Dear friends,
We often get puzzled over our Lord’s comments about camels and the eye of a needle, and because we’re thinking about this we forget what it’s leading up to. Christ makes the contrast not so much between the rich and the poor, but between the rich and God. The rich here, therefore, are those who look to their wealth rather than to God. As though their wealth is going to help them, as though it is a sign that God is pleased with them.

But Christ’s vision, is that we don’t look to ourselves, we look to God – we have to look to him if we’re going to enter the kingdom of God. God is more than happy to lead us, with our camel, through the eye of a needle, but only if we do things his way. If we try this under our own power, then we’re going to spend the rest of our lives peering at needles and camels. If we turn to God, then he will guide us, but we have to be ready to follow his path rather than our own. We need to surrender to his plans for us.

Blessings, Fr Thomas.