Can a Camel Go Through The Eye of a Needle?
In a comment on my Substack:
I received a fair question that deserves a more detailed answer
I'm curious how all this fits in with Mark 10:21 or John 6:15.... it all seems very worldly to me.
Rev. Grant, I see that we have wide differences in our opinions at New College of Florida, but I appreciate your diligent care and concern for the college. I also appreciate your willingness to engage regarding scripture.
Mark 10:21
New King James Version
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
Jesus, being the Word of God, is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. He saw the rich young ruler and knew what his intentions were and cut to “the heart” of the issue here. It was a heart issue. (For other readers, make no mistake, “It is harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”, and yet “with God all things are possible.”Matthew 19:24,26) This needs to be viewed in light of the rest of scripture.
Aside from the examples in Acts of rich people (a fair assumption) giving generously, we have Paul’s example, “I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:12-13 NASB.
So now the question is the intentions of my heart. The problem here is Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” NKJV. Now, you don’t know my heart and unfortunately, I don’t even know my own heart. This leaves me in a desperate situation, which is exactly where God wants me to be. I am desperately dependent on God to guide me and deliver me from evil. Therefore, I find great comfort in His correction. His rod and His staff they comfort me (Psalm 23). It is His rod that corrects us. My part is to seek Him and His will for my life. His part is to correct me and guide me. Seeking Him is not a passive endeavor. It includes fellowship and accountability with other believers, and diligence in learning His ways among other actions. Yet with all of man’s actions, I still rest in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
That is my challenge, but what about others? People will need to make decisions about the trustability and character of their representatives. So should people judge me? Yes, absolutely. But how? Luke 7:35 explains it this way, “wisdom is justified by all her children.” Also more directly in Luke 6:43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit.”
Onto our next logical step. How would you or the public know my fruit, without risking my reward? This is the part that has most of my attention lately.
John 6:15
New King James Version
Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
The point that I believe you and others are making here is that Jesus did not seek political power or office, so why are you? First, by that logic, I shouldn’t be a businessperson, an educator, an entrepreneur, a movie producer, or any other profession that Jesus didn’t do. This is flawed. It is that kind of thinking that can cause people to deceive themselves—I should say we can deceive ourselves, into using John 6:15 and 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and others in an unbalanced way to justify our desires to look the other way when our brothers and sisters are hurting. These scriptures need to be balanced against the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. Here, we see who is our neighbor and how we are to treat our neighbors. This is not a passive command. We are to love our neighbor, in any field that the Lord calls us to. Furthermore, we are not called to hide the light that is in us.
Matthew 5:13-16
New King James Version
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
As far as judging my fruit, I encourage you to ask around to actual people that I have come in contact with at New College of Florida and Bradenton. I hope this answers your question.
Respectfully,
Eddie Speir
ncG1vNJzZmidlJm2pr%2FPnqCrZqOqr7TAwJyiZ5ufonyxe8KapWaZXZiurrHLZp6oZaSdv7DBxqFkraCVYrK6sYyonQ%3D%3D