The passage basically says that rich people can not save themselves. This contrasted with other religions at the time where the wealthy and powerful could organ

The passage basically says that rich people can not save themselves. This contrasted with other religions at the time where the wealthy and powerful could organize large games and sacrifices to please the gods while living a life of debauchery. The "eye of a needle" has been making rich people anxious since the beginning of Christianity. Early Christians eventually addressed these anxieties by stating that rich people could only be saved if they became pious and devoted their wealth to help others. Peter Brown's "Through the Eye of a Needle" is an amazing book about all of this.