WHAT DOES LUKE 18:25 MEAN?
Today we are going to look at a verse, and passage, that many have questions about. It’s the passage where Jesus talks about a camel going through the eye of a needle vs a rich man entering the kingdom of God. There are a lot of different opinions on what this verse really means. Do you have an opinion?
Honestly, I think we should develop our own thoughts and opinions before we read someone else’s. With that said, before you read my thoughts on this verse, I’ll help you break the verse down, and hopefully help you come up with some of your own thoughts and opinions.
BREAK IT DOWN!
1. Read the passage
Passage: Luke 18:18-30
18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
With God All Things Are Possible
24 And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.”
26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
27 But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Luke 18:18-30
NKJV
2. Write out Verse 18:25.
Luke 18:25
25 “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.”
3. Write out any key words or phrases that are in Luke 18:25.
4. Define/explain the key words and phrases in your own way. Use this passage to help you define/explain them.
5. Do these key words help you understand this verse a little better?
6. What are your thoughts on Luke 18:25, where Jesus talks about a camel going through the eye of a needle vs a rich man entering the kingdom of God.
Thoughts for question 2.
Easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
Rich man to enter the kingdom of God
Eye of a needle
Rich
Kingdom of God
Thoughts for question 3.
After re-reading the passage and taking note of my keywords and phrases in it, I came up with my own thoughts of what each of them can mean.
Eye of a needle :
It’s a small area! Smaller than a camel! I don’t know if it’s talking about a literal eye of a needle or a small narrow passage. Either way, It’s small.
Rich :
Having lots of something, or more than you need. We often think of it in terms of material possessions and money (like the example in this passage), but It doesn’t have to be.
Kingdom of God :
Not necessarily talking about heaven, which is a christians final destination, but rather God’s present society on this earth and in heaven. We become a part of this society when we are granted salvation through Jesus Christ.
A camel to go through the eye of a needle :
A camel passing through a space to small to fit.
Rich man to enter the kingdom of God :
A person with lots of possessions, money, and maybe resources, that stops depending on themself, and starts depending on God.
Thoughts for question 4.
Yes, knowing the meaning of these words in the context of this passage helps me understand it a little better. This made me focus on what the passage was saying. I noticed things I didn’t previously.
Thoughts for question 5.
Jesus simply says that it’s easier for a camel to do something that seems impossible, than a rich person to do something that seems impossible. I think this verse is implying that when we have everything we “want”, we depend on ourselves for everything we “need”. We can easily fall into the trap of depending on ourselves, instead of depending on God.
But, this passage also says that with God nothing is impossible.
I hope this short blog bible study helped you get a little better understand of this verse. We’re not going to understand everything, but if we read it, study it, pray on it, the Holy Spirit will help us through it.
We hope you search our website, Christian Fellowshipping, for more encouraging ways to fellowship with God and other believes.
References:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.