Christ. He is killed by wealth. He trusted
in it, misunderstood, misapplied it. It is not wealth that has ruined him, but
his misconceptionof the possible uses of wealth. He might have been the
leaderof the Church. There was a lady, whose husband's personaltywas
swornat millions, who was unable to attend one of the ladies'meetings
organized for the purpose of making garments for the poor, and she said that
she could no longer attend, and therefore her subscription would lapse. Let it
lapse. If it were a case in connectionwith this Church I would not have named
it. It is because distance ofspace and time enable me to refer to it without
identification that I point the moral, and saythat where such wealthis, or
such use of wealth, there is rottenness of soul.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
You cannot take your riches with you into the kingdom if you are going to
trust in them

J. Parker, D. D.
If you are going to offer them to Christ and sanctify them to His use, let us
know of it. You cannot bring your intellectual pride with you. If you are going
to consecrateyour intellect to the study of the profoundest mysteries, if you
are going to cultivate the child-like spirit — for the greaterthe genius the
greaterthe modesty — bring it all! You canbring with you nothing of the
nature of patronage to Christ. It is because He has so little, He has so much;
because He is so weak, He is so strong. You cannotcompliment Him: He lies
beyond the range of eulogy. We reachHim by His own way — sacrifice, self-
immolation, transformation. A greatmystery, outside of words and all their
crafty uses, but a blessed, conscious,spiritual experience. Blessedare those to
whom that experience is a reality.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
Who
Who, then, can be saved
B. Beddome, M. A.
? — The difficulties of salvation, however, do not arise from the want of
powerin God, for nothing is too hard for Him; He canas easilysave a world
as He could at first create one. Nor does it arise from any want of sufficiency
in Christ, for "He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by
Him"; yes, to the uttermost of our desires and necessities, andin the last
extremity. The difficulties therefore arise from the nature of salvation itself,
and our sinful aversionto It.
I. LET US NOTICE MORE PARTICULARLY SOME OF THE
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY OF OUR SALVATION.
1. The truths to be believed are some of them very mysterious, and, as Peter
says, "Hard to be understood."

2. The sacrifices to be made are also in some degree painful. That which cost
our Saviour so much must surely costus something.
3. The dispositions to be exercisedare such as are contrary to the natural bias
of our depraved hearts.
4. The duties to be performed. Is there no difficulty more especiallyin
renouncing a customary or constitutional evil, and keeping ourselves from our
own iniquity?
5. The trouble and danger to which religion exposes its professors.
II. ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE INQUIRY IN OUR TEXT. "Who, then,
can be saved?" If men were left to themselves, either in a natural or renewed
state, and if Godwere not to work, or to withhold His hand after He had
begun to work, none would be saved, no, not one.
1. Such shall be savedas are appointed to it. Of some it is said, "Godhath
chosenthem to salvation, through sanctificationof the Spirit, and belief of the
truth."
2. Those shallbe saved who are truly desirous of it.
3. Those who come to Christ for salvation shall be sure to obtain it.

4. Such as endure to the end shall be saved.
(B. Beddome, M. A.)
Lo, we have left all and followedThee
The happiness of self-denial
N. Emmons, D. D.
I. SELF-DENIALIS TO BE EXPLAINED.
1. In the first place, it does not consistin giving up one temporal and personal
goodfor a greatertemporal and personal good. Forthis is self-gratifying
instead of self-denying. Any entirely selfishperson would be willing to do this.
One man will sacrifice his property to gratify his ambition, which he esteems a
greatergood. Another man will sacrifice his property to gratify his appetite,
which he esteems a greatergood. Another will sacrifice his property to gratify
his revenge, whichhe esteems a greatergood. But none of these persons, in
these cases,exercisethe leastself-denial.
2. Nor, secondly, does self-denial consistin giving up a less temporal and
personalgoodfor a greaterpersonaland eternal good. The most corrupt and
selfishmen in the world are willing to give up any or all their temporal and
personalinterests for the sake ofobtaining future and eternal happiness.
3. But, thirdly and positively, self-denialconsists in giving up our own good
for the goodof others. Such self-denialstands in direct contrariety to
selfishness.

II. TRUE SELF-DENIAL IS PRODUCTIVE OF THE HIGHEST PRESENT
AND FUTURE HAPPINESS. This will appear if we consider —
1. The nature of true self-denial. It consists,as we have seen, in giving up a
less private or personalgoodfor a greaterpublic good;or in giving up our
own goodfor the greatergoodof others. And this necessarilyimplies
disinterestedbenevolence, which is placing our own happiness in the greater
happiness of others. When a man gives up his own happiness to promote the
greaterhappiness of another, he does it freely and voluntarily, because he
takes more pleasure in the greatergoodof another than in a less goodof his
own.
2. Those who have denied themselves the most have found the greatest
happiness resulting from their self. denial.
3. The great and precious promises which are expresslymade to self. denial by
Christ Himself.Conclusion:
1. It appears, then, that self-denial is necessarilya term or condition of
salvation.
2. It appears, also, that the doctrine cannot be carried too far.
3. If Christianity requires men to exercise true self. denial, then the Christian
religion is not a gloomy, but a joyful, religion. It affords a hundredfold more
happiness than any other religion can afford.

4. It appears from the nature of that self-denial which the gospelrequires that
the more sinners become acquainted with the gospel, the more they are
disposedto hate it and rejectit. All sinners are lovers of their own selves, and
regard their own goodsupremely and solely, and the goodof others only so
far as it tends to promote their own private, personal, and selfish good.
5. It appears from the nature of that self-denial which the gospelrequires why
sinners are more willing to embrace any false scheme of religion than the true.
(N. Emmons, D. D.)
Christian discipleship
J. Parsons.
I. TO BE THE FOLLOWERS OF THE SAVIOUR, IS TO SUSTAIN A
CHARACTER OF HIGH AND ESSENTIALIMPORTANCE.
1. We cannot hold this relationship to the Sonof Godwithout believing the
testimony given concerning Him, in the Scriptures.
2. Believing in Christ, we must be excited to a practicalobedience to His
commands, and an imitation of the excellencesdisplayedas an example to
man.
3. That same principle of faith will excite also to public professionof the
Saviour's name, and active exertion in His cause.
4. Combine in your own characters the principles and the conduct to which
we have now adverted. Believe on the Son of God; give an obedience to His

perceptive will, and imitate the excellencesHe displayed; profess publicly that
you will be His, and be active and zealous in the promotion of His designs;and
then will you indeed and honourably be among those who "follow Him."
II. THAT IN SUSTAINING THIS CHARACTER, PAINFUL SACRIFICES
MUST OFTEN BE MADE. Sacrificesfor the name's sake ofthe Sonof God
are justified and called for, by reasons which might be expanded in very
extensive illustration. Remember for whom they are made. For whom? For
Him who built the fabric of the universe, and over whose wondrous creation
the "morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."
For whom? For Him who is "the brightness of the Father's glory, and the
express image of His person," in whom "dwells all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily." Forwhom? For Him who "was rich, but for your sakes became
poor," etc. Remember for what these sacrificesare made. They are made for
the enjoyment of peace of conscience. Theyare made for a restorationto the
image and the friendship of God. They are made for the refinement and
ennobling of the nature. It is to be observed again—
III. THAT PRESENT SACRIFICES IN THE CAUSE, AND AS THE
FOLLOWERS OF THE SAVIOUR, ARE TO ISSUE IN A GLORIOUS
REWARD.
1. The Saviour promises advantage to be possessedin the present life. In
following Christ, we are blessedwith repose of conscience;we are exalted to
fellowship with God; we are endowedwith capacities forimproving in the
knowledge ofmysteries, identified with the highest welfare of our being; we
become the companions of the excellentof the earth, and the innumerable
company of angels;we are urged to a rapid increase in the graces which
dignify the character, and are a pledge of the sublimity of the final destiny; we
are supplied with strong consolationfor sorrow, and firm support for death;
and prospects are opened which stretch awayto the immensities of

immortality. Are not these "a hundredfold"? Here is the "pearl of great
price": and well may we resolve to be as the merchant, and "sell" or
"forsake" allwe have, and buy it!
2. The Saviour promises advantage to be possessedin the life to come. It is a
wise regulation in the decisions of Providence, that our chief reward is
reservedfor another state of existence. The Almighty intends that, in this
world, our lives shall be those of trial; and that the stability of our graces
should be proved, by the rigid and sometimes painful discipline to which we
are exposed.
(J. Parsons.)
Christian relationships
M. F. Sadler.
Homes, parents, brethren, wives, children, are things to be desired, because
they call forth the highest and purest affections, the exercise ofwhich sheds
abroad in the heart the highest and sweetesthuman joy and satisfaction. Now
a man's conversionto the faith of Christ, though it at times, perhaps almost
always, estrangedhim from a heathen home and family, gave him another
home, and a far wider family, attachedto him in far firmer and closer, and
withal more holy bonds, and these were brethren and sisters, fathers and
mothers in Christ. The exercise ofpurified love and affection, and, we may
add, reverence towards these, would diffuse through his heart a far holier and
deeper joy than he had ever experiencedin his former unholy heathen state.
Take, forinstance, the lastchapter of the Epistle to the Romans; look at the
number of Christians to whom the apostle sent salutation. In no one case were
these salutations a mere heartless form. In every case theywere accompanied
by the overflow of Christian love, by memories of how they had laboured and
suffered togetherin the same holy cause;in most cases, perhaps, they were the

greetings of a father to his children in the faith. What a sea ofsatisfactionand
holy joy does all this disclose!And so it was, though, of course, in different
degrees, andunder various forms, with every Christian who had given up any
worldly advantage for Christ's sake.
(M. F. Sadler.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(25) Through a needle’s eye.—The Greek wordfor “needle” in the better
MSS. differs from that in St. Matthew and St. Mark, and is a more classical
word. That which the others use was unknown to Attic writers. The fact, small
as it is, takes its place among the signs of St. Luke’s culture.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
18:18-30 Manyhave a greatdeal in them very commendable, yet perish for
lack of some one thing; so this ruler could not bear Christ's terms, which
would part betweenhim and his estate. Many who are loth to leave Christ, yet
do leave him. After a long struggle betweentheir convictions and their
corruptions, their corruptions carry the day. They are very sorry that they
cannot serve both; but if one must be quitted, it shall be their God, not their
wordly gain. Their boastedobedience will be found mere outside show; the
love of the world in some form or other lies at the root. Men are apt to speak
too much of what they have left and lost, of what they have done and suffered
for Christ, as Peterdid. But we should rather be ashamedthat there has been
any regretor difficulty in doing it.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 19:13-30.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
25. easierfor a camel, &c.—a proverbial expressiondenoting literally a thing
impossible, but figuratively, very difficult.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Luke 18:18"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
For it is easierfor a camel,.... Thesewords were spokento the disciples again,
and were a secondaddress to them, after they had shown astonishmentat the
former; See Gill on Matthew 19:24 and See Gill on Mark 10:24.
Geneva Study Bible
For it is easierfor a camelto go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
Luke 18:25. τρήματος βελόνης:eachevangelisthas his ownexpressionhere.—
τρῆμα from τιτράω, τίτρημι (or τράω), to pierce, bore through; hence τρανής,
penetrating, clear;βελόνη, the point of a spear.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
25. for a camelto go through a needles eye] To soften the apparent harshness
of this expression, some have conjectured Kamilon, ‘a rope;’ and some have
explained ‘the needle’s eye’ of the small side gate for passengers(atthe side of
the large city gates), through which a camel might press its way, if it were first
unladen. But (i) the conjecture Kamilon is wholly without authority, (ii) The
name of ‘the needle’s eye’ applied to small gates is probably a modern one
which has actually originated from an attempt to soften this verse:—at any
rate there is no ancient trace of it. (iii) The Rabbinic parallels are decisive to
prove that a camelis meant because the Babylonian Jews using the same

proverb substitute ‘an elephant’ for ‘a camel.’(iv) It is the objectof the
proverb to express human i?npossibility. In the human sphere—apartfrom
the specialgrace ofGod—it would be certain that those who have riches
would be led to trust in them, and so would fail to enter into the kingdom of
God, which requires absolute humility, ungrudging liberality, and constant
self-denial.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 25. - For it is easierfor a camelto go through a needle's eye, than for a
rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. This simile, takenin its plain and
obvious sense, appears to many an exaggeratedone, and various explanations
have been suggestedto softenit down. The best is found in Lord Nugent's
'Lands Classicaland Sacred,'who mentions that in some modern Syrian
towns the narrow gate for foot-passengers atthe side of the largergate by
which waggons, camels, andother beasts of burden enter the city, is known as
the "needle's eye." It is, however, very uncertain whether this term for the
little gate was knownin ancient times. But the simile was evidently a common
one among the Jews. The Talmud, for instance, gives us the parallel phrase of
an elephant passing through a needle's eye. The Koran repeats the very words
of the Gospel. it is the objectof the proverb to express human impossibility.
"I would ride the camel,
Yea leap him flying, through the needle's eye
As easily as such a pampered soul
Could pass the narrow gate."
(Southey.) It seems strange that the three evangelists, SS. Matthew, Mark, and
Luke, who tell this story of the young questioner and the Master's
conversationwith him, do not mention his name. And yet he must have been a
conspicuous personagein the societyofthe time. First of all, his riches were
evidently remarkable. One accounttells us that he was" very rich." Two of

the Gospels mention his "greatpossessions." St. Luke tells us that he was "a
ruler." He was, then, certainly a very wealthy Jew holding a high official
position, not improbably a member of the Sanhedrin council. Why is he
nameless in the three Gospels? DeanPlumptre has a most interesting theory
that the young wealthy ruler was Lazarus of Bethany. He bases his hypothesis
upon the following data: He begins by stating that "there is one other case in
the first two Gospels whichpresents similar phenomena. ]n the narrative of
the supper at Bethany, St. Matthew and St. Mark record the passionate
affectionwhich expresseditselfin pouring the precious ointment of spikenard
upon our Lord's head as the act of 'a woman' (Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3),
leaving her unnamed. In John 12:3 we find that the woman was Mary, the
sisterof Lazarus. The train of thought thus suggestedpoints to the supposition
that here also there may have been reasons forsuppressing in the records a
name which was familiar to the narrator. What if the young ruler were
Lazarus himself? The points of agreementare sufficiently numerous to
warrant the conjecture. The householdof Lazarus, as the spikenard ointment
shows, were ofthe wealthierclass. The friends who came to comfort the
bereavedsisters were themselves, in St. John's language, 'ofthe Jews,'i.e. of
the chief rulers (John 11:19). The young ruler was obviously a Pharisee, and
the language ofMartha (John 11:24) shows that she, too, believed in eternal
life and the resurrectionof the dead. The answerto the young ruler, ' One
thing thou lackest'(as given by St. Mark and St. Luke), is almost identical
with that to Martha, 'One thing is needful' (Luke 10:42). In such a case, of
course, nothing can be attained beyond conjecturalinference;but the present
writer must avow his belief that the coincidencesin this case are such as to
carry the evidence to a very high point of probability."
Vincent's Word Studies
Camel
See on Matthew 19:24.
To go through the eye of a needle (διὰ τρήματος βελόνης εἰσελθεῖν)

Rev., more literally, to enter in through a needle's eye. Both Matthew and
Mark use another word for needle (ῥαφίς); see on Mark 10:25. Luke alone has
βελόνη, which, besides being an older term, is the peculiar word for the
surgicalneedle. The other word is condemned by the Greek grammarians as
barbarous.
(26) And they that heard it.—St. Luke’s way of putting the factsuggests the
thought either that others may have been presentbesides the disciples who are
named in the other Gospels, orthat only some of the disciples heard what had
been said.

26, 27. For, &c.—"Atthat rate none can be saved":"Well, it does pass human
power, but not divine."
And they that heard it, said, who then can be saved? These were the disciples
of Christ, who so said; see Matthew 19:25.
Geneva Study Bible
And they that heard it said, Who then canbe saved?
Luke 18:26. οἱ ἀκούσαντες, those hearing, a quite generalreference to the
company present. In Mt. and Mk. the words are addressedto the disciples.—
καὶ τίς δ. σ.: as in Mk., vide notes there.
26. Who then can be savedI] Here once more we catch the echo of the sighing
despair causedin the minds of the still immature Apostles by some of our
Lord’s harder sayings.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 26. - And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? This hard
saying appearedto the disciples to be terribly comprehensive in its scope;the
longing to be rich was confined to no one class or order, it was the universal
passion. Were theft guiltless here? Were they not looking for riches and glory
in the Messianic kingdomof the immediate future? And of all peoples the
Jews in every age have been credited with the blindest devotion to this idol,
wealth. In St. Mark (Mark 10:24) we find certainly an explanatory statement:

"How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of
God!" But this explanatory and softenedstatementis not found in the older
authorities; these read instead, in Mark 10:24, simply the words, "How hard
is it to enter the kingdom of God!' Hard alike, the Mastermeant, for rich and
poor, though harder for the former.
(27) The things which are impossible with men.—The answeris substantially
the same as we find in the other Gospels, but it assumes in St. Luke something
more of the form of a generalisedaxiom.

26, 27. For, &c.—"Atthat rate none can be saved":"Well, it does pass human
power, but not divine."
And he said,.... That is, Jesus, as the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions
express it:
the things which are impossible with men, are possible with God; See Gill on
Matthew 19:26.
Geneva Study Bible
And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Luke 18:27. τὰ ἀδύνατα, etc. Mk. and Mt. have first a particular then a
generalstatement. Lk. gives the generaltruth only: the impossibles for men
possible for God.
27. are possible with God] See on Luke 1:37. “There is nothing too hard for
thee,” Jeremiah32:17; comp. Job13:2; Zechariah 8:6.
Bengel's Gnomen
Luke 18:27. Δύνατα, possible)An example of the possibility is afforded in the
case ofZaccheus, ch. Luke 19:2; Luke 19:9.
Pulpit Commentary

Verse 27. - And he said, The things which are impossible with men are
possible with God. Yes, impossible, the Divine Teacherrepeated, from a man's
point of view; impossible from the platform of legalobedience on which the
young ruler (ver. 21) had taken his stand, or the Pharisee in his prayer (vers.
11, 12); but it was not impossible with God. He might give this salvationas a
perfectly free gift, utterly undeserved, perfectly unmerited, as he did to the
prodigal son when he returned, or to the publican when he beat his breastin
almost voicelessmourning, or still more conspicuously, not many days later,
to the penitent thief dying on the cross.
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
For it is easierfor a camelto enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich
man to enter into the kingdom of God.
The sheerimpossibility of a camelgoing through the eye of a needle forces the
deduction that this is a hyperbole, employed to stress the difficulty of a rich
man's being saved.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
Through a needle‘s eye (δια τρηματος βελονης — dia trēmatos belonēs). Both
words are old. Τρημα — Trēma means a perforation or hole or eye and in the
N.T. only here and Matthew 19:24. ελονη — Belonē means originally the point
of a spearand then a surgeon‘s needle. Here only in the N.T. Mark 10:25;

Matthew 19:24 have ραπιδος — rhaphidos for needle. This is probably a
current proverb for the impossible. The Talmud twice speaks ofan elephant
passing through the eye of a needle as being impossible.
Vincent's Word Studies
Camel
See on Matthew 19:24.
To go through the eye of a needle ( διὰ τρήματος βελόνης εἰσελθεῖν )
Rev., more literally, to enter in through a needle's eye. Both Matthew and
Mark use another word for needle ( ῥαφίς ); see on Mark 10:25. Luke alone
has βελόνη , which, besides being an older term, is the peculiar word for the
surgicalneedle. The other word is condemned by the Greek grammarians as
barbarous.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
25. κάμηλον. To softenthe apparent harshness of this expression, some have
conjecturedκάμιλον, ‘a rope;’ and some have explained ‘the needle’s eye’ of
the small side gate for passengers(atthe side of the large city gates), through
which a camel might press its way, if it were first unladen. But (i) the
conjecture κάμιλονis wholly without authority. (ii) The name of ‘the needle’s
eye’ applied to small gates is probably a modern one which has actually
originated from an attempt to soften this verse:—at any rate there is no
ancient trace of it. (iii) The Rabbinic parallels are decisive to prove that a
camelis meant because the Babylonian Jews using the same proverb
substitute ‘an elephant’ for ‘a camel.’(iv) It is the objectof the proverb to

express human impossibility. In the human sphere—apartfrom the special
grace ofGod—it would be certain that those who have riches would be led to
trust in them, and so would fail to enter into the kingdom of God, which
requires absolute humility, ungrudging liberality, and constantself-denial.
PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
“Forit is easierfor a camelto enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich
man to enter into the Kingly Rule of God.”
Then Jesus spoke the immortal words known to Christians world over. ‘It is
easierfor a camelto enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to
enter into the Kingly Rule of God.’ There is no reasonfor us to take these
words as having any other than their natural meaning. All could imagine the
eye of a needle. All could visualise a camelcoming to a rather abrupt halt as it
facedit, and baying, ‘Don’t be ridiculous’. It was simply stating the
extremeness ofthe impossibility. And there is no realevidence of any such
thing as a ‘needle gate’in Jerusalematthat time, nor a need to turn to an
obscure word which might mean hawser. Jesus reallywas thinking of a camel
and a rather large needle.
Why then did Jesus use this illustration of a camel? Apart from displaying a
sense ofhumour and giving a picture really worth remembering, the whole
point was that the camel viewedthe eye of the needle like a rich man viewed
the challenge oflife without riches, as not worth taking trouble over because it
was impossible. It took one look at the eye of the needle and then turned
languidly away, just as the rich man, when he was inspired by better thoughts,
would take one look at the problems that might arise, and then give up. He
was safelysettled down in his own comforts. He did not need to alter anything.
But the result was that unless he removed all dependence on them his urges
towards goodness wouldalways end up with his lying back and relaxing again,
putting it off until another day. Like the camel he would turn awayfrom the

open door because going through it demanded too much from him. It would
all be far too difficult and far too demanding. And then like the rich man in
the parable he would die with his position unresolved.
So if we have not learnedthe lessonabout riches from the unrighteous estate
manager, and from the rich man and Lazarus, let us now learn it from the
real life example of this rich ruler. Let us learn that our wealthand our
security of life and whatever else it is that we considerimportant to us can be
a curse to us and not a blessing. For they can prevent our being thrown upon
God. What we too must do is thrust aside whateverit is that is holding us
back, and then we too will be able to ‘inherit eternal life’
‘And those who heard it said, “Then who canbe saved?”
Those who were listening were stood there in amazement. They had grownup
to believe that men prosperedmaterially because they were good. Many
probably lookedon this rich ruler as a model. And if this man with all his
privileges and status was actuallygoing to find it difficult to be saved, what
chance had others who did not have his advantages?After all his wealth
enabled him to be goodwithout having to worry about the financial effectof
it, and he would be courted by the religious leaders, and could give generous
alms, and gain a goodreputation, and in generalbe goodwithout too much
effort. He had every opportunity. But what they failed to see was that man’s
heart is so sinful that that is preciselywhy the rich man would not be good.
Becauseofhis wealth, considerationconcerning his heart’s condition would
never be thrust on him by his problems and needs. He would never be called
on to depend on God. That is why God tells us that it is when His judgments

are in the earth that men learn righteousness. We needsomething to shake us
out of our apathy.
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Jesus would shortly show his disciples an example of a rich man entering the
kingdom, in the instance of the rich tax collector, Zacchaeus ofJericho (Luke
18:19:1-10). Significantly, in his case, Jesusdid not require that Zacchaeus sell
all that he had and distribute it to the poor.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
The impossible with men possible with God (τα αδυνατα παρα αντρωποις
δυνατα παρα τωι τεωι — ta adunata para anthrōpois dunata para tōi theōi).
Paradoxical, but true. Take your stand “beside” (παρα — para) God and the
impossible becomes possible. Clearlythen Jesus meant the humanly
impossible by the parabolic proverb about the camelgoing through the
needle‘s eye. God can break the grip of gold on a man‘s life, but evenJesus
failed with this young ruler.
But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with
God.”
Then Jesus explains that what is impossible with men is possible with God. He
can enable wealthy men to walk humbly before Him as Abraham did, just as

He can enable a poor man like Lazarus to do so. He is able to save to the
uttermost all those who come to Him through Jesus. ForHe is the God of the
impossible. It is a reminder that but for God’s all prevailing goodness notone
of us would be saved. We owe any hope that we have to God.
But nevertheless it is still necessaryfor us to thrust aside anything that
hinders us from following God fully. For He could have added that in the case
of this young man the problem was that he was too bound to his possessions.
He knew that unless they were removed they would ever be a burden around
his neck. His heart would never really be set on God. Thus he had to choose
betweenGod and Mammon, and he had to choose decisively. Thatat leastis
spared to those who have few riches (although even those can get a grip on
us).
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Luke 18:25 "Forit is easierfor a camelto go through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Camel - Mt 23:24
Luke 18 Resources- Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 18:18-27 How Good People GetSaved - Steven Cole

Luke 18:18-27 The Impossibility of Salvation, Part 1 - John MacArthur
A CAMEL THROUGH THE
EYE OF A NEEDLE? IMPOSSIBLE!
What is Jesus saying with this rhetoricalhyperbolic statement? He is not
saying salvationis difficult but that it is impossible! Jesus follows up with a
clearstatement in Lk 18:27 (cf Mk 10:27).
For it is easierfor a camelto go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God (Mt 19:24, No parallel passage inMark) -
Matthew introduces this saying with "Again I sayto you" and retains "the
Kingdom of God" instead of his usual phrase "Kingdom of Heaven." Jesus
intends this statementto be takenliterally, which explains the reactionof the
disciples in Lk 18:26.
Isn't it fascinating that while most Americans would view the rich as
privileged, Jesus consistentlyviewedthem as "underprivileged!" Many
(especiallyin the first century) see wealthas a tokenof God's hand of blessing
on their life, but Jesus saw wealthas a major hindrance to entrance into the
Kingdom of God. Wealth veils one's vision to the eternal treasures in Heaven,
and numbs the mind to the reality of the eternal torments in Hell!

Jesus has already given us two parables that deal with the perils of prosperity
- The parable of the rich man and Lazarus gives a dramatic warning about
this the deceptive dangerof riches (Luke 16:19-31-note). The parable of the
rich fool emphasizes the danger of riches taking our focus off the eternaland
placing it on the temporal things of life, concluding "But God said to him,
‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own
what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God.” (A PERFECT DESCRIPTION OF THE RICH
YOUNG RULER!) (Luke 12:13–19,20, 21-note). Christianshould have a
certain holy fearof about being rich!
Kent Hughes asks "Whatare the disadvantages ofwealth? Primarily what it
can do to the soul. How easyit is for an earnestman or woman to become so
attachedto material riches that he forgets what is infinitely more important.
Wealth naturally works at perverting one’s values. We soonknow the price of
everything and the value of nothing. Paul tells Timothy, “Command those
who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant” (1 Timothy 6:17).
Pride, arrogance,insensitivity, indifference, self-satisfaction, worldliness,and
other ungodly mind-sets feed on affluence. Mosttragic, wealth cansteelone
againstthe objective requirement for entering the Kingdom of God: helpless
dependence. Jesus saidto the Church, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired
wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation3:17-note), and he says it today to
thousands." (Preaching the Word - Mark)
And one other point of application - It is easyfor a personin America to read
Jesus'warning and say "Thatdoes not apply to me because I am not rich."
We need to keepin mind that EVERYONE in America is RICH compared
with the majority of the people in the world. For example, the per capita
annual income in the Democratic Republic of Congo is about $730 compared
to the per capita income in USA of $58,030!And so most people in America
earn more in one week ($1116/wk)than a resident of Congo earns in one year!

It follows dear American reader - YOU ARE RICH! And it follows that you
are in grave danger of falling into the same trap as the rich young ruler and
that you might end up as the "camel" who never makes it supernaturally
through the eye of the needle! "Setyour mind (present imperative = enabled
by the Spirit, every morning when you get up, yield to Him [Eph 5:18-note]
and allow Him to press the "resetbutton" in your mind so that it is oriented
toward Christ, toward His SecondComing, towardeternity - see Vertical
Vision, Maranatha Mindset) on the things above, not on the things that are on
earth. For you have died (YESTERDAY=PAST)and your life is hidden with
Christ in God. When Christ, our life, (TODAY=PRESENT)is revealed
(TOMORROW=FUTURE), thenyou also will be revealedwith Him in glory.
(Hallelujah!) " (Col 3:2-4-note; See Three Tenses ofSalvation)
O'Connell adds that "There is always something more on earth to buy or look
forward to when one has wealth. Wealth often lures us into believing that
everything canbe had for a price. In most cases withwealth comes self-
indulgence, self-reliance, self-importance, and self-security. Wealthhas a way
of ruling one’s life, ruling one’s time, ruling one’s vocation, ruling one’s
commitments, ruling one’s concerns. And the whole point of Jesus’“colorful
hyperbole” about the cameland the eye of the needle reinforces the truth
“that those who are ruled by money cannot be ruled by God.” Thus, while it is
true and not to be forgottenthat “it is not so much the having of money, as the
trusting in it, which ruins the soul,” it is likewise true that it is easierto trust
in it if you have it to trust in. And what is required by Christ and his gospelis
a childlike faith in the heavenly Father. What is demanded is a poverty of
spirit that so often goes hand in hand with a poverty of possessions."
(Preaching the Word - Matthew)
Ryrie - In this proverbial expression, Christ does not say that a rich man
could not be saved (v. 26), but only that, for him, it is more difficult, since such
a person seldomsenses his personalneed as readily as a poorerman does.
(Ryrie Study Bible)

Robertson- This is probably a current proverb for the impossible. The
Talmud twice speaks ofan elephant passing through the eye of a needle as
being impossible. (Ed: not referring to salvationbut simply referring to
something that was absolutely impossible.)
The camelwas the largestanimal found in Palestine and the eye of a needle
was the smallestopening which clearlypictures an impossibility from the
human perspective!
Mark Twain once wrote, “It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t
understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” The words of
Jesus in Luke 18:25 are such words, wonderful words one yields to His will,
but horrible words if one wills to do it his way!
It is easyfor us in the modern era to say, Jesus'radicalwords to this rich
young ruler are mere ancient history. Yes, they were true then and in the
young ruler's case but they are far to radicalnow.
As O'Donnell puts it "We well-to-do Americans can indeed take some comfort
in the fact that Jesus does not categoricallycondemn wealthand in the fact
that our Lord never commanded every rich person he encounteredto sellall
of his or her possessions. In fact, this is the only incident we have of such a
command. However, basedon the fact that Jesus in the Gospels has nothing
positive to say about money, that he never speaks ofwealthas a blessing, that
he repeatedly uses illustrations regarding the abundance of possessionsto be
“toxic to the soul,” it is fair to state that wealth (in and of itself) can be and
often is a greatbarrier or roadblock on the path to paradise. In other words,
nothing fattens the camellike an abundance of worldly goods!"

NET Note on eye of a needle - The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle.
The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle, one of the smallestitems one
might deal with on a regularbasis, in contrastto the biggestanimal of the
region. (ED: SOME COMMENTARIES DO NOT INTERPRETTHIS
LITERALLY AS A NEEDLE BUT AS A GATE HOWEVER) The gate in
Jerusalemknownas "The Needle's Eye" was built during the middle ages and
was not in existence in Jesus'day. (SO CLEARLY THE "GATE"
INTERPRETATIONIS NOT CORRECT)Jesus was saying rhetoricallythat
it is impossible for a rich person to enter God's kingdom, unless God (Lk
18:26)intervenes.
Marvin Vincent has a lengthy note on camel...eye ofneedle - Compare the
Jewishproverb, that a man did not even in his dreams see an elephant pass
through the eye of a needle. The reasonwhy the camel was substituted for the
elephant was because the proverb was from the Babylonian Talmud, and in
Babylon the elephant was common, while in Palestine it was unknown. The
Koran has the same figure: “The impious shall find the gates ofheaven shut;
nor shall he enter there till a camelshall pass through the eye of a needle.”
Bochart, in his history of the animals of scripture, cites a Talmudic passage:
“A needle’s eye is not too narrow for two friends, nor is the world wide
enough for two enemies.” The allusion is not to be explained by reference to a
narrow gate calleda needle’s eye.
Camel (2574)(kamelos)means cameland was used to refer to John's clothing
(Mt 3:4, Mk 1:6). Kamelos is used by Jesus in Mt 23:24 rebuking the scribes
and Pharisees as '“blind guides, who strain out a gnat (smallestceremonially
unclean insect)and swallow a camel (largestuncleananimal, both unclean
and prohibited for food)" which means they were over zealous regarding
small matters and carelessin important matters. MacArthur adds that
"Fastidious Pharisees woulddrink their wine through clenchedteeth in order
to filter out any small insects that might have gotteninto the wine. In their

typical reversalof values, those Jewishreligious leaders were more concerned
about being contaminatedby a tiny gnat than by a huge camel. They were
painstaking about formal, ceremonialtrivialities but were unconcernedabout
their hypocrisy, dishonesty, cruelty, greed, self-worship, and a hostof other
serious sins. They substituted outward acts of religion for the essentialvirtues
of the heart." (MNTC-Matthew)Theywould anxiously avoid small faults but
willingly commit greatersins without scruples.
Some have commented that this word kamelos might be misspelledwith an
"i" for the "e" which gives us the word kámilos, which can mean a cable rope.
So some writers have attempted to twist Jesus'words by suggesting a copyist
made an error and it was not a camelbut a rope. Of course they are wrong,
but even a rope could hardly be forcedthrough the eye of a needle (unless one
laborious took it apart fiber by fiber and forcedthose though which would be
a greatillustration of "works basedsalvation.")Recallthe same word
kamelos is found in all three synoptic Gospels, whichto use a pun puts "hangs
the rope theory out to dry," so to speak. Gilbrant adds that "As an additional
note, some have attempted to replace kamēlos,“camel,”with kamilon, “rope,”
in Jesus’statementof the “cameland the eye of a needle.” However,
manuscript evidence on this attempt at replacement is so weak we must
conclude it is erroneous. According to Michel, “Jesus wasusing a typical
oriental image to emphasize the impossibility of something by way of violent
contrast” (Michel, “kamēlos,” Kittel, 3:593). (The Complete Biblical Library
Greek-EnglishDictionary)
Gilbrant on kamelos in the Septuagint - Mosaic law forbade the Israelites
from eating camelmeat (Leviticus 11:4; Deuteronomy14:7), yet they were
found to be excellentanimals for other purposes. They were used for travel
(Genesis 24;31:17), for war (Judges 6:5; 7:12; 8:21; 1 Samuel 30:17 [LXX 1
Kings 30:17]), and for burden-bearing (Genesis 37:25;1 Chronicles 12:40;
Isaiah30:6). Figuratively, the camelis used to picture Israel’s pursuit of
foreign gods. The image in Jeremiah2:23 is that of a restless she-camelin
heat.
Still others have attempted to soften Jesus'words by saying what he was
referring to was a small gate in the wall in Jerusalem, which of course is

absurd, but it shows how far people will go to twist the truth when the truth
hurts! Here is a Wikipedia description that relates to the "gate theory"...
The "Eye of the Needle" has beenclaimed to be a gate in Jerusalem, which
opened after the main gate was closedat night. A camelcould only pass
through this smaller gate if it was stoopedand had its baggageremoved. This
story has been put forth since at leastthe 15th century, and possibly as far
back as the 9th century. However, there is no widely acceptedevidence for the
existence ofsuch a gate. (Ed: Thus even a secular encyclopedia debunks this
idea!)
Kamelos - 6x in 6v - Matt. 3:4; Matt. 19:24; Matt. 23:24; Mk. 1:6; Mk. 10:25;
Lk. 18:25
Kamelos - 64x in 60v -
Gen. 12:16;Gen. 24:10;Gen. 24:11;Gen. 24:14;Gen. 24:19;Gen. 24:20;Gen.
24:22;Gen. 24:30;Gen. 24:31;Gen. 24:32;Gen. 24:35;Gen. 24:44;Gen.
24:46;Gen. 24:61;Gen. 24:63;Gen. 24:64;Gen. 30:43;Gen. 31:17;Gen.
31:34;Gen. 32:15;Gen. 37:25;Exod. 9:3; Lev. 11:4; Deut. 14:7; Jdg. 6:5; Jdg.
7:12; Jdg. 8:21; Jdg. 8:26; 1 Sam. 15:3; 1 Sam. 27:9; 1 Sam. 30:17; 1 Ki. 10:2;
2 Ki. 8:9; 1 Chr. 5:21; 1 Chr. 12:40;1 Chr. 27:30;2 Chr. 9:1; 2 Chr. 14:15;
Ezr. 2:67; Neh. 7:68; Job 1:3; Job1:17; Job 42:12; Isa. 21:7; Isa. 30:6; Isa.
60:6; Jer. 49:29; Jer. 49:32; Ezek. 25:5;Ezek. 27:21; Zech. 14:15
RelatedResources:
American Tract SocietyCamel

Easton's Bible Dictionary Camel
FaussetBible Dictionary Camel
Holman Bible Dictionary Camel
Hastings'Dictionary of the Bible Camel
Smith Bible DictionaryCamel
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Camel
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Camel
Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Camel
McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Camels Hair Camel
The JewishEncyclopedia Camel
Needle (this verse = only use in Bible)(956)(belone)is "a small, slender
instrument, pointed on one end and with a hole at the other end, used in
passing thread through cloth in sewing." (Louw-Nida)A T Robertsonadds
that belone "means originally the point of a spearand then a surgeon’s
needle." The Greek word belone is found in medical writings to describe a
surgicalneedle used in operations, and so it stands to reasonLuke a physician
would choose this word for needle. On the other hand Mt 19:24 and Mk 10:25
translated needle with rhapis which means a perforation, aperture, hole or
opening and then the eye of a needle. Thayer says classicalGreek uses belone
more often for needle.
RelatedResource:The Needle's Eye:A Study in Form Criticism by Paul S.
Minear - Journal of Biblical Literature. Vol. 61, 1942, pp. 157-169
Criswell- To enter "the kingdom of God" (Mt 19:24), i.e., "the kingdom of
heaven" (Mt 19:23), is as impossible by human means as it is for a camelto go
through a needle's eye. Jesus consciouslyuses hyperbole (exaggeration)to

stress His point (cf. Luke 18:25, note). He intends to show the miraculous
nature of salvationfor a rich man who must turn his affections from his
possessionsto the Savior. Thereby he is prepared for entrance into the future
kingdom of God (Mt 19:28). ...Mostlikely this is simply a proverbial saying
underscoring the impossibility of putting something large through the eye of a
needle, and thus illustrating the impossibility of entry into the kingdom for a
man who worships wealth (cf. Mt. 19:24).
John MacArthur writes that "Sinners are aware of their guilt and fear, and
may even desire a relationship with God that would bring forgiveness and
peace. But they cannothold on to their sinful priorities and personalcontrol
and think they can come to God on their own terms. The young man
illustrates that reality. (MacArthur New TestamentCommentary – Luke 18-
24)
Barclay- The expression, "the eye of a needle," was oftenused in
contemporary rabbinic literature to express something extremely difficult and
most unusual. The rabbis sometimes spoke ofan elephant passing through the
eye of a needle to make their point. Jesus wenton to saythat it was easierfor
a camelto go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of God. Quite often the rabbis talkedof an elephant trying to get
through the eye of a needle as a picture of something fantasticallyimpossible.
Utley summarizes the proposedexplanations of the camel/eye of a needle
hyperbole - There have been severaltheories to describe this statement: (1)
the term “needle’s eye” refers to a small gate in the wall of Jerusalemonly a
pedestrian could walk through; (2) the term “camel” (kamēlon)has been
mistranslated and is really the term “rope” (kamilon); (3) this is Oriental
exaggerationto make a point (cf. Lk 6:41); or (4) this was a common proverb
for the impossible. I believe either # 3 or #4 is correct. Number 1 has no
historicalcorroborationand #2 is first found in one late uncial Greek
manuscript and a few minuscule manuscripts

Our Lord Jesus usedanother metaphor, contrasting 2 gates, to describe the
way that leads to life, the road that enters into the Kingdom of God...
“Enter (a command - aorist imperative = Speaks ofnecessityand even
urgency) through the narrow gate;for the gate is wide and the way is broad
that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 “For
(term of explanation) the gate is small and the way is narrow (Jn 10:9, Jn
14:6) that leads to life, and there are few who find it.(Mt 7:13-14-note)
RelatedResource:
What did Jesus meanwhen He said it is easierfor a camelto go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to getinto heaven?
Frequently Abused Verses:What Is the Eye of a Needle by CameronBuettel
Luke 18:26 They who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"
Who: Mt 24:22 Mk 13:20 Lu 13:23,24 Ro 10:13 11:5-7
Luke 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
IF THE RICH CANNOT BE SAVED
WHO CAN BE SAVED?

They who heard it said - Who is they and how did they react? Mt 19:25 (Mk
10:26 is similar) writes "Whenthe disciples heard this, they were very
astonished(ekplesso= means literally to strike and figuratively expresses a
strong feeling of one being "knockedoutof their senses!" The disciples were
struck with astonishment!)." In a word, Jesus statementin Lk 18:25 "blew
them away!" Why would they be so utterly astonished? The Jews believed
(obviously falsely)that riches were a clearsign of God's blessing, so that
surely all those who rich would be saved. But if the rich are excluded from
eternal life, then how could anyone possibly obtain eternal life?
William Lane adds this background - In Judaism it was inconceivable that
riches should be a barrier to the Kingdom, since a significant strand of OT
teaching regardedwealth and substance as marks of God’s favor (e.g. Job
1:10; 42:10; Ps. 128:1–2;Isa. 3:10 and often). (NICNT-Mark)
What the Bible teaches - The question is not, How can a rich man be saved?
but, How can anyone be saved? The answeris that none can be saved unless
God does it. (What the Bible teaches – Luke)
Then who can be saved? - It the rich cannot be saved, then who can be saved?
So if a rich man (like the rich young ruler) could not be saved, this would
block even the disciples'from being saved. It was a shock to his disciples to
hear that riches instead of paving the way to eternal life could actually
function to block one's entrance into the Kingdom of God. The Jews believed
that almsgiving was one of the keys that openedthe door into the Kingdom of
God. And of course who would be able to give the most alms? A rich man like
this rich young ruler. And so they were astonishedat Jesus'words!

The Apocryphal Book ofTobit and the book of Sirach make amazing
statements (which helps me understand why the Apocryphal books are not
included in the Canon of Scripture!)...
Prayer is goodwhen accompaniedby fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness.
A little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing. It is better to
give alms than to treasure up gold. 9 For almsgiving delivers from death, and
it will purge awayevery sin. (ED: THIS PATENTLYHERETICAL
STATEMENTIS CLEARLY COUNTER TO ALL NT TEACHING WHICH
EMPHASIZES THAT ONLY THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS DELIVERS
FROM DEATH AND PURGES AWAY EVERY SIN! cf "the free gift of
God" = Ro 6:23, Gal3:13, Ro 5:9-10 1 Th 1:10, 1 Pe 2:24) Those who perform
deeds of charity and of righteousness will have fulness of life; 10 but those
who commit sin are the enemies of their ownlives. (Book of Tobit 12:8-10)
As water extinguishes a blazing fire, so almsgiving atones for sin.(Sirach3:30)
(Wow!)
It is notable that in one religious tradition's catechismwe read "A conversion
which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of
the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain." Beloved, this
statementis backwards -"fervent charity" proceeds from a changedheart, a
heart transformed at "conversion,"a new birth wrought by the Holy Spirit
(Jn 3:3-8) (Note relationship of salvation, faith and works in Eph 2:8-9-note
and Eph 2:10-note. Salvationfirst, by faith. Then works, also by faith). The
rich young ruler would have been pleasedhad a similar statement come from
the lips of Jesus when he askedHim what he must do to inherit eternal life!
RelatedResource:

What are indulgences and plenary indulgences and is the conceptbiblical?
Saved(4982)(sozo)has the basic meaning of rescuing one from greatperil.
Additional nuances include to protect, keepalive, preserve life, deliver, heal,
be made whole. Mostoften sozo refers to salvation in a spiritual sense as
illustrated in the following passages:Matthew recorded the angel's
conversationwith Josephdeclaring "She (Mary) will bear a Son; and you
shall call His name Jesus, forit is He who will save (sozo) His people from
their sins." (Mt 1:21) In Mt 1:21 sozo is equated with deliverance from sins
(guilt and powerof) with Jesus'Name being a transliteration of Joshua
meaning "Jehovahis salvation".
Jesus'point (in the contextof Lk 18:27) of course is that the only way a rich
man or a poor man can be saved is if God intervenes!
Paul tells us who can be savedwhether rich or poor...
“WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE
SAVED.” (Ro 10:13-note)
George MacDonaldpointed out that “It is not the rich man only who is under
the dominion of things; they too are slaves who, having no money, are
unhappy for the lack of it.… The money the one has, the money the other
would have, is in eachthe cause of an eternal stupidity."
Warren Wiersbe as usual hits the proverbial nail on the head writing that...
The rich young ruler is a warning to people who want a Christian faith that
does not change their values or upset their lifestyle. Jesus does not command

every seeking sinner to selleverything and give to the poor, but He does put
His finger of conviction on any area in our lives about which we are dishonest.
Luke 18:27 But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are
possible with God."
But He said, "The things that are impossible with people: Ge 18:14 Nu 11:23
Job 42:2 Ps 3:8 Ps 62:11 Jer 32:17, 27 Zec 8:6 Mk 10:27 Lu 1:37 18:27
Luke 18 Resources- Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
SALVATION IS ALWAYS
A MIRACLE!
But He said - Matthew 19:26 and Mk 10:27 add "looking atthem Jesus said"
where looking is the verb emblepo which means He lookedin their faces,
fixing His eyes upon the disciples (Same verb Mark uses in Mk 10:21 of Jesus'
looking at the young man). Emblepo is also the same verb Luke 22:61-note
uses to describe that incredible moment after Peter's denial when "the Lord
turned and looked(emblepo) at Peter!" One gets the sense that this "LOOK"
at His disciples conveyedthe idea "You don't want to forgetthis. You want to
nail this truth down!"
John Phillips - Salvationis impossible with men, rich or poor, be they as rich
as the disappointed young ruler or as poor as the beggarLazarus. Salvationis
beyond purchase;beyond money; beyond price; and beyond all human

standards of religion, morality, goodworks, and self-effort. The disciples
should have knownfrom the Old TestamentScriptures themselves that the
basic principle of salvationrests on something other than money (Isa. 55:1;
Mic. 6:5-8-note). But what is impossible with men is possible with God.
Salvationis God's idea, planned by Him before even time began, provided by
Him at infinite costand offered to one and all as the gift of His grace.
(Exploring the Gospelof Luke)
The things that are impossible with people (Mt 19:26, Mk 10:27) - A camel
passing through the eye of a needle (see picture of camel and eye of needle) is
easierthan a rich man entering the kingdom of God (Mt 19:24), but since the
first is impossible, so is the last. A man cannotsave himself because absolutely
(Greek negative particle "ou" signifies absolutely) no man even seeksfor God
(Ro 3:11b-note) No man in and of himself qualifies for eternallife.
Impossible (102)(adunatos from a = without + dunatos = possible, able, or
powerful from dunamaii = to be able or have powerby virtue of inherent
ability and resources. Note the stem duna- or dyna- conveying the basic sense
of ability or capability, power, strength, might) means impossible, incapable
of being or of occurring, incapable of being done.
Are possible with God - Salvation is possible for the rich but it takes a
miracle! Thank God He is still a miracle working God! We too often look for
miracles in all the wrong places and forgetthe greatestmiracle we can see is
by looking at the mirror eachmorning! Have you lost that sense of grateful
wonder awe of the great miracle when God's Spirit took your hard, godless
heart and gave you a new heart, a heart of flesh, a heart that is now God's
dwelling place? (See RobertMunger's "My Heart Christ's Home") God's
grace is sufficient to save poor men and save rich men and we see an example
of the latter in Zaccheus in the next chapter, Luke 19:1-10-note.

Possible (able)(1415)(dunatos from dunamai = referring to power one has by
virtue of inherent ability and resources;see study of dunamis) means
powerful, able, strong. Able describes that which has sufficient or necessary
power, means, skill, or resources to accomplishan objective. Mary extols God
as the "the Mighty One (dunatos) has done greatthings for me." (Lk 1:49-
note)
Luke's uses of dunatos -
Lk. 1:49; Lk. 14:31; Lk. 18:27; Lk. 24:19;Acts 2:24; Acts 7:22; Acts 11:17;
Acts 18:24;Acts 20:16; Acts 25:5; Rom. 4:21; Rom. 9:22; Rom. 11:23; Rom.
12:18;Rom. 15:1; 1 Co. 1:26; 2 Co. 10:4; 2 Co. 12:10; 2 Co. 13:9; Gal. 4:15; 2
Tim. 1:12; Tit. 1:9; Heb. 11:19; Jas. 3:2
See topic - GOD IS ABLE
Jesus'point is clearthat from beginning to end, salvationis from God and is
basedon Christ's finished work and not on human work. The great, the good,
and the rich won't gain entrance into the Kingdom because they are greatand
goodand rich, but only because ofthe sovereignsupernaturalwork of our
GreatGod! This is humbling, beloved. And yet at the same time it is
comforting to know that God is Able, because otherwise Iwould not be
writing this note (See my personaltestimony of God's grace because Iwas a
successful, well-offphysician when God stoopdown to lift me up!)
D A Carsonadds that "Jesus is not saying that all poor people and none of the
wealthy enter the kingdom of heaven. That would exclude Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, to say nothing of David, Solomon, and JosephofArimathea.”
1 Cor 1:26 does not say NOT ANY but NOT MANY

Forconsideryour calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according
to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
Bob Utley sums it up - God loves rich people. Abraham (and all the
Patriarchs), David (and all the godly Jewishkings), Nicodemus, and Josephof
Arimathea are goodbiblical examples. The key is where their faith and trust
are put, in possessionsorin God? See SpecialTopic - Wealth
As Jonathan Edwards once wrote, “To take on yourself to work out
redemption, is a greaterthing than if you had taken it upon you to create a
world.” Indeed, salvationis a miracle not of creation, but an even greater
miracle of a "new creation" (2 Cor 5:17-note). This is how one "gets a big fat
humpy camelthrough the tiny eye of a needle!" And this is why Paul calls the
Gospel, "the (supernatural) power (dunamis) of God for salvationto everyone
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Ro 1:16-note)Man's
part? Receive and believe the Gospel, then give it out!
Mark 10:27 says (Jesus'eyes looking into their eyes-seenote above)“With
people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God is the God of the impossible and
that "nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37-note)...
Yahweh Himself testified to Abraham "Is anything too difficult for the
LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and
Sarahwill have a son.” (Ge 18:14).

The LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’S powerlimited? Now you shall see
whether My word will come true for you or not.” (Nu 11:23)
Job learned and testified “I know that You cando all things, And that no
purpose of Yours canbe thwarted." (Job 42:2)
Jeremiahdeclared"Ah Lord GOD!Behold, You have made the heavens and
the earth by Your greatpower and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too
difficult for You, (Jer 32:17-note)
God affirmed Jeremiah's declaration“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all
flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jer32:27-note)
SeanO'Donnell describes how God's Spirit used Jesus'teaching aboutthe
rich young ruler to push him through the eye of the needle!
It was nearly twenty years ago that God, in his infinite and irresistible grace,
used this very story in this very Gospelas one of the means of converting me
to Christ. For the first half of my life I was told and believed the most
common religious lie-that I was basicallya goodperson who occasionally
sinned, but did nothing that would ultimately disqualify me from one day
entering the joys of eternallife. But then the Holy Spirit taught me what
should have been obvious-I was a sinner. Not a goodpersonwho occasionally
sinned, but a sinner (at heart a very bad person) who was in a continual state
of rebellion againsta goodGod and his good Law. I didn’t love God. I didn’t
love others. And I certainly loved myself. But it wasn’t just the first half of
this passagebut also the secondhalf that the Lord used to change my mind
and heart and will. I knew that God alone was perfectly good. I believed that
Jesus was indeed the Son of God and the Savior of the world. But at that time

in my life he was never my Savior. He was never my Lord, the supreme Lord
of my life. And as I prayed to Christ those many years ago and askedhim to
forgive me and to cleanme up on the inside, I also (with this passagein mind)
told him (in so many words)that I would “selleverything,” that I would put
him first in my life-first above self, first above family, first above career, first
above education, first above sports, first above every aspectand every love of
my life. I told him I would be last, and he would be first! (Preaching the Word
- Matthew).
Ray Stedman - One of the pastors visiting us here this week was telling me
about his congregation. He said, "I have a number of wealthy people in my
congregation, and they trouble me, because"as he put it, "they dabble with
Christianity." That is often true. I know of many wealthy Christians, and I
find that it is rare to find one who is truly committed to obeying the Word of
God. Mostgo along only to a point. Thank God there are some who do obey.
God has reachedthem. I do not know how he does it, but only God can do it.
He can break through, and he does, at times. Sometimes he creates in them a
tremendous distaste for things and makes them so aware ofan emptiness and
hunger within that they lose all interest in affairs of business and wealthand
money and, feeling the hollow mockeryof it, like this young man, they begin
to searchout the realities of life. Sometimes a man has to suffer catastrophe --
almost lose his family, or get sick, or have some other disasteroccur, before he
begins to see things in their right perspective and comes to Christ in that way.
I could tell you story after story of how God has workedto open rich men's
and women's eyes to bring them back to the truth, and to show them the only
way that ever has been provided. And isn't it interesting that if a rich man
does come to Christ, he must come in exactly the same way as the poorestbum
on skid row! He has to acknowledgehis complete and utter need, and come as
a guilty sinner, wretched and miserable and vile, and receive the gift of life at
the hands of Jesus from the cross. There is no other way to come -- no other
way! Rich men have to come that way, too. There is no specialwayprovided
for them, except the way that God has made for all.

So Jesus makes it clearthat man is unable to save himself and only God is
able. This begs the question "Are you trying to be goodenough to get to
heaven (like many answerwhen ask how they plan to go to heaven)?" Jesus
says it is IMPOSSIBLE. Butthen He says with God it is HIM-POSSIBLE!
Have you been savedby grace through faith Eph 2:8-9-note? Have you put
your faith in Christ?" If not, castoff any hopes that you could ever be good
enough to earn your way to Heaven and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
today and you will be savedfrom the guttermost to the uttermost (Heb
7:25KJV-note).
Ray Pritchard - A rich man says, “If Jesus doesn’tcome through for me,
that’s okay. I’ve gotmy pension. I’ve got my stocks and bonds. I’ve gotmy
options. I’ve got my golden parachute. I’ve got my safetynet. If he doesn’t
come through it doesn’t matter. I’m taking care of things myself.”....Icome to
two conclusions andthen I am through. Number one: As long as you make
money and the things money can buy are the measure of your life, you will be
empty and unfulfilled. Number two: Wheneveryou stop trusting in money
and the things that money can buy and turn your life over to Jesus Christ,
then and only then will your heart be satisfied.
WILLIAM BARCLAY
Jesus wenton to say that it was easierfor a camelto go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Quite often the
rabbis talkedof an elephant trying to get through the eye of a needle as a
picture of something fantasticallyimpossible. But Jesus'picture may have one
of two origins.

(i) It is saidthat beside the greatgate into Jerusalemthrough which traffic
went, there was a little gate just wide and high enough for a man to get
through. It is said that that little gate was calledthe needle's eye, and that the
picture is of a cameltrying to struggle through it.
(ii) The Greek word for a camel is kamelos (Greek #2574). In this age of
Greek there was a tendency for the vowelsounds to become very like each
other, and there was anotherword which would sound almost exactlythe
same--the word kamilos, which means a ship's hawser. It may well be that
what Jesus saidwas that it would be easierto thread a needle with a ship's
hawserthan for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Why should it be so? The whole tendency of possessions is to shackle a man's
thoughts to this world. He has so big a stake in it that he never wants to leave
it, and never thinks of anything else. It is not a sin to have much wealth--but it
is a danger to the souland a greatresponsibility.
BRIAN BELL
. THE RICH YOUNG RULER GOES!(24-27)
3.16. This resulted in an occasionto talk about the diff of a rich man entering
heaven.
3.16.1.Thus leaving the disciples shocked, as the theologyof the day viewed
wealth as a sign of God’s favor.
3.17. Eye of a needle –
3.17.1.A very wealthy pastor was dying in his mansion, and his flock

gatheredround to ask him for his last wish. "Before I die," he said, "I
would like to take a ride." And they askedthe rich pastor what he
required for that final ride before entering the kingdom of heaven. And
he said, "I would like a very small camel and a very large needle."
3.17.2.C.S. Lewis once observedthat God can bring a camel through the
eye of a needle but the camelwill not be the same creature having
come through a needle’s eye! ☺
3.18. Impossible with men; possible with God –
3.18.1.Two greatlessons here:
3.18.2.[1]Many have learned the lessonit’s Impossible with men. Then
shrugging their shoulders they give up in hopeless despair. And
then live a miserable religious life, w/o joy, strength, or victory!
3.18.2.1.Carrie Underwoodsings, “pouring raindrops back into a cloud.”
3.18.3.[2]Others learn all things are Possible with God.
3.18.4.It is possible even for a rich man to enter the kingdom with God.
When a man becomes linked up with God, all impossible things
become possible!
GENE BROOKS
Luke 18:24 – How hard it is . . . Wealth was viewed in Judaism as evidence of
God’s blessing, even though the OT repeatedly warns againsttrusting in

riches instead of God. It was commonly believed that the rich were favored by
God. The focus here again is on dependence.
c. APPLICATION: When we have nothing, it is much easierto rely on God.
When we have all, we may not sense our need for God. Even more difficult is
the thought of giving up everything we rely on to rely completely on the Lord.
Yet this is what Jesus calls for. He wants complete surrender of all to Him. It
may help us to surrender if we remember that, whateverwe give, we cannot
outgive God.
d. Luke 18:25-27 – A camelthrough the eye of a needle: One of Jesus’
frequently used figures of speechis hyperbole (cf. Luke 6:41; 17:6; Matt
23:24). Christ’s use of the word for a surgeon’s suturing needle indicates not
only that his references to a needle were to be takenliterally, but also that the
authorship by Luke the doctor is further attested. By trying to softenJesus’
hyperbole by creating the myth of a small gate in a city for a camel to squeeze
through,[3] scholars and commentators miss Jesus’very strong point. He was
not saying that it was difficult for one who trusts in riches to enter the
kingdom. He was saying quite clearlythat it is utterly impossible for a one
who puts their trust in riches to be saved. Salvationonly comes through faith
in Jesus Christ. The disciples, who had been brought up on the philosophy
that riches were a sure sign of God’s pleasure and evidence of God’s blessing,
were blown away. What chance, then, did the restof the common folk have to
be saved? Christ was ready with an answer, “Whatis impossible with men is
possible with God” (Luke 18:27)!Zaccheus will prove it is so (Luke 19:1-10).
e. APPLICATION: SalvationIS NOT something we earn or work hard to
achieve for God’s approval. SalvationIS God’s work that comes to us in
response to faith in Christ alone.
HENRY BURTON

Verses 18-27
Chapter 22
THE ETHICS OF THE GOSPEL.
WHATEVER of truth there may be in the charge of "other-worldliness," as
brought againstthe modern exponents of Christianity, such a charge could
not even be whispered againstits Divine Founder. It is just possible that the
Church had been gazing too steadfastlyup into heaven, and that she had not
been studying the science ofthe "Humanities" as zealously as she ought, and
as she has done since;but Jesus did not allow even heavenly things to
obliterate or to blur the lines of earthly duty. We might have supposedthat
coming down from heaven, and familiar with its secrets, He would have much
to say about the New World, its position in space, its societyand manner of
life. But no; Jesus says little about the life which is to come;it is the life which
now is that engrosses His attention, and almostmonopolizes His speech. Life
with Him was not in the future tense;it was one living present, real, earnest,
but fugitive. Indeed, that future was but the present projectedover into
eternity. And so Jesus, founding the kingdom of God on earth, and
summoning all men into it, if he did not bring commandments written and
lithographed, like Moses,yetHe did lay down principles and rules of conduct,
marking out, in all departments of human life, the straight and white lines of
duty, the eternal "ought." It is true that Jesus Himself did not originate much
in this department of Christian ethics, and probably for most of His sayings
we can find a synonym struck from the pages of earlier, and perhaps heathen
moralists; but in the wide realm of Right there can be no new law. Principles
may be evolved, interpreted; they cannotbe created. Right, like Truth, holds
the "eternalyears";and through the millenniums before Christ, as through
the millenniums after, Conscience,that "ethicalintellect" which speaksto all
men if they will but draw near to her Sinai and listen, spoke to some in clear,

authoritative tones. But if Jesus did no more, He gatheredup the "broken
lights" of earth, the intermittent flashes which had played on the horizon
before, into one steadyelectric beam, which lights up our human life outward
to its farthestreach, and onward to its farthest goal.
In the mind of Jesus conductwas the outward and visible expressionof some
inner invisible force. As our earth moves round its elliptic in obedience to the
subtle attractions of other outlying worlds, so the orbits of human lives,
whether symmetrical or eccentric, are determined mainly by the two forces,
Characterand Circumstance. Conduct is characterin motion; for men do
what they themselves are, i.e. as far as circumstances willallow. And it is just
at this point the ethicalteaching of Jesus begins. He recognizesthe imperium
in imperio, that hidden world of thought, feeling, sentiment, and desire which,
itself invisible, is the mould in which things visible are cast. And so Jesus, in
His influence upon men, workedoutward from within. He sought, not reform,
but regeneration, molding the life by changing the character, for, to use His
own figure, how could the thorn produce grapes, orthe thistle figs?
And so when Jesus was asked, "WhatshallI do that I may inherit eternal
life?" He gave an answerwhich at first sight seemedto ignore the question
entirely. He said no word about "doing," but threw the questioner back upon
"being," asking whatwas written in the law: "Thoushalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and
with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself". [Luke 10:27] And as Jesus
here makes Love the condition of eternallife, its sine qua non, so He makes it
the one all-embracing duty, the fulfilling of the law. If a man love God
supremely, and his neighbor as himself, he cannot do more; for all other
commandments are included in these, the subsections ofthe greaterlaw. Jesus
thus sought to create a new force, hiding it within the heart, as the mainspring
of duty, providing for that duty both aim and inspiration. We call it a "new"
force, and such it was practically;for though it was, in a way, embedded in
their law, it was mainly as a dead letter, so much so that when Jesus bade His

disciples to "love one another" He calledit a "new commandment." Here,
then, we find what is at once the rule of conduct and its motive. In the new
system of ethics, as taught and enforced by Jesus, and illustrated by His life,
the Law of Love was to be supreme. It was to be to the moral world what
gravitation is to the natural, a silent but mighty and all-pervasive force,
throwing its spell upon the isolated actions of the common day, giving impulse
and direction to the whole current of life, ruling alike the little eddies of
thought and the wider sweeps ofbenevolentactivities. To Jesus "the soul of
improvement was the improvement of the soul." He laid His hand upon the
heart’s innermost shrine, building up that unseentemple four-square, like the
city of the Apocalypse, and lighting up all its windows with the warm,
iridescentlight of love.
With this, then, as the foundation-tone, running through all the spaces and
along all the lines of life, the thoughts, desires, words, and acts must all
harmonize with love; and if they do not, if they strike a note that is foreign to
its key-note, it breaks the harmony at once, throwing jars and discords into
the tousle. Such a breachof the harmonic law would be calleda mistake, but
when it is a breach of Christ’s moral law it is more than a mistake, it is a
wrong.
Before passing to the outer life Jesus pauses, in this Gospel, to correctcertain
dissonancesofmind and soul, of thought and feeling, which put us in a wrong
attitude towards our fellows. Firstof all, He forbids us to sit in judgment upon
others. He says, "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and
ye shall not be condemned". [Luke 6:37] This does not mean that we close our
eyes with a voluntary blindness, working our way through life like moles; nor
does it mean that we keepour opinions in a state of flux, not allowing them to
crystallize into thought, or to harden into the leadenalphabets of human
speech. There is within us all a moral sense, a miniature Sinai, and we canno
more suppress its thunders or sheath its lightnings than we can hush the
breakers ofthe shore into silence, or suppress the play of the Northern Lights.

Jesus warned wealth can hinder salvation if riches are valued over God

Jesus warned wealth can hinder salvation if riches are valued over God

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