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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Watering Down Christ teachings	Hadrian	Thursday, August 29, 2013
Question: Luke 18:25 Indeed, 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. Possibly, people to justify their well being, relate the eye of the needle to some portico in Jerusalem making the going of affluent people to seem not so impossible thereby reducing Christ warning on the subject of riches. However, the Apostles are very well aware what Christ is saying as they question as who would then go to Heaven But Jesus qualifies this warning saying that for God everything is possible. I believe that it is not for the fact of being rich is the danger but how one goes about using it and putting importance to it.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD Dear Hadrian: You are correct that it is about how we use our wealth and what importance we place on wealth. The Navarre Bible Commentary states: The image of the camel in the eye of a needle is exaggeration for the sake of effect—to show how enormously difficult it is for a rich man attached to his riches to enter the Kingdom of of heaven. "Earthly goods are not bad, but they are debased when a man sets them up as idols, when he adores them. They are ennobled when they are converted into estimates for good, for just and charitable Christian undertakings. We cannot seek after material goods as if they were a treasure. … Our treasure is Christ and all our love and desire must be centered on him, 'for for where our treasure is, there will be our hearts' (Matthew 6:21)" (Blessed J. Escrivá, Christ is passing by, 35). The interpretation that the "needle" is a back gate in the wall entering Jerusalem is not the accepted interpretation here, but I see your point. I think, however, that even if that is the correct interpretation I do not see any real "watering down." Those rich people attached to material goods will have a hard time unloading those goods from their camels sufficiently for the camel to go through the gate, thus leaving behind those goods to which they are attached. The nature of attachment would suggest that it is just as impossible to let go of the goods in this case as in the interpretation of a literal needle. In both cases it is the graces of God and the the person's response to that grace that allows one to detached from those possessions. If anything the "gate" interpretation places too much emphasis on the rich (who would be the only ones with heavy laden camels). The poor, who would never have heavy laden camels, or even own a camel, are also subject to attachment that can jeopardize their souls. This is not really about riches, it is about attachment to material goods. The lesson is that if we are attached to material goods it will be harder to get to heaven. One does not have to be rich to be improperly attached to material goods. The poor can be more attached to things sometimes than the rich. If any of us are overly attached to material goods we run the risk of failing God and even of risking our souls — whether our income is $10,000 or $10,000,000. Jesus simply used an hyperbole to make the point. This technique is use by Jesus, and by St. Paul a lot. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Watering Down Christ teachings

Hadrian

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Question:

Luke 18:25
Indeed, 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.

Possibly, people to justify their well being, relate the eye of the needle to some portico in Jerusalem making the going of affluent people to seem not so impossible thereby reducing Christ warning on the subject of riches. However, the Apostles are very well aware what Christ is saying as they question as who would then go to Heaven But Jesus qualifies this warning saying that for God everything is possible. I believe that it is not for the fact of being rich is the danger but how one goes about using it and putting importance to it.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r), LTh, DD

Dear Hadrian:

You are correct that it is about how we use our wealth and what importance we place on wealth.

The Navarre Bible Commentary states:

The image of the camel in the eye of a needle is exaggeration for the sake of effect—to show how enormously difficult it is for a rich man attached to his riches to enter the Kingdom of of heaven.

"Earthly goods are not bad, but they are debased when a man sets them up as idols, when he adores them. They are ennobled when they are converted into estimates for good, for just and charitable Christian undertakings. We cannot seek after material goods as if they were a treasure. … Our treasure is Christ and all our love and desire must be centered on him, 'for for where our treasure is, there will be our hearts' (Matthew 6:21)" (Blessed J. Escrivá, Christ is passing by, 35).

The interpretation that the "needle" is a back gate in the wall entering Jerusalem is not the accepted interpretation here, but I see your point. I think, however, that even if that is the correct interpretation I do not see any real "watering down." Those rich people attached to material goods will have a hard time unloading those goods from their camels sufficiently for the camel to go through the gate, thus leaving behind those goods to which they are attached. The nature of attachment would suggest that it is just as impossible to let go of the goods in this case as in the interpretation of a literal needle. In both cases it is the graces of God and the the person's response to that grace that allows one to detached from those possessions.

If anything the "gate" interpretation places too much emphasis on the rich (who would be the only ones with heavy laden camels). The poor, who would never have heavy laden camels, or even own a camel, are also subject to attachment that can jeopardize their souls.

This is not really about riches, it is about attachment to material goods. The lesson is that if we are attached to material goods it will be harder to get to heaven.

One does not have to be rich to be improperly attached to material goods. The poor can be more attached to things sometimes than the rich. If any of us are overly attached to material goods we run the risk of failing God and even of risking our souls — whether our income is $10,000 or $10,000,000.

Jesus simply used an hyperbole to make the point. This technique is use by Jesus, and by St. Paul a lot.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary