With man, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
What an amazing claim--when we have God on our side, there are literally no limits to what we can do.
There is somthing really interesting that jumps out at me in this story. Jesus talking to the “Rich Young Ruler.” We don’t know who he was, but we know that he was young, interested in what Jesus was preaching, trying to live a good life, rich and probably very respected by everyone around him.
When Jesus tells him it’s impossible for him to enter the kingdom of heaven, the disciples are shocked that Jesus would tell this young man that. If he ain’t gonna make it, then who is? He’s nice, rich, polite, rich, respects his elders, rich, goes to church, rich,… (you get the picture).
Just a few verses later, Jesus says that famous line about the last being first and the first being last. In their culture (and let’s face it ours, too) someone with everything going for them is just expected to be rewarded. But when we rely on our own good deeds and our own attempts to follow the “law” then we are doomed to failure. This guy couldn’t “nice” his way into the kingdom of heaven and he couldn’t “rich” his way into the kingdom of heaven.
No, the only way to get into the kingdom of heaven was by God performing the impossible and making a way for him to get in.
DAILY CHALLENGE: What are you relying on for your eternal reward? Your own goodness or God’s eternal grace and impossible logic?
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