“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” “With man this is impossible, but not with God; with God all things are possible.” “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
Take a look at Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, and Luke 18:27. Out of context, these verses can make you feel on top of the world. I remember reading these in those wonderful “2 minutes a day!” daily devotionals that convinced me I was both studying the Bible AND making time to play an extra round of Words with Friends on the bus. After reading quotes like these, I was ready to jump off cliffs and expect to fly through life with the impossibilities transformed into attainable goals.
Oh, sister.
While these quotes may look nice on a classroom poster with a little kitty lifting weights or a sloth reaching the finish line, I don’t think Jesus would have illustrated them in this way. Instead, it would look more like a poster of the Kardashians trading their Burberry for burlap... for the sake of the Gospel! (I know... the kitty was much cuter.)
But here’s the thing: Jesus made this statement after He talked to a rich young man. Mark even says this guy ran up to Jesus and fell on his knees to ask what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replied by listing six of the Ten Commandments: “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” When the man insists he has kept all these commandments, Jesus throws in the real kicker. Mark even says He “looked at him and loved him.” I think He looked at him like a mother would look at a child who assumed adding eggs to a recipe meant dropping in the whole egg, shell and all, instead of cracking it first. Or that “cleaning your room” could be accomplished by shoving the dirty clothes under the bed.
Jesus said, “One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Then, the man went away sad, since he was so rich. Mark even says, “the man’s face fell.” I think good old Junior missed the mark a little (we shall call the rich young man/ruler “Junior” for the sake of consistency). Jesus (of course!) knew his weakness. Junior was totally ready to focus on the commandments he didn’t struggle with. He even said he kept them since he was a boy. But there were four commandments left that had a hold on his Achilles heel. So much so that he walked away from the Savior. Such a quick turn around from when he fell on his face in worship, huh?
I taught a bunch of kiddos about the first four commandments last Sunday. We focused on those first four commandments because those are the ones that tell us what we need to do to have the right relationship with God. By not having any other gods, not making idols, not misusing the name of the Lord, and remembering the Sabbath, we set ourselves up to honor God with reverence and respect. Jesus knew that these commandments were the ones that could be simmered down and applied to Junior’s life like so: “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” And He had to know that because Junior didn’t have the right relationship with God, he would have to make a choice: to get out of his Tesla and choose to run down the dirt road with Jesus, or roll up his windows, turn around, and drive away seeking smoother pavement.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention the story of the little children right before this. People ridiculed Jesus for spending His time with the little rascals, but “Jesus called the children to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’”
Because Junior’s story immediately follows in all three of the books, and Mark describes his entrance happening “as Jesus started on His way,” I think it’s safe to picture Jesus putting down an innocent and trusting child and walking straight into this disappointing conversation. The contrast is so powerful. Kids (before too much worldly corruption) don’t struggle like we do with idols. If you haven’t worried about paying rent and buying the food you put in your face, it’s easy to rest on the Sabbath instead of sneaking in some work and sending a quick email in between worship and the sermon (“welcome time” is especially good for such tasks). Children, because their reliance on their parents is their reality, generally have an easier time making this reliance relevant in their relationship with their Creator.
Jesus goes on to say it’s easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for rich men to give up everything they have to follow God. In Mark, He even addresses His disciples as “children” when He says this. Maybe because they were the ones who were willing to put down their nets and leave their families and possessions to follow Him without question.
And THEN, He gives the real kicker. He lets them know that even though the process of truly following God can be hard and painful, it is possible. It could have been possible for rich little Junior if he had only been willing to listen. Possible: able to be done; within the power or capacity of someone or something
Let’s take a moment to notice that “possibility” does not mean it is done already. It’s able. It’s attainable. It’s the potential God sees that we might not notice in our dizzying and worldly distractions. But it also requires some manpower (or Godpower) to come into fruition.
“Impossible” is a song Brandy and Whitney sing in the carriage on the way to the ball. But it takes Cinderella giving up her inhibitions and getting the guts to put the dang slipper back on in front of everyone to make her identity as a princess possible. So maybe Cinderella gave up a little security in the moment to find a greater kingdom.
Not sure if that was the best reference, but I had to try.
Indeed, all things are possible with God. But let’s make our relationship right so we are able to stand up and run down the road with Him after falling on our knees, instead of going right back and joining Junior for tapas in his purgatory penthouse. Let’s give up security for the sake of possibility.