Forum,
There is going to be a Bibl study at my parish tonite and we will focus on the upcomming Sunday's readings. Does anyone here have them handy? Thanks.

ukrainiancatholic

p.s. we are on the "new" calendar

12th Sunday after Pentecost

The readings are:

1Corinthians 15:1-11
Matthew 19:16-26


This gospel is the famous rich man vs camel through the "eye of a needle" story.

What is it about camels? Now, I've never actually seen a camel in person. I don't even think I've seen one in a zoo. But that doesn't stop me from having an impression of what they are like. My impression is that they are not pleasers; they won't jump through the eye of a needle to please their master, like a dog might. They won't go through the eye just because their curious, like a cat might. You can't train them to go through like you might a mouse or laboratory rat. My impression is, that to get a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, you need to lead him through it, against its will, against its very nature. A camel will only pass through the needle despite itself!

Yet, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the gates of heaven? What pitiful creatures of God we are! And yet, we will achieve heaven despite ourselves because God will lead us against our will, against our very nature, and despite ourselves.

"By the grace of God I am what I am."

John

[ 08-07-2002: Message edited by: Petrus ]

Supposedly, as the story goes, there was a gate in the walls of Jerusalem that was so narrow and looked like a needle's eye. Because of its shape the "rich," who had a lot of baggage in their entourage, could not process through. Luke makes the point that the one asking the question was a "ruler."

The parable of the rich young man is told in all three Gospels (Mt, Mk, and Lk) and though Luke uses a different Greek word for needle than Matthew and Mark, both words refer to instruments of sewing. So, this challenges the 'gate theory' because if there was such a gate the Evangelists would maybe have said so rather than talking about sewing instruments.

It is also a good pericope dealing with the old Law (the Commandments) and the new Law of Christ (giving to the poor). A monk once told me: "The more you own, the more it owns you."

[ 08-08-2002: Message edited by: J Thur ]

The story I heard about this is that the opening was so narrow that all provisions, etc. would have to be removed from the camel and the camel would have to pass through on its knees.

I don't know if this is true but it does make a great metaphor (or is that analogy?).

John