Through a needle’s eye

May 23, 2016
Monday, 8th Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading: 1 Pt 1: 3-9Gospel: Mk 10:17–27
Just as Jesus was setting out on his journey again, a man ran up, knelt before him and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to have eternal life?”Jesus answered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat, honor your father and mother.” The man replied, “I have obeyed all these commandments since my childhood.”Then Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him and he said, “For you, one thing is lacking. Go, sell what you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.” On hearing these words, his face fell and he went away sorrowful for he was a man of great wealth.Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were shocked at these words, but Jesus insisted, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”They were more astonished than ever and wondered, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked steadily at them and said, “For humans it is impossible, but not for God; all things are possible with God.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Jesus’ advice to the rich man to sell all possessions shocked the Jews who considered wealth as God-given opportunity to help the poor. This was probably specifically tailored for that young man. The selling of all possessions cannot be made a “conditio-sine-qua-non” to discipleship because we also need to cover our basic human necessities.
But what about the Gospel verse that likens the entry of rich people to heaven to a camel entering a needle’s eye? This seems to support the radical teaching that one must divest any and all material possessions follow Jesus. The Jerome Biblical Commentary argues against this using the substitution theory. According to this theory, there could have been a substitution in some manuscripts of the Greek word ‘kamilos’ (rope) with ‘kamelos’ (camel). The original sentence should have been “It is easier for a rope to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
The theory makes sense. A camel entering a needle’s eye is a bizarre exaggeration. A literal divestment of possessions will not necessarily make the heart detached. Material things are not necessarily inimical to spirituality if we but give God the lion’s share of our love. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email:[email protected].
May comment ka ba sa column ni Father Dan? May tanong ka ba sa kanya?
I-type ang BANDERA  REACT at i-send sa 4467.