Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Eye of a Needle (Matthew 19:24)(Mark 10:17-31)







A TRADITIONAL WAY OF PREACHING

ON THE CAMEL

AND

EYE OF A NEEDLE STORY

IS TO SAY

THERE WAS A GATE

IN JERUSALEM’S WALLS

LOW AND NARROW



A CAMEL COULD PASS THROUGH

IF HIS BURDEN WAS REMOVED

AND HE ENTERED ON HIS KNEES



A GOOD TEACHING STORY

BUT IT MAY NOT BE TRUE

THE EXPLANATION

IS NOT TRACED

BEYOND THE NINTH CENTURY



THEN WHAT DOES IT MEAN

THE SAYING WAS COMMON

IN THE MIDDLE EAST

A SAYING OF IMPOSSIBILITY



IN BAGHDAD

THE CAMEL

WAS REPLACED BY A ELEPHANT



IT’S POSSIBLE

THE WORD IS MISTRANSLATED

AND MEANS CABLE

HAWSER

LARGE ROPE



HOWEVER IT IS TRANSLATED

IT DENOTES IMPOSSIBILITY

AND YET THE BIBLE SAYS

JESUS

LOVED THE RICH YOUNG MAN

WHO ASKED THE QUESTION



SO BEING RICH

WASN’T WRONG

BUT WHAT HE DID WITH IT

HOW TIGHTLY

HE GRASPED

WHAT HE HAD

AND WOULDN’T SHARE



WE SAY TO THE WORLD

GOD LOVES YOU

HE HAS GIVEN YOU HIS SON

HE HAS GIVEN YOU REDEMPTION

HE HAS GIVEN YOU ALL OF CREATION

TO SHARE



THE HUNGRY IN DARFUR SAY

WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLAN



THE POOR IN

BRAZIL’S CLUTTERED SLUMS

SAY

WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLANS



THE VICTIM’S OF RELIGIOUS

AND RACIAL HATRED

SAY

WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLANS



THE SICK OF THE WORLD

UNABLE

TO PAY FOR MEDICINE

SAY

WHO’S MESSING WITH GOD’S PLANS



I’M SINGING AN OLD SONG

BUT THE MELODY

LINGERS IN MY EAR

LIKE AN EARWORM

ALWAYS IN MY EAR



I BELIEVE

IN GOD

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

WITHOUT THAT BELIEF

NOTHING MAKES SENSE

AND WE ARE NOTHING

BUT A BUNCH OF ATOMS

SPINNING AROUND THE SUN



I BELIEVE

THAT GOD

WITH MAN’S WORKS

CAN REDEEM CREATION

AND CHANGE THE SAYING

TO

WE NEED A SMALLER NEEDLE

THE CAMEL KEEPS FALLING THROUGH





FRANK A VOLLMER

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