“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
- Mark 10:25 ESV
I’ve been thinking about camels.
Not something I normally do.
I’m more of a squirrel, cat, rabbit and “what’s-that-smell?” kind of dog.
But my human has been reading about Jesus and something He said about a camel and the eye of a needle.
Now, I’ve never met a camel.
But I’ve seen a needle.
And I’ve got enough common sense to know that getting a camel through one would be difficult at best.
My human says that’s the point.
Jesus was talking about how difficult it can be for us to let go of the things of this world and truly follow Him.
And I think I understand that.
Because I’ve watched my human.
I’ve watched him worry about things he can’t control.
I’ve watched him work hard for things that don’t last.
I’ve watched him get distracted by things that seemed awfully important in the moment, only to realize later they weren’t nearly as important as he thought.
And if I’m being honest…
I do the same thing.
Give me a rabbit and I’ll forget everything else.
You can call my name.
You can offer me a treat.
You can even open the back door.
But for a few seconds, that rabbit has my complete attention.
Maybe that’s what the world does to us.
It doesn’t always pull us away from Jesus with something bad.
Sometimes it uses something good.
A job.
A home.
Money.
Success.
Comfort.
Family.
A dream.
Even ministry.
Good things can become dangerous things when they become more important than the One who gave them to us.
That’s where this gets uncomfortable.
Following Jesus isn’t simply about believing in Him.
It’s about walking with Him.
And walking with Him sometimes means putting something down.
Sometimes it means loosening our grip.
Sometimes it means admitting that the thing we’ve been holding onto so tightly has been holding onto us.
The world keeps telling us to get more.
Jesus keeps reminding us to surrender more.
The world says, “Build your kingdom.”
Jesus says, “Seek My kingdom.”
The world says, “Look out for yourself.”
Jesus says, “Follow Me.”
And somewhere between those voices, we have to decide which one gets our attention.
Maybe that’s why Jesus used something as impossible as a camel and a needle.
He wanted us to understand that this isn’t something we accomplish by trying harder.
We need Jesus.
Because what is impossible for us is possible with God.
So maybe today isn’t about asking whether we have too much.
Maybe it’s asking whether too much has us.
What has my attention?
What has my affection?
What am I unwilling to surrender?
What am I carrying that Jesus has asked me to lay down?
I’m just an old dog.
I don’t know much about camels.
And I certainly don’t understand everything about needles.
But I do know this:
If I keep my eyes on my human, I usually know where I’m going.
Maybe following Jesus works the same way.
Keep your eyes on Him.
Trust Him.
Walk with Him.
And when something gets between you and Him…
Let it go.
After all, it’s hard to follow Jesus when you’re the one carrying everything.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
