Bible Study Seattle

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:23-26 NIV

“Y’shua then said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you that it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  And again I say to you that it is easier for a rope to enter into the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Elohim.  And when the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed and were saying, “Who indeed is able to gain life?’  Y’Shua looked at them and said to them, “With men this is not possible, but with Elohim everything is possible.”  Matthew 19:23-26 AENT

Commentary from the Aramaic English New Testament:  Gamala refers to a “heavy rope” rather than a “camel” which is also spelled gimel-meem-lamed-alap.  Greek scholars puzzled over a camel passing through the eye of a needle, which is a physical impossibility.  Y’shua is clearly not saying a rich man can’t enter, or he would not “love” this one!  The “heavy rope” lesson teaches about a rich man entering into heaven, after he “unravels” his fortune strand by strand as Y’shua instructs.  If his wealth was bound tightly and strong like a rope, it is to be unwound like threads which will pass through the eye of the needle.  Careful attention is required to thread a needle; so are the rich obligated unto YHWH for how their wealth is acquired and dispersed.  Theological attempts to “prove” the eye of the needle to be a geographical location have utterly failed.