Riddle of the Camel and the Eye of the Needle

Gospel Puppet Show

October 14, 2012

  Jesus, and the rich young man Solomon

Solomon:  Jesus, I’ve heard so much about you.  And you have become a famous teacher and many people are following.  You must have an important message.

Jesus:  Hello Solomon, how can I help you.

Solomon:  Well, you know that I’m interested in God.  I’m very interested in the law.  And I am interested in doing what I can do get into this kingdom of God that you are talking.  What do I have to do?

Jesus:  Have you kept the commandments?

Solomon:  Of course, I have.  I haven’t killed anyone and I don’t steal.  I don’t have to steal since I have lots of money.  And I don’t tell lies.   Those are very easy for me to do.  Tell me something really important to do so I can get into your kingdom.

Jesus:  Okay, Solomon, I’m going to give you another commandment.  I’m going to give you another rule.  Are you ready for it?

Solomon:  Yes, I am ready for it because I want to do it to get into the kingdom of God.

Jesus:  Okay, Solomon, here is your next commandment.  This is what I want you to do.  I want you to sell everything that you have and give it to the poor people and then come and follow me.

Solomon: Oh no.  How can I do that?  I am very rich.  If I sell everything then all of the people in house will not have money to live on.  How can you ask me to do such a hard thing?

Jesus:  Well, it is true that you do not have any practice in being poor.  There are lots of people who are good people but they still are poor.

Solomon:  I don’t think I can follow your rule.  I’m going have to leave and think about it.

Jesus:  Boys and girls, what do you think?  Should Solomon sell everything and give all of his money to the poor?  Is this how a person becomes a member of the kingdom of God?   Here is a riddle for you:  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

And do you want to know the answer to the riddle?

You cannot do anything or buy the kingdom of God.  Why?  Because everyone is already in the kingdom of God.  I am very sorry that Solomon did not know that he was already in God’s kingdom.  He thought that he had to do something to get something he already had?

How did you become a son or a daughter?  By being born.  And after being born you have to accept yourself as a son or daughter in a family.  And by being born you are a child of God…you can’t do anything to earn it.  So you have to accept being a child of God and then just act like a child of God.

So do you understand the riddle?  It is impossible to enter the kingdom of God because you never left it.  God has created the world and it is God’s kingdom and everything is in God’s Kingdom.  What God wants us to do is accept that we are in God’s kingdom.

Repeat after me:  I am in God’s Kingdom.

I am a child of God.

I will act like a child of God.