Verse 24 is one of those images you just can't wrap your head around unless you know where it comes from: "I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."
Jesus again is totally in line with his fellow teachers, just that Berakhot has an elephant instead of a camel. Either way it is an aphorism applied to unthinkable thoughts. The image is really taken from everyday life.
Most city gates, like the famous Jaffa gate have a door for pedestrian traffic as opposed to cargo animals. They were called "the eye of a needle". The camel / elephant carrying you goods needs the gate open during day time. Hence they can't sneak in at night but have to wait until the gate is fully opened in the morning.
Thanks. I never knew this.
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