Matthew 19:24

[Trevor_Dewey]

I was asked in a PM about an unusual reading of Matthew 19:24 that I “badly paraphrased” from St. Gregory, here’s the actual quote from St. Gregory the Great (from online edition of St. Aquinas’ Catena Aurea) so the experts can judge whether I’ve stretched his quote too far and correct me.

Matthew 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." (Douay-Rheims, Challoner Revision)

St. Chrysostom writes “What He spoke was not condemning riches in themselves, but those who were enslaved by them; also encouraging His disciples that being poor they should not be ashamed by reason of their poverty.”

Bl. Rabanus Maurus writes “But though there be a difference between having and loving riches, yet it is safer neither to have nor to love them.”

Which I think reflects the common understanding (there’s at least another ten comments by other exegets that are similar to these two, but for brevity I’ll skip them).

**St. Gregory **writes something slightly different (at least in this excerpt provided by St. Aquinas). Full quote: “Mor., xxxv, 16: Or, by the rich man He intends any one who is proud, by the camel he denotes the right humility. The camel passed through the needle’s eye, when our Redeemer through the narrow way of suffering entered in to the taking upon Him death; for that passion was as a needle which pricked the body with pain. But the camel enters the needle’s eye easier than the rich man enters the kingdom of heaven; because if He had not first shewn us by His passion the form of His humility, our proud stiffness would never have bent itself to His lowliness.”

I read this as suggesting that the camel (which is ridden, and a beat of burden, and for suffering long in the desert) represents those who suffer and toil without groaning, while the rich man represents those who do not suffer (and indeed may include those who knowingly or not may cause the suffering of others, because it is a rich man who would ride a camel, while the poor would walk) So in addition to the common understanding, another message I see in this passage, which I think is suggested by St. Gregory’s reading, is that suffering is necessary to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, because suffering is necessary for learning humility.

Anyway, I hope my interpretation is not too far off the beaten path. Thoughts? Criticisms?

 

[Marty100]

I was asked in a PM about an unusual reading of Matthew 19:24 that I “badly paraphrased” from St. Gregory, here’s the actual quote from St. Gregory the Great (from online edition of St. Aquinas’ Catena Aurea) so the experts can judge whether I’ve stretched his quote too far and correct me.

Matthew 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." (Douay-Rheims, Challoner Revision)

This one always puzzled me at Mass because the reader never finishes the chapter to put the quote it its proper context. Simply read below and the verse becomes clear.

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The rich man (no man or woman) can enter heaven on their own. They must have a Savior and God provided the Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9(NIV) 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

[fhansen]

I was asked in a PM about an unusual reading of Matthew 19:24 that I “badly paraphrased” from St. Gregory, here’s the actual quote from St. Gregory the Great (from online edition of St. Aquinas’ Catena Aurea) so the experts can judge whether I’ve stretched his quote too far and correct me.

Matthew 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." (Douay-Rheims, Challoner Revision)

St. Chrysostom writes “What He spoke was not condemning riches in themselves, but those who were enslaved by them; also encouraging His disciples that being poor they should not be ashamed by reason of their poverty.”

Bl. Rabanus Maurus writes “But though there be a difference between having and loving riches, yet it is safer neither to have nor to love them.”

Which I think reflects the common understanding (there’s at least another ten comments by other exegets that are similar to these two, but for brevity I’ll skip them).

**St. Gregory **writes something slightly different (at least in this excerpt provided by St. Aquinas). Full quote: “Mor., xxxv, 16: Or, by the rich man He intends any one who is proud, by the camel he denotes the right humility. The camel passed through the needle’s eye, when our Redeemer through the narrow way of suffering entered in to the taking upon Him death; for that passion was as a needle which pricked the body with pain. But the camel enters the needle’s eye easier than the rich man enters the kingdom of heaven; because if He had not first shewn us by His passion the form of His humility, our proud stiffness would never have bent itself to His lowliness.”

I read this as suggesting that the camel (which is ridden, and a beat of burden, and for suffering long in the desert) represents those who suffer and toil without groaning, while the rich man represents those who do not suffer (and indeed may include those who knowingly or not may cause the suffering of others, because it is a rich man who would ride a camel, while the poor would walk) So in addition to the common understanding, another message I see in this passage, which I think is suggested by St. Gregory’s reading, is that suffering is necessary to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, because suffering is necessary for learning humility.

Anyway, I hope my interpretation is not too far off the beaten path. Thoughts? Criticisms?

In general, ‘God opposes the proud and exalts the humble’ (1 Pet 5:6). The “deceitfulness of wealth” (Matt 13:22) leads one into a false sense of security and status, which caters to our pride-our proneness to “prefer ourselves to God” as the Catechism teaches that Adam did. We continue the family tradition of failing to see our need for God. And, as with Adam, God will not force His will upon us.

But in Matt 19 Jesus’s disciples went on to ask, “Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” God can still use circumstances and grace to break the will of even a rich man.

 

[acadiANNA]

What about Lott’s wife who looked back at her possessions and was turned into a pillar of salt? What about the man who filled his silos and the next day his life was required of him? They both loved their possessions above God.

 

[GEddie]

While all of that is true, we should also avoid the counter error, which is to believe that poverty or the poor as such are admirable. There is no virtue per se in being poor.

ICXC NIKA.

 

[fhansen]

While all of that is true, we should also avoid the counter error, which is to believe that poverty or the poor as such are admirable. There is no virtue per se in being poor.

ICXC NIKA.

Good point. And likewise its important to know that God loves the rich and poor alike. I think there can be a lot of misunderstanding on this matter at times.

 

[Trevor_Dewey]

While all of that is true, we should also avoid the counter error, which is to believe that poverty or the poor as such are admirable. There is no virtue per se in being poor.

ICXC NIKA.

Which goes to my question: that what I think St. Gregory is saying in his commentary on this verse is that Christ is using “rich” in this context as an analog for lack of suffering, or perhaps more correctly, an analog for the unwillingness of people to suffer and for the ways in which one can unknowingly cause others to suffer. If I understand you correctly, I think I agree, for example I view the vow of poverty someone taking Holy Orders makes, not as a declaration that poor is per se good, but as a sacrifice made in one’s life that helps one better appreciate Christ’s sacrifices for us. Just as any suffering can help us better appreciate Christ’s suffering for us.

Best