Needle

The needle was a common household object for sewing and mending. Jesus used the metaphor of the needle to illustrate his lesson about the rich man and entrance into God’s kingdom. After talking with the rich young ruler, Jesus told his disciples that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" (Matthew 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25).

Jesus was not condemning riches or wealth. Rather, he condemned the change of will and the false security riches can create. This was the case with the rich young ruler (compare Matthew 19:21–22; Mark 10:21–22; Luke 18:22–23). Entrance into God’s kingdom is an act of God, not of man. By using the metaphor of the largest land animal in Palestine, Jesus created the absurd image of a camel passing through a needle’s eye. He compared this picture with a rich man’s attempt to use his position and possessions to gain entrance into heaven. Rabbinic literature contains a similar expression, where the elephant is pictured passing through the eye of a needle.