Again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Gospel according to St. Matthew, 19:24
You can just picture some swanky trader, fat fingers trembling as he holds a needle up to the hairy snout of a camel–just to see if maybe it could fit through.
The camel looks back at him, with the supremely dull gaze of a camel, as if to say, “Yeah. Right.”
At least that was the image I got the first few times I pondered that passage.
Then somebody pointed out that Jesus did not speak King James’ English, and the word that had been translated into English as “camel” looked a lot like another word meaning rope, or perhaps the knotted end of a thread–things that would be somewhat easier to get through the eye of a needle.
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Somebody else suggested that the word translated as “eye of a needle” could actually have meant a small gate in a fortress wall–a tight squeeze for a camel stripped of its load, but perhaps possible.
Back roared the traditionalists, arguing that camel meant camel, needle meant needle, and anybody who said otherwise was booking himself a quick trip to a very hot place.
The camel-needle controversy stands out for me as a sterling reminder of why I try not to get into Scripture-slinging contests. Unless you are deeply grounded in English, Greek, Aramaic and Eternal Truths the Rest of Us Haven’t Heard About Yet, it is pretty hard to prove your ownership of the original and complete word of God.
But there is a larger message in this particular piece of Scripture, a meaning that is clear in English, Greek and Aramaic, whether you believe in pushing rope through a needle or shoving a camel through a small doorway.
Matthew puts it in the mouth of Jesus, three verses earlier: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven . . .”
In fact, if there is any single message that seems to run across all religions, it is the importance of giving some of our material wealth to those who need it.
Try Hinduism:
“He who gives liberally goes straight to the gods; on the high ridge of heaven he stands exalted.” Rig Veda, 1:125.5
Or Islam:
“Those who spend their wealth for the cause of God and afterward make not reproach and injury to follow that which they have spent; their reward is with their Lord and there shall no fear come upon them, neither shall they grieve.” Qur’an, 2:261-262
Or Judaism:
“Whether we bring much or little, it matters not, if only we fix our heart upon our Father in heaven.” Talmud, Berakot 17a
Mormons, Bahais, Sikhs, atheists and agnostics–you name the belief, and you can find its proponents touting the benefits of charity, to giver and to recipient, now and in the various visions of our future.
For those who waver theologically, or try not to think about it at all, what better call to alms than Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”?
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You could argue for another charity, and you would not be wrong. But like arguing about Scripture, it misses the point. The longer we find excuses not to give, the bigger that camel looks, and the smaller the eye of the needle.