The hierarchal vicar of Kotor-Tivat, parish priest of Kotor, archpriest-stavrophor Nemanja Krivokapić served the Holy Liturgy with the clergy today in the Church of St. Nicholas in the Old Town.

In his sermon to the faithful, he explained why it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, that is, what is the essence of today's Gospel story about the rich young man who kept God's commandments, but did not like Christ's answer.
When asked by Christ what he should do to inherit eternal life, after the answer that he should distribute everything to the poor and follow Him, the young man leaves.

Father Nemanja says that in this example the Lord teaches us how to gain the kingdom of God.

“After Christ’s answer, the young man became sad and left. Then the Lord said that it is very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. He further reinforced this with a comparison where he said that 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. From this we can conclude that it is impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, because if a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle, then it is completely impossible for them to be saved. Therefore, the kingdom of God is guaranteed to the poor, but there is no salvation for the rich. Of course, that is not the meaning of these words. Both are saved by their own efforts in relation to the state they are in. So how should we interpret these words? Namely, this is not about a literal needle, but Jerusalem, like any fortified city, was surrounded by walls. There were several doors, gates, through which one could enter Jerusalem, larger and smaller. They were and a small door, through which one could pass, but with difficulty. That is why they were called Needle's Ears. And if someone riding a camel tried to enter through that door, both he and the camel would have to bend down. So, it is possible to enter, but with effort and effort. That is exactly the way in which we all save ourselves, both the rich and the poor. It is not impossible, but effort and effort are necessary,” said Father Nemanja.
He emphasizes that neither the poor nor the rich are saved in advance, but both, in relation to the situation in which they find themselves, should do the best they can for their salvation.

“Not all the poor were saved, some fell into despair because of their position, they grumbled at God who did not give them more and thus pushed themselves away from the kingdom of God. Again, on the other hand, many of the rich were saved because they knew how to use their wealth. They knew how to use it properly. Because wealth, if used in a good way to help others, can also be a means of salvation. There are many examples of the rich who were saved. Saint Nicholas, a saint famous throughout the world, known as God's pleaser, was extremely rich. And it was precisely through his wealth, that is, through the use of his wealth, by helping others, that he gained fame not only with God, but also among the entire nation. Everyone respects him as someone who helped others,” said Father Nemanja.

He adds that status itself does not make us ready or unready for salvation, but our attitude towards what we have.

“The problem is not only in wealth. The problem is in everything that ties us to this transient earth. We are residents of the Kingdom of God. Our homeland is the Kingdom of God. We are here, I mean us Christians who believe in God, only temporarily. The identity of the Church is from the Kingdom of God, and we who are its members strive for something more perfect. We look at this world as a temporary dwelling where we need to spend some time but also to deserve our permanent dwelling, which is the Kingdom of God. So, the problem is not in acquiring money. Something has to be earned, children have to be fed, educated... The problem is in our attitude towards property, that something does not preoccupy us too much, that we do not put emphasis on what we are going to have, and that we forget about what our real task is - to think about the Kingdom of God. Everything that ties us and pulls us to this world is what prevents us from gaining the Kingdom of God. That is why Christ took this example of the rich man, who found it difficult to give up his possessions. This is a very common case and applies to everything else that ties us to this world and does not allow us to concentrate on important things,” said Fr. Nemanja.

He recalled Christ’s words: “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”

“This self-denial means renouncing everything that is unimportant and that ties us to this world and hinders our pursuit of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we should be rich in the true sense of the word, to be full of God and God’s grace that helps us to be saved and gain the Kingdom of God, amen,” said Fr. Nemanja, among other things.