This End Down

Someone (who was quite rich) once told me that the “Eye of the Needle” was a gate in ancient Jerusalem that was short, so camels had to bend over to get through it, making it possible but difficult. I hadn’t really thought about it since then, but a few weeks ago I heard someone mentioning that rumor as a total fallacy. So, since I just read Luke 18 today, I figured I’d look it up. Maybe I’d do some great scholarship, and write a long post on it.

However, once again, Wikipedia has done that for me. I’d love to hear if anyone has convincing arguments otherwise, but this general interpretation section, especially in light of the Talmud section and the greater scope of the Christian narrative, seems to be pretty right on. I really appreciate the two sides of the issue–both that you cannot serve both God and mammon and that, if wealth is a sign of God’s reward, at least in Old Covenant thought, then no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven–without God.