"The Eye of the Needle," the senior sermon of Emma Jane Conley, Class of 2008, given on November 28, 2007, in Christ Chapel

Matthew 19: 23-30

God, as the potter works with the clay to create a work of art; take the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart, and the study of my mind and create what is good and true and faithful to your Gospel. AMEN.

The old… It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God . Perhaps one of the most quoted verses from the NT. What on earth are you saying to us now, Jesus!

This feels like some sort of riddle and the ones who figure out what it means // wins?

This was the first part of my exegesis of this text; I wanted to know why Jesus said this.

I learned that some believed it to be an actual place that Jesus made reference to, a passage between rocks that is very narrow, but commentaries now agree there is no support to back this up.

Others believe it to be a side entrance to the city of Jerusalem , but there is nothing to support this either.

No, nothing mystical about this line – a needle was a common household item and Jesus used this phrase of absurdity to make a point that people would understand.

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God .

So… it must mean that Jesus is saying any one who is rich, or has many possessions will NOT get to heaven. OUCH! That’s hard to take! Especially in this day and age where one needs considerable means to provide the basics of health care, decent shelter, education for our children.

I don’t believe this to be the point of what Jesus is saying - that the rich are doomed and only the poor are capable of eternal life.

Riches and possessions are seductive; it is easy to place our trust and identity in that which is of this world and not eternal. Trust in possessions rather than trust in God will not save our souls and bring us into life. This is what Jesus is concerned with.

The next thing that Jesus says is not a riddle but very clear:

For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.

Our hope is in God, who like the potter with her clay, will mold us into beautiful works of art. No matter who and what we are in our world: rich, poor, powerful, meek, lawless or law abiding, we can be formed to the perfect beings we are in God’s vision and kingdom.

The reading that directly precedes the text for today provides the context:

Then someone came to (Jesus) and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."

He said to him, "Which ones?"

And Jesus said, "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; what do I still lack?"

Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

The tragic part of this story is that the rich man walks away from Jesus. He was looking eternal life right in the eyes, he could touch it, yet he walks away from the fulfillment he felt missing in his life because he was bound by his possessions.

At first I thought Jesus was a bit harsh with this man. I couldn’t find the pastoral care here! Jesus, go after him, don’t let him get away now, he is so close to getting this! That’s what I wanted Jesus to do… but Jesus, if you think about it, did not go after people once they decided to turn away. He knows better, he knows that until the person is ready to receive the message, nothing can MAKE them hear it. And this young man was not ready to hear the answer to his prayer.

Jesus knew the particular change this rich man needed; just as Jesus knows what each of us needs to be perfect so that we might live in the vision of God.

To be perfect: the Greek “teleion” means to lack nothing to completeness; brought to its end, fulfilled; complete.

To be perfect, Jesus tells the man, you need to prepare. Prepare yourself before you can truly follow me. And for this man it was to sell his possessions to the poor.

The young man turned away from the opportunity to be formed in Christ. To experience the eye of the needle. We all have a taste of what that means!

The answer to this man’s prayer: to sell everything he owned and to give it to the poor meant to knock down the walls that isolated him from the discomforts of the world – poverty, homelessness, hunger, oppression. It would mean being vulnerable, dependence upon others for survival and that would mean seeking out relationships, living in community. The answer to his prayer was to disassemble the life he’d created, tidy, comfortable, no mess. And then once he did this he was to follow a radical, unsafe man and group that proclaimed eternal life as something opposite the world he knew and others approved of. Impossible! Outrageous, Crazy! This Jesus!

He was not prepared to become vulnerable to the world. He was not prepared to give up his money that meant security, power, superiority, status. Without money he would be looked upon as lacking substance and not a contributor to society. Sound familiar!

Bear with me as I put out some what ifs here: What if the young rich man was able to do as Jesus suggested and give his money away to the poor? What if this young rich man were able to let go of the security that is dependent on this world? What if he was willing to become vulnerable to the unknown and became dependent upon God for his every daily need? This is what Jesus wanted for him.

Why!

Because then he might become open to new revelations that increase his faith, gifts of grace and mercy that heal, love and relationships with those around him… he would find eternal life in a steadfast God and this means to live in the kingdom of God.

Letting go prepares us to become what God created us to be complete, lacking nothing of fulfillment, perfect.

If you wish to be perfect…

When I think of perfect, I think of lacking nothing professionally, physically, financially, in relationships, you know, perfect!

I remember my surprise to hear that I wasn’t perfect! Imagine that!

In1989, my bubble was burst. I suffered a broken pelvis from a car accident. After numerous CAT scans and MRI’s the doctors relayed good news to my mother: I suffered no internal injuries, but informed her that I was born with only one kidney. My reply was, “But, Mom, you always told me I was perfect, my body was a perfect temple!” Her reply, “Well, I thought you were! But I guess I was wrong!

Here are a few examples of how “perfect” is used in other NT texts:

First, in Matthew, chapter 5 -

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

1 Cor 13:10 –

But when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

Col. –

So that we may present every man complete in Christ.

Letter of James –

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

I would wager a bet that according to God’s world, our idea of being perfect is WRONG!

Perfection according to God’s kingdom is vulnerability, dependence upon God, humility, generosity, living in relationship and for others.

Perfect in Christ, the vision of the kingdom of God is described over and over in all of the Gospels. Those who place the world’s definition of life as priority or first, will unfortunately be the last one’s to experience the revelation of God’s kingdom.

So, I ask you now -

What do you imagine Jesus would say to you if you asked him how to gain eternal life? What would Jesus see in you that you lack from being perfect or complete?

Now expand that question to the church’s we will soon be leading and pasturing. What does our church lack from being perfect? What binds the church from coming to Christ and actually being the Body of Christ? How we will prepare our church communities to hear the answer to this prayer?

(Song)

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary

Pure and holy, tried and true

With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living sanctuary

For you.

Jesus is calling us to come closer. We’ve accepted part of the challenge by giving up significant parts of our lives to come to be formed in this place so that we might know what it is to follow Jesus.

Are we prepared to continue to give up our lives to be perfect in Christ?

What do you imagine Jesus would say to you if you asked him how to become a sanctuary for God?