All Things Are Possible

Many of you remember the old TV program Mission: Impossible, and some of you have become acquainted with it through the more recent movie versions starring Tom Cruise. Basically, the television program revolved around an agent — originally by the name of Dan Briggs and later replaced by Jim Phelps — who received dangerous government assignments.

The tagline was a tape recording at the beginning of each show that said, “Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is . . .” And then after relaying the message, the tape would “self-destruct in five seconds.” All we need now is the theme music. Despite how difficult the mission was, Mr. Phelps and his team of agents had triumphed; they had done the “impossible.”

In our Gospel today, Jesus talks about entering the kingdom of heaven and life as one in that kingdom; this is sort-of a part-two from last Sunday. In one case, he describes entering the Kingdom of Heaven as HARD , while in another, he describes it as IMPOSSIBLE. So which one is it?

Is Eternal Life Just Hard, or Is It Impossible?

How Hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

Remember from last Sunday what happened immediately before today’s text? A rich young man came to Jesus, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus truly loves this young man. And his request appears sincere. He has come to the right person with his request, Jesus. In fact he runs to him. In the Gospel of Mark, it appears that only sincere individuals, with real needs, ever “run” to meet Jesus. Additionally, unlike the scribes and Pharisees, he kneels as a sign of worship and respect to Jesus. He addresses Jesus in a very complimentary way, “Good Teacher.” It’s so complimentary that Jesus uses it to encourage the young man to consider the full weight of what he just said: “Why do you call me ‘good’? Only God is good.” With this reminder of the First Table of the Law of the Ten Commandments, involving God and his name, Jesus isn’t criticizing the young man, but rather asking if he understands the true implications of his address. It’s as if Jesus is saying,

“How far are you willing to take this?

Do you know who I really am?

Are you willing to confess who I really am? With not just your lips but with your actions?

Are you willing to believe the impossible?

Are you willing to accept just how difficult what you’re asking for truly is?”

The man asks his question: “What must he do to inherit eternal life?” Our Psalm today states:

Psalm 119:9 ESV

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

Jesus is pointing the young man to the Ten Commandments, and he responds that he has kept these from his youth. Amazingly, Jesus does not contradict or lecture him on the fact that we’re all sinners where no one has kept the Commandments perfectly. Instead, Jesus “loves” him and tells him that “you lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Mark 10:21).

Jesus’ “assignment” forces the young man to acknowledge whether or not he can say with our Psalm today,

Psalm 119:14 (ESV)

14 In the way of your testimonies I delight

as much as in all riches.

It also challenges him to place Jesus first in his life, thereby testifying to whether the man gets the full implications of calling Jesus “good.” The man leaves saddened because he had many possessions. His sadness indicates that he realizes now just how difficult genuine discipleship is. Jesus then turns to his disciples and comments, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23).

This instruction from Jesus surprises the disciples. Perhaps they assume that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing and therefore an indicator of one’s relationship with God. Money is a good gift from God, but Scripture also reminds us that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim 6:10). How many of us are rich toward God by supporting the preaching of his Gospel? The text as it stands warns us today about the danger of allowing riches to get in the way of our total devotion to God. In fact, the things of this world can actually get in the way of one’s trust in God.

It Is impossible for anyone to be saved on their own.

But it gets worse—or at least it appears to. Jesus goes on to teach his disciples a deeper truth.

Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25). They were exceedingly astonished (or amazed. Today we might way, “They were blown away”), and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible’ ” (vv 24b–27a).

Humanly speaking, no one can slip a camel through the eye of a needle. Not only are riches a huge hindrance to entering the kingdom and thus merely difficult, but Jesus also says it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom. And not just the rich! “Then who can be saved?” the disciples ask. Jesus answers: it’s impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven on one’s own.

Children of God, it’s not just riches that can get in the way of heaven. But any of God’s gifts can and often are used by Satan as his greatest temptations and most powerful idols. Matthew’s gospel records these startling words:

Matthew 10:37 ESV

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

This teaches us that our family can become idols. How many people forego the gathering with other believers because of their family members? Family comes to town, so we don’t meet with the people of God, just to name one example of many. And, how many leave a church where God’s Word is properly taught to join a church that errs in some doctrine, simply because they want their kids to have a “better” youth group, or because their girl-friend goes to that church?

The Gospel account of the rich man serves as an example of today’s Epistle’s warning to all believers:

Hebrews 4:11 (ESV)

Let us [all of us!] therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

and, as was urged earlier in this same Letter to the Hebrews, to

Hebrews 3:13 (ESV)

exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

—any sin.

The truth is that no one can save himself. It is impossible. With any person, all people, anyone, anywhere. There are no exceptions. No matter what race, no matter how smart, no matter what age, no matter what gender, no matter how rich, no matter how poor, no matter how many toys. You cannot do it, not even with a little help from God. It isn’t that you do your part and God does his. Our only part in the equation is the impossible. What you bring to the table is the impossible. You can only bring sin.

But,

God has done the impossible.

You and I need the God of the possible to do the impossible. “ ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at [the disciples] and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God’ ” (vv 26b–27). For us, it’s not just difficult; it cannot happen. But with God, nothing is impossible.

Let me ask, are you willing to believe the impossible? I posed this to our Board of Elders, asking for their help to make to clear to you all. Here are some of their thoughts:T

What kind of unanswered questions does your family have regarding your place in the world as a Christian?

How on earth are we supposed to live in this world, but not be of the world?

How in the world do I raise my kids to not to go school and come home with blue-hair, or a trans-gender?

Friends, maybe you’re wondering or struggling with some of these things. Know this, with man it is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God. Friends, your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has the answer.

The Gospel is the Good News that God does the impossible for you. He paid the price that was impossible for you to pay. He paid for your sin, my sin, the sin of the whole world. No mere mortal could do that. But with God all things are possible. God became man so that you and I might be saved. In Jesus, God died for you. The impossible is possible with God. Indeed, he and he alone opens stony hearts to believe. He truly can make a camel go through the eye of a needle. Whether you are rich or poor, you believe. You are saved. We confess this truth whenever we say with Luther in the Small Catechism,

“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

Not only your salvation but also your conversion is all God’s doing. God doing the impossible.

Even though God has done the impossible and redeemed you, paying for all of your sins, and even though he has done the impossible and turned your heart of stone into a believing heart, until we enter fully into the kingdom in the resurrection, the road will be hard. Jesus reminds us that difficulty, even persecution, will be our lot in this life.

And if Jesus can take care of the impossibility of your salvation, their isn’t anything going on in your life that He cannot handle for you.

Jesus, who did the truly impossible job of the cross for our salvation, calls upon us to pick up our cross daily and follow him.

Jesus wants to alter the simplistic thinking of his disciples in this regard. Being a follower of Jesus isn’t going to be easy; in fact it may result in persecution, especially from those we love. And such persecution will seem to the world and even to our own flesh as if God is abandoning us. Contrary to many popular health, wealth, and prosperity preachers, your best life now might entail the cross. But the benefit of enduring those difficult times Jesus said will be “eternal life.” This life will entail a great many blessings, especially as fellow believers will make up our new family. But we will also have trials and tribulations. And along with these there will be constant temptations in this life.

But remember, no matter how difficult life gets, Jesus is always the answer. And because He has accomplished everything necessary for your eternal life, the other things in life are within His reach as well. We are assured of the victory in Christ because with God all things are possible.

(Pause)

Oh, and by the way, this promise of God will not self-destruct in five seconds.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.