Mat 19:25 | KingComments | STEP | Following the young man’s departure, the Lord addresses His disciples with a word about being rich. He tells them that for many rich people, having many possessions is an obstacle to entering the kingdom of heaven. It is oh so difficult for a rich man to renounce his wealth. How difficult that is is shown by the fact that He wants to bring this to their attention with a sharp example. The eye of a needle was at that time the smallest imaginable opening, and the camel the largest imaginable animal. Therefore it was unrealistic to think that something very big – a camel – could go through the eye of something very small – a needle. This would only be possible if there were a miraculous change, in which the camel would become smaller or the eye of the needle larger. Christ uses a typically oriental picture and it is precisely because of this contrast that he depicts an impossibility. When the disciples hear this, they are surprised. For them this means that no one can be saved. A rich man lives for them clearly in accordance with God’s law, for his wealth proves that God’s favor is on him. Wealth is a proof of Divine blessing in Judaism. Therefore the disciples do not understand the scope of the Lord’s words and cannot hide their amazement about them. In this chapter they always show their difficulty with His teaching ( ). Their difficulty arises because He places the Jewish views of His disciples on marriage as well as on children and property in a different light, namely the light of the kingdom of which the King is rejected. The Lord does not answer their question of who can be saved by saying that it is difficult for people to be saved, but that it is impossible . It is not possible for people to work on their own salvation. But that is not why it is hopeless, because with God it is possible. There must be a work of God to make this happen. Man always reveals his nature and it is impossible for him to change anything about it, just as an Ethiopian cannot change anything about being black and a leopard cannot change anything about his spots ( ). It is their nature. But God can make that change. In other words: it may be impossible for a person to come to God, but this does not mean that God is not able to come to man. In Christ He came, and on the cross Christ accomplished the work that no man could ever accomplish. Our Lord Jesus Christ was actually rich and became poor for us, that we through his poverty might become rich ( ). This is not possible with people, but it is possible with God!

‏ Matthew 19:25

With God All Things Are Possible

Following the young man’s departure, the Lord addresses His disciples with a word about being rich. He tells them that for many rich people, having many possessions is an obstacle to entering the kingdom of heaven. It is oh so difficult for a rich man to renounce his wealth. How difficult that is is shown by the fact that He wants to bring this to their attention with a sharp example.

The eye of a needle was at that time the smallest imaginable opening, and the camel the largest imaginable animal. Therefore it was unrealistic to think that something very big – a camel – could go through the eye of something very small – a needle. This would only be possible if there were a miraculous change, in which the camel would become smaller or the eye of the needle larger. Christ uses a typically oriental picture and it is precisely because of this contrast that he depicts an impossibility.

When the disciples hear this, they are surprised. For them this means that no one can be saved. A rich man lives for them clearly in accordance with God’s law, for his wealth proves that God’s favor is on him. Wealth is a proof of Divine blessing in Judaism. Therefore the disciples do not understand the scope of the Lord’s words and cannot hide their amazement about them.

In this chapter they always show their difficulty with His teaching (Mt 19:10 ; 13 ; 25). Their difficulty arises because He places the Jewish views of His disciples on marriage as well as on children and property in a different light, namely the light of the kingdom of which the King is rejected.

The Lord does not answer their question of who can be saved by saying that it is difficult for people to be saved, but that it is impossible. It is not possible for people to work on their own salvation. But that is not why it is hopeless, because with God it is possible. There must be a work of God to make this happen. Man always reveals his nature and it is impossible for him to change anything about it, just as an Ethiopian cannot change anything about being black and a leopard cannot change anything about his spots (Jer 13:23). It is their nature. But God can make that change.

In other words: it may be impossible for a person to come to God, but this does not mean that God is not able to come to man. In Christ He came, and on the cross Christ accomplished the work that no man could ever accomplish. Our Lord Jesus Christ was actually rich and became poor for us, that we through his poverty might become rich (2Cor 8:9). This is not possible with people, but it is possible with God!