October 2000

These words are essential for understanding where Jesus stands with regard to wealth. The image is strong, paradoxical, in keeping with the Semitic style. Wealth and the kingdom of God are incompatible, and there is no point in wanting to play down a teaching which appears several times in Jesus' preaching. For example, he says that it is not possible to serve God and mammon (that is, wealth). He seems to ask the rich young man for renouncements which are impossible for man but not for God.
But let's try to understand the true sense of these words from Jesus himself, from his relationship with those who are rich.
He also associates with people who are well-off. To Zacchaeus who gives only half of his goods, he says: “Today salvation has come to this house”. Moreover, the Acts of the Apostles testify that the communion of goods was spontaneous and free in the early Church.
Therefore, Jesus did not intend to found solely a community of people who called to follow him, leave all their riches.
And yet he says:

«It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.»

Then what does Jesus condemn? Certainly not the goods of this earth in themselves, but our being attached to them.
Why?
It's clear: because everything belongs to God and the rich person, instead, acts as if the riches belong to him or her.
The fact is that riches can easily take the place of God in the human heart; they blind us and favor every vice. Paul, the Apostle, wrote: “Those who want to be rich are falling into temptation and into a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people in their desire for it have strayed from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains.”

What should be the attitude then of those who have possessions? They need to keep their hearts free, totally open to God. They should feel that they are administrators of their goods and know, as John Paul II says, that these goods are under a “social mortgage”.
Because the goods of this earth are not evil in themselves, they should not be scorned, but they must be used well.
Our heart, not our hand, must stay far from them. It's a matter of using them for the good of others.
Those who are rich are rich for the benefit of others.

«It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.»

Someone might say: I'm not rich, not at all, so these words don't apply to me.
We must be careful. The question that the disciples asked Christ in dismay right after they had heard this statement was: “Who then can be saved?'' This clearly implies that these words were addressed in some way to everyone.
Even a person who has left everything in order to follow Christ can be attached to thousands of things. Even the poor man who carries a chunk of bread in his bag and curses if anyone touches it, can be rich in the eyes of God.
And yet many rich people in the history of the Church did not turn back. They followed Jesus along the way of the most radical poverty. This was the case of Eletto, whom I knew well: a tall and handsome young man who was intelligent and rich. When he heard God's call to follow him, he didn't hesitate for a moment. He didn't turn away. Riches didn't seem to exist for him. He gave up all his goods and his life too. He drowned in a lake while carrying out an act of charity towards a little boy; he was only 33 years old. There, by the lakeside, the following words are written on a memorial tablet: “I chose God alone, and nothing, nothing else.”
When Eletto appeared before Jesus, he certainly did not hear the words: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.''

Chiara Lubich