Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: The missing body/Empty tomb Message-ID: Date: 28 Apr 91 22:17:03 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: State University of New York at Binghamton Lines: 32 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article billg@bony1.bony.com (Bill Gripp) writes: >In article irani@brahms.udel.edu (Jennifer Irani) writes: >When I was in Israel (too long ago) something else was explained. Jesus >said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle >than for a rich man to go to heaven. Well in my mind at least, this is >of course impossible (without God's intervention of course). Well in >the old city of Jerusalem, there are many large internal doors >separating different portions of the city. Within these large doors is >a smaller door, maybe 2 feet wide by 4 feet tall. This door is called >"The Eye of the Needle". For a camel, with packs, etc. to pass through >this door is very difficult, but not impossible (it just requires a lot >of effort and all day =8^) ). This is what Jesus was talking about. >But since we don't live in that cultural setting we interpret it as >something else. One day, I found myself in the pulpit, and I was talking about finding loopholes in Bible verses. As I discussed this one. It struck me that I had read that in order to get the camel through the "eye of the needle", it was necessary to unload it, and get it down on its knees. I then realized that the same procedure could be used to get a rich man into heaven. First, unload him (go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor), and then get him down on his knees. It is of course much easier to get a camel to part with its load then it is to get a rich man to part with his. So it's easier to get a camel through the eye of the needle then it is to get a rich man into heaven. It appears to me that the "eye of the needle" is not a loophole, but lends greater understanding to this verse. Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton