Just about anyone who is a Christian or is even mildly familiar with the Bible will remember the illustration of the camel and the needle, "Then Jesus said to his disciples. ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ (Matthew 19:23-24, NIV)". But most Christians stop right there, and go no further. By stopping at the end of this quotation, they receive a message that is condemnatory of rich people, and a message that it is hard for rich people to get into heaven. All my life I have heard people quote this Scripture with a venomous voice, full of hatred or envy of people who they consider to be better off than themselves. Not only is this attitude not Christ-like, but it is also misinformed. Let’s read on.

"When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved’. Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:25-26, NIV)". Notice that the disciples did not ask "How then can any rich man be saved?" Rather, they asked how any person can be saved. "Who then" includes all of us, rich, poor, middle class, young, old, or middle age, black, white, yellow or red. Christ’s answer? "With man [ie, mankind or humankind] this