A couple of years ago, Evelyn and I went on a special vacation to Egypt. We visited many ancient sites, including the pyramids where Evelyn was brave enough to sit upon a camel for a photograph. It was a wonderful moment, but when the camel started to move to follow another caravan, the tour guide had to quickly stop the camel in order to let Evelyn off before she was taken away into the desert!
When Jesus mentions a camel in the Gospel of Mark, He associates it with how hard it is for greedy people to enter God’s Kingdom. Christ had just amiably conversed with a rich young man who had the potential to become one of His disciples. However, the young man’s greed and insecurity prevented him from giving up his wealth in order to become a close follower. This saddened Jesus which caused Him to remark that it would be less difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God’s Kingdom.
The point of this unusual image is to make all of us reflect on what it costs us to follow Jesus. It’s never an easy thing to do and our Christian faith is often hampered or even cast aside when it becomes inconvenient. This is why we should individually ponder what possesses and consumes our time – our wealth, our careers, our leisure – and how they compare to how much we devote ourselves to Christ’s ministry and mission in our world.
Point to ponder: What does it personally cost me to be a Christian in today’s society?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to become aware of what You require of us in order to faithfully follow You. Enable us to remove any obstacles that get in the way serving You and God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
Pastor
John
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