The eye of a needle refers to a parable that Jesus is believed to have told. The story appears in Matthew 19:23-24, Mark 10:24-25 and Luke 18:24-25.
In Matthew's Gospel, the parable is told like this:
- "...I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again 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, New International Version)
According to the gospel writers, the parable was told after a rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus, observing that the love of money had a hold on his life, replied that he should sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. The rich young man was unwilling to do this. When Jesus' disciples were astounded by his command, he told the parable in response.
For a long time, it was believed that the parable referred a certain gate in Jerusalem called Needle's Eye, that was built so low that a camel could only pass if it entered kneeling and unencumbered with baggage. However, there is no historical evidence that such a gate ever existed, and the earliest reference to this notion dates back to the ninth century CE.
