Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

There are other passages that express this truth in one form or another, spoken by God to Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 32:27) and the angel Gabriel to Mary, (Luke 1:37) and here it is spoken by Jesus. You’d think we would get the message! However, we have a strong tendency to view everything in terms of what we can or could do. In a sense, we are remaking God in our image, instead of remembering that we are made in His. (Genesis 1:27) That can create all sorts of problems. Most basically, it really stunts our faith, because we know from a lifetime of experience that there are many things we can’t do. I think that’s why a childlike faith is so powerful. Little children are very aware of their own limitations, but they don’t know that their daddy is limited, and when that is appropriately transferred to Father God, it can be powerful indeed. The specific “impossibility” Jesus is speaking of here is salvation. In a sense it is the ultimate example, because we can’t even save ourselves, much less someone else. However, God has made it possible for anyone to be saved, if they will “repent and believe the good news,” as Jesus put it at the start of His ministry. (Mark 1:15) In this situation the disciples were amazed, because from their social framework and expectation, it was the wealthy who were able to “dot all the Is and cross all the Ts,” and they had a legalistic view of things. Jesus’ biggest fights were with the legalists! It’s also worth noting that it says Jesus loved the young man who triggered this discussion, (verse 21) but that didn’t keep Him from telling him something that essentially drove him away. Accurate, Godly love doesn’t draw back from the hard stuff, but always speak the truth no matter how unwelcome it might be. Jesus knew the miracle that needed to take place in that young man’s heart, and He also knew that it wasn’t too difficult a miracle for His Father. We aren’t to draw back from difficult situations or pretend they don’t exist, but we must remember that nothing is too difficult for our heavenly Father, to use the terminology He did with Jeremiah.

This is especially meaningful for me because the major purpose and goal of my life is the salvation of souls, and it seems to happen all too seldom around me. I could name any number of people with whom I’ve shared the Gospel who have made no overt move to accept it. “With man it is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God.” I’ve got to keep remembering that and never give up hope, speaking the truth in love and making the most of every opportunity I’m given, and leaving the results up to my Lord. His plans, His will, are good, and I am to walk in peace in that assurance.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing in this church, in individuals and in our interaction as a whole. May we respond to You fully, exactly as You desire, so that we may be Your agents for Your name to be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!