oh my gosh... the fact that it's actually you on the camel, that cracks me up the most! I love that photo. you are such a dork!

How do you think of these things?

the "eye of the needle" was a reference to the smaller entrance through the city walls, rather than through the main gates. camels would "barely" fit and it's rumored that sometimes if they had to go through (normally they didn't) they would literally have to get down on their knees. whether that's true or not, i couldn't tell you - but the entrances, according to historians WERE small enough that the bags had to come off. if the camel, and the man leading the camel, wanted to get the camel through...it was a tight squeeze, and it wasn't possible unless the camel got rid of his "stuff".

the correlations are pretty basic...but the point is that "rich people" think they have no need for God because they have stuff. life is pretty easy when you have tons of cash.

so, the breakdown? it's easier for a camel to get through "the eye of the needle" by getting rid of his "stuff" than it is for a rich man to be saved (not specifically talking about "getting to heaven", that's...again...not the point of christianity) because he has to come to grips with the idea that his "stuff" isn't his anymore. when you enter the "kingdom of heaven" or...get "born again" or whatever other term you want to slap on it - you realize really quickly that you're only a steward of stuff that God's given you, or lent to you. that's a hard pill to swallow for any "rich man"...and ironically enough, what this scripture predicts is exactly the way it normally plays out in life.

now, the question for the "non-believer" would be: is it hard for a rich man to be born again because they don't want to lay their "stuff" down...or do rich people understand something that the rest of us don't because, well, because they're rich?

now, that's an interesting one.

anyway, my two cents.

freaking hilarious.....btw...I made up the networth thing.

I'm guessing it'll be a decent amount of work to build your giant needle and bring it out to wherever they have camels and then stick it in the ground and get your camel to go through it....and even if you get your camel to go through your space needle the rich dudes still gotta confess and believe dawg.

:)

nice post nate. (shotshot)

You may have to find that needle in the haystack, if you choose a pony...:)

You may be proving the point , by trying to buy sometime at opening arguements... :) Remember , it didn't say that no rich person would get there..I think there will be plenty of rich people in Heaven.... they are the ones who accepted the FREE gift of forgiveness from Jesus and realized that no amount of money could buy it. Your creativity is rather humorous tho :)

DJ I will sell t-shirts that say, "I CONFESS! I BELIEVE" and then have photos taken as the camel passes through. We will bury the person in that t-shirt just for good measure, holding the photo.

With so many confusing messages about how to get to heaven (and I really DO want to hang out with you and Janey and Amy for eternity and I really DO want to learn to play the harp) you can't be TOO safe.

Nate: I've always said that money is like a little pet in search of a safe home. It tends to find people who know how to be a safe guardian.

Gary,

I really think that you should consider that a number of your customers are religious people and don't really care for the mocking. I know all you care about is driving traffic and selling products, so in that regard, it might be in your financial best interest to not poke your finger in the customer's eye.

i knew all of this was coming eventually! :) thank you, nate, for finally stating what it seems (from my quick review) noone has...which was WHAT that bible verse means!

And what about me...and Mark? don't you wanna hang out with US in heaven too?

That picture is freaking hilarious!

Lurker here...but had to comment.

While your post is probably mildly offensive to some, i like to take it tongue and cheek and remember that on the global scale, we're ALL rich. While my income may be pennies compared to yours, on a global scale the fact that I'm sitting in my air conditioned home with my laptop on my lap and a glass of fresh drinking water in a glass beside me with 3 cars parked in the driveway makes me filthy rich in contrast to the majority of the world's population. We all could do with reminders that there's more to life than "stuff" and money and when Jesus spoke in that metaphor (excellent explanation shotshot) he was trying to make the rich young ruler THINK and consider if he was willing to give up everything he had to be a follower of Christ. And typically speaking, people with a lot of stuff work hard for it, or are very attached to it, and find it difficult to give up - for anyone or anything.
Don't feel singled out because you are (in the eyes of the Western World) very rich. Wealth is relative. I think you live in extreme excess - with multiple homes, expensive cars, trips around the world, etc. But after I pull the plank from my own eyes, I might see that someone in Africa would think that *I* live in excess with fresh drinking water, enough food to feed my kids, and access to medical care.

I thought you didn't drink???

You are becoming very arrogant with this stuff Gary......You are a great businessman and photographer.....I would not mess with God and His Word. I know you don't understand that but you will.

Proverbs 13:22 says:

"And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous".

Hallelujah!

Ok so new question about the "rich people".

So... if you are already a Christian and you start making a lot of money... say you make money to be able to fly around the world telling people about Jesus. Is that ok? Or should you always stay poor? Does God want you to always walk the earth bareback (the camel with no "stuff")? Or is it just to get you through the gate (meaning become a believer) and then you get to start making money? Or are you always suppose to get rid of your "stuff"?

Just curious on your thoughts. anyone?

yo melissa.

first, thanks for the props. second, i don't think christians are supposed to be poor at all. the bible says lots of stuff about it - stuff like "be ready to give on every occasion". i like to look at christians who DO say we're supposed to be all poor and have "no place to lay our heads" and say "if you're that poor, how can you give on every occasion? if someone comes and needs to borrow $100, that's an occasion...can you give then?".

the answer is obviously no.

i wasn't saying earlier that i think "rich people" aren't allowed to have "stuff" at all. the verse says that "it's easier for a camel to enter through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom"...it's not talking about what you're allowed to have or not have. at all. it's an illustration to show, again, that if the camel wants to come through that small gate (the bible says that the gate is narrow - i believe these verses mirror each other) then he has to take his bags off first. when someone is born again, it's typically a time of brokenness and surrender - saying "i want everything to be new and i'm laying down everything i have in order to fulfill God's actual plan for my life". now, i'm not saying that someone HAS TO BE AT A POINT OF BROKENNESS in their lives...even if someone has EVERYTHING perfect in life, they can still become broken and humble. lots of times this is confused and people like to say "people only get saved when things are going bad". that's not the case. lots do...but not all.

so bringing it back around: how is a rich man getting saved typically harder than a camel entering through a small gate? because the rich person has no real reason to think that they "need" something more than what they already have or could have, if they used their wealth. camels can take their bags off and crouch down if need be, but a wealthy person isn't going to readily say "i want what God wants for me, i want to surrender my life to Him" because....well, why surrender to someone or something that i'm not even sure exists, and especially so when everything i need or want in the physical, i can have immediately?

am i making sense?

now, bringing that around even more: even though it's hard for a rich dude or dudette to lay their stuff down, it's not impossible - obviously. furthermore (and i'm sure lots of people will disagree violently with me on this) just because the camel stripped his bags, didn't mean he gave them up. he just had to take them off to get in. in the same way, i believe rich people can be saved without question, although the realization will be there that "dude, this stuff is worthless in the spiritual" - after that person is saved their stuff is the same as mine - God's.

my wife and i have a rule that we won't buy anything we can't literally give away if someone approaches us with a need for it. and no, i'm not kidding. this goes for our house, iphones, macs, cars...whatever. it's happened a few times, but normally not so much. either way - we were ready to give on those occasions. am i boasting about that? not at all - i'm just illustrating the point that i would NOT be like that, and actually wasn't like that, until i had an experience with God where none of it mattered anymore. some people may be at that place without being saved at all...i don't know. i just know i wasn't.

sooooooo - all that to say, i want to be rich. i want our business and our office manager and my family and everyone else i know to be wealthy and have lots of things that they can enjoy and make them happy. but more than that i want to have stuff, so i can give stuff away. that's all. and i really feel like this is the main thrust of the gospel, and all of it's parts point back to it: that there was a real dude, named Jesus, who was sent by God, who loved us all. that's it. God has tons of stuff, everything actually - and He gave up the one thing most important to Him, that the rest of us could have stuff too, because He loves us like a real father is supposed to love his real kids. He gave a son, so we could live with forever, starting now, if we choose that. that's just how i understand the gospel of the Jesus, who He was, why he came and more importantly how all of those things have effected my life and changed who i am and how i think. *shrug*

that wasn't meant to be preachy (lord knows i hate that as much as gary...hahahahahahahaha) but i felt like that would all explain a little better and answer your question there, melissa. did any of that make sense?

again, nice post Nate. Man, I have to say this... you have grown so much since you first started commenting on here. That was like 3-4 years ago? It's cool to see! And thanks for your thoughts on the scripture. Very easy to understand what you believe and what the scripture means to you. It's nice seeing your comments on these types of threads. I can tell you are #1 speaking from the heart and #2 explaining how you understand it.

*bows*

lol.

Gary, I think we christians know what is meant about the rich man and the camel through the eye of the needle.

Jesus even told Pilot "You would not have authority over Me unless God the Father had given it to you"! Same thing with our success'.

It is a parable that with most wealthy individuals "their God" is their MONEY! Very simply put, he loved his money more than God and Jesus' teachings.

Jesus asked the rich man to sell all that he had and give it to the needy! He was demonstrating that his money was higher than his love for others and God and giving was of less importance. For the love of money is the root of all evil.

Faith is a requirement, that God will provide if we obey Him. This is why people reject Him!!! He takes away our right to do what ever we want and also limits our power and gives it to Him. We naturally want what is ours and have to be taught to share and to love and forgive and to do good. This was natural to Jesus, he never sinned once as a man! Not to mention all the persecution we take!!! LOL

We are commanded to love the Lord Thy God with ALL thy heart, with ALL thy soul, with ALL thy strength, with ALL thy mind and thy neighbor as thy self! That is not easy let's face it, it is impossible but that is why we have His grace!

Jesus wanted him to seek treasure in heaven where it will be for eternity not here on Earth where it will not last.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (New Living Translation)


17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

I think says it all. Trust in God who gives us what we have!

The believer thanks God for his things and does not value them more than God. The unbeliever is proud of himself for he is the God of his world and values his things above God.

It is easier than you think to be a christian!

Good one shotshot (Nate)!!!
Just put God first, genuinely believe in His son that He died in your place and was risen 3 days later, try to live with a heart that loves everyone for who they are and repent from a sinful lifestyle and work towards a biblical one everyday there after. You can still be rich and enter heaven! We are forgiven by the death and blood of His son Jesus Christ when we mess up. We just get right back up on that camel and try again!!! Day after day till we finish the race! It is all about faith in God and a close personal relationship with Him. God is the only one who will change your heart, but it can be your desire!

gary, random photo-noob here who hasn't purchased a gary fong diffuser yet, but researching... I am a Christian and I believe in the Bible, that it is infallible and inerrant as inspired in the original texts (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic).

anyway, I respect you for being a successful photographer, inventor, and businessman, but I don't know where to begin when it comes down to your beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible--I actually don't know what you believe, but I think like a lot of people/some of the people who've commented on your blog who want to share about what they've learned from the Scriptures because they love God and want you to be blessed too--through having all of your sins forgiven in Christ and having a rich, eternal, personal relationship with Him. I just hope and pray that one day you will know God as your God and your Creator, and also as your Savior and Lord.

to comment about the passage about a camel and the eye of the needle--one must take a literal (read: grammatical-historical) approach to interpreting Scripture. this rule can be summed up as, "It can't mean for us (modern day readers, you, me) what it didn't mean for them (original recipients)."

one of the most important clues to help us interpret Scripture properly is using context--grammatical context, historical context, cultural context, etc.

"Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
(Matthew 19:24-26 NASB)

Jesus' comment/response to His disciples' question directly refers to salvation being impossible for man, that it is nothing that he can achieve on his own, ever. Period. Heaven cannot be earned or deserved, because the default for everyone who isn't perfect and has sinned is death (Rom 6:23), and guess what, we've all sinned (Rom 3:23). No amount of good works or tithing or charity or coming up with clever arguments will spare you from God's wrath on judgment day, except for Christ's blood alone. It was because Christ became a propitiation (atonement, redemption) for us.

In the following chapter (in the synoptic gospel of Luke), the "impossible" happens: God saves a very rich, very wealthy man: Zaccheus.

And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! "For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." They who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But He said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."
(Luke 18:24-27 NASB)

In Luke 19:1-9, we read about Zaccheus becoming a believer and being saved.

Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.
(Luke 19:8-9 NASB)

Zaccheus, as a tax collector, was already very wealthy. Because of his role as chief tax collector, he was extremely wealthy.

GEEZ- I had no idea my comment would produce such a firestorm. Nor, did I have any idea I would have to come back and CLARIFY what I meant. First off, my comments have nothing to do with anything material you may or may not have. (It could be gone in a flash--then what?) What do you have to stand on?
It appears to me, as an outsider of course, that you have a passion and zeal for life that many don't. Is this because you have the trappings and comfort of wealth? I suspect not...I suspect you would be the same whether or not you had boats and homes etc. (again purely hypothesis) What would make you "awesome" just to clarify...is your apparent passion and love for people...because that is the greatest commandment of all "Love your neighbor as yourself". Christ greatness was in his ability to love the unloveable.
Furthermore, Christ doesn't use a ratings system when judging who is a better believer. My comment was simply to say, you have a great platform with a God given ability to teach, speak and write.
In regards to your hangup about the "eye of the needle" thing...Here's what I think. I think that Christ knew that those with riches tend to depend and rely on the protection their wealth brings rather than the protection and blessings of God. OK-I'm done...Geesh. No need to get so wacky about the whole thing. And yes, it was a compliment.

Sorry Gary..I think you're screwed. ;) This is too funny.

MelissaLee, I took it as a compliment. And I do totally value my relationships with those I love more than anything material. The thing about stuff is - it's just stuff. But the people I love is the most important thing to me.