Matthew 19:26
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
This is one of those verses that is often used sentimentally, without much thought to the context. To be sure, it is intended as a great comfort. But receiving the comfort without looking at the problem it seeks to console us about is to only get half the story. The contrast between what is impossible for us and possible for God is usually invoked, in ordinary conversation, to emphasize the extremity of some proposed deed. It is, for instance, impossible for man to create life from scratch, but not impossible for God. It is impossible for man to raise the dead, but not for God. It is impossible for man to walk on water, but not for God. In ordinary life, when we say these things, we mean (if somebody proposes to try doing one of these feats), that they had better keep their day job, because it’s not going to happen in real life. As we say, “It would take a miracle!” That is just what the apostles were saying immediately prior the remark made by Jesus in today’s verse. Only they weren’t talking about raising the dead or walking on water. They were talking about the possibility of rich people (that’d be you and me if you live anywhere in the First World) ever being saved. Americans and Europeans don’t commonly think of the possibility of their salvation being as miraculous and unlikely as raising the dead. But, according to this passage, that’s just what it is. And what is even more miraculous, it is not unlikely, but a promise given to anyone and everyone who believes in and obeys Jesus Christ. Today, thank God that his miraculous salvation is given, not only to the poor, but even to the rich. Then give some of those riches back to him in gratitude to God and generosity to your neighbor.
