Sermon Tone Analysis

Wondrous salvation.

It is still January; people are in holiday mode.

Mind you for some of us it’s a time when we are busier than ever.

So, I thought that I would take a little break from the series on Elijah and share something from my morning Bible reading.

Late last year I was reading the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus.

It is found in three Gospels: Matthew 19; Mark 10; and Luke 18. Let’s have a look at the account in [P] [Mark 10:17–27 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him (he was eager, it was urgent) and knelt before Him, (he was respectful, worshipful) and asked Him, (he was humble, teachable; he wanted to know, he didn’t think he had all the answers) “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Matthew says “What good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”

He wanted LIFE!

He had everything else!

A wealthy man, though young had come to realise there was more to life than his wealth.

He was lacking something!

He felt an awful lack!

Jesus picks up on this concept of doing good) And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good?

No one is good except God alone.

“You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, do not defraud, Honour your father and mother.’”

And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” (in Matthew he says: “What am I still lacking?”

He knew that what he had done wasn’t enough.

He didn’t have LIFE and he knew it.

He knew He was lacking!) Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: (he did indeed lack something) go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” (interesting that Jesus equated getting eternal life with entering the Kingdom of God) The disciples were amazed at His words.

(Why were they amazed at these words?

Because they thought that the wealthy had it all!

I mean, money opens doors.

There are a lot of things we might like do; but we cannot because we can’t afford it.

But if you have money, then there is no obstacle.

That is the way the world works.

The wealthy have their own way, the rest of us are limited in what we can do.

This guy, although he was young, was a ruler; why?

Because he was wealthy.

The rich rule over the poor.

Money gets you ahead, makes things happen.)

But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! (not just for the rich this time; but for anyone!

In fact it is impossible!

Jesus went on to say:)“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.”

They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?”

Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”]

The disciples were astounded that it was so difficult for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God (v.24).

Jesus said that it was "hard" (v.23).

But Jesus went on to give a word picture to hammer home the point.

He said: [P] [Mark 10:25 “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.”]

That made it sound impossible!

A camel going through the eye of a needle?! Now, you may have heard in reference to this verse that there was, in Jerusalem, within one of the large gates entering the city, a smaller gate; known as “the eye of the needle”.

[P] If you arrived at the city after the main gate had been closed, you could enter through the little gate.

But for a camel to get through it, it had to have all its luggage and saddle taken off and be forced through on its knees.

The lesson being that it is hard to enter, [P] requiring humility and a removal of all your possessions and personal baggage.

It is an interesting story; the only problem is that is that is a load of rubbish!

[P] There was no such door in a gate in Jerusalem called the “eye of the needle”.

Apparently, this interpretation dates back to Jerome in the 4th Century AD.

His approach to Scripture was to allegorize it.

The only trouble with that, is that you can read into Scripture anything you want to.

And, being a fine Catholic, he interpreted works, self-effort, self-abnegation; into the passage.

But the Bible is not that complicated!

I will give you the deep meaning of Scripture: when Jesus said “camel”, He actually meant camel; [P] and when Jesus said “eye of a needle”, He meant the little hole in the top of a literal needle!

Here was one of the biggest animals with which they were familiar; and one of the smallest openings they knew.

Jesus was not saying that it was hard; He was saying that it was [P] UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE!

You can tell from the text itself that this is what Jesus meant; look at the disciples’ response [Mark 10:26 They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?”]

They were utterly blown away!

If they were amazed before when Jesus said that it was hard; they were even more astonished when He said this.

It wasn’t hard, it was impossible!

Interestingly, you notice that they equated entering the Kingdom of God with being saved.

How do you enter the Kingdom of God?

By being saved.

How are you saved?

By entering the Kingdom of God.

They asked “who then can be saved?”

Jesus had just made salvation sound not only extremely difficult but IMPOSSIBLE.

When Jesus spoke about the camel going through the eye of a needle, at that the disciples were even more astounded!

The disciples had not realized how difficult salvation actually is – it is IMPOSSIBLE!

Am I reading it correctly or has Jerome got it right?

What is Jesus’ response to His disciples?: [P] [Mark 10:27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” ] Jesus didn’t back-pedal and say, “No, that’s not what I meant; I meant that you have to humble yourself.”

No, He confirmed their understanding that He was saying that it was impossible.

He reiterated: [P] “With man it is IMPOSSIBLE!”

What is? Salvation, entering the Kingdom of God! Man cannot do it!

It is an impossibility!

We too tend to trivialize salvation.

But it is a MIRACLE!

A DIVINE work!

A wondrous and amazing thing!

Something that only God can do!

Praise and glory to His Name! Praise God that He can do the impossible!

[P] The parallel passage in Luke reads: [Luke 18:27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with man are possible with God.”] God does the impossible!

Hallelujah!

Salvation is something only He can do!

[P] [Psalm 3:8 Salvation belongs to יהוה; Your blessing be upon Your people!

Selah.]

Salvation belongs to God alone – it is an impossible thing that only He can do: [P] [Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am יהוה, and there is no Saviour besides Me.]

There are many today who are eager to see a miracle, to see God act.

If God is God, should He not be supernatural, powerful?

We should not expect His acts to be ordinary!

Does God act today?

Do miracles still happen?

And so, there are those who flock to see someone’s leg made a centimetre longer, or be bowled over onto their back.

It is supernatural, it is a miracle, it is God!

But that is tiny!

Let me tell you that salvation is a MIRACLE!

No man CAN!

Only God can save!

It is a Divine work, a miracle!

Back along we used to sing some corny choruses; you may recall one that went:

“It took a miracle to put the stars in place;