22nd Sunday after Pentecost “Difficult or Impossible?”
October 20, 2024 Mark 10:23-31
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Dear brothers & sisters in Christ, (duh,duh,duh-da, duh,duh,duh-da, da-da-dum, da-da-dum)
I cannot read this teaching of Jesus in Mark 10 without thinking about the old 1960s TV program Mission: Impossible, with ‘Mr. Phelps’ & his team receiving dangerous gov’t assignments to carry out. That basic premise has been turned into 7 (soon to be 8) Hollywood action movies, where Mr. Phelps has been replaced by super-agent Ethan Hunt, who is given seemingly ‘impossible’ missions to ‘save the world.’ “Your mission, Mr. Hunt, should you choose to accept it, is …” And then the final message of the assignment is: ‘this message will self-destruct in five seconds.’
So, even tho the assignments seemed not-possible, by the end of every show, Agent Phelps (or Hunt) & his team of agents had succeeded; they had done the impossible. Now,… it’s impossible to do the ‘impossible’; but to call the show: Mission: Difficult just doesn’t have the same appeal.
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In our Gospel today, Jesus talks about entering the kingdom of heaven, and into the eternal life with God. At first He describes it as ‘very difficult’; and a few verses later,
He says it’s ‘impossible.’ So which one is it? Is the mission ‘difficult’, or ‘impossible’ ?
In the preceding verses, we hear why He gives this teaching. A rich young man came to Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. This man was very sincere in his seeking heaven; he has been living a very godly life by the Law; & had probably been very charitable to the poor. But he’s concerned about whether it’s all enough to qualify for eternal life. In fact, we’re told that he had ‘run’ up to Jesus, like he just had to know.
And, unlike the Scribes & Pharisees, this man kneels as a sign of respect for Jesus.
He addresses Jesus with honor, saying, “Good Teacher.” But this man doesn’t fully realize who he is talking to. Jesus says, “Why do you call me ‘good? Only God is truly good.” Now, Jesus isn’t scolding him, He’s just setting the table for what’s coming next. When the young man hears Jesus’ answer to the question, will he believe it, and take it to heart, and act on that answer? This Q & A is a challenge to all of us. As we acknowledge who Jesus really is, will we hear His teachings as God’s truths; and will we obey them?
We say that Jesus is our ‘good Lord.’ So, Jesus could ask that question of you & me – each day: why do you call me ‘good’? Do you confess Me as God; and not just with your lips, but with your actions & behavior? This Christian faith is really ‘mission impossible’; Jesus takes care of the impossible, and that gives you & me a daily mission.
So, the young man asks his question: ‘What must I DO to inherit eternal life?’
Our relationship with God is first measured by God’s Law & what we must do. Psalm 119:9 says: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word.” Those that belong to the Lord, are to obey the Lord; so, Jesus points this young man to the Commandments of Ex.20. Jesus doesn’t list all 10 of them; only enough to make his larger point. The man responds that he has kept all of them – since he was young. That’s good!
At this point, Jesus does not correct him, and does not instruct him on the fact that we’re all sinners, and no one has kept all the Commandments perfectly. He could’ve; but Jesus takes another approach. Jesus tells him: Ok, then ‘you lack just one thing: go, sell all that you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Jesus tests this young man with the idea of Ps.119: ‘I delight in your commands as much as in all riches.’ And Ps.19: ‘the law of the Lord is perfect,…& to be desired more than gold, even much fine gold.’ But, did this young man delight in God’s Word as much as he did in his wealth? Did he understand that his possessions are earthly & temporary, but his trust in God is the only eternal wealth?…because that’s the Gospel, in both the Old & New Testament. He said he’s kept all God’s commandments; but, would he now obey this command from God-in-the-flesh? Vs. 22 says: ‘Disheartened…, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.’
What Jesus told him to do was not impossible, but it was very difficult. And we don’t know if he ever returned to follow the Lord. Whatever the case, Jesus turns to his disciples and said: “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Mission very difficult.
Now, this surprises the disciples. Like us, they assumed that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing, and one who is blessed must have a good relationship with God. Now, money IS a good gift from God; but our relationship with God is based on ‘trust’, not on our blessings. Here Jesus is referring to the problem of ‘loving’ wealth.
Remember the two great commandments from Mk.12. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no limit put on our love for God; but 1 Tim.6 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is thru this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
This test Q & teaching of Jesus is found throughout the Scripture; so this young man should’ve known of the temptation & danger of loving wealth versus loving God. We must know it too, right? The Lord warns us about the danger of allowing our possessions & riches to get in the way of our primary trust in God. Martin Luther said, whatever has that ‘first place’ in our life has become the ‘god’ of our life. We are blessed by God with what we have; but we must not allow what we have to get in the way of our trust in God. So, if we should lose what we have, that won’t make us turn away from God = will it? Isn’t that a Q faced by many people in N & S Carolina after hurricane Helene?
This competition for first place in our life is ‘mission: very difficult.’ But as the disciples question their Good Teacher, things now go from ‘difficult’ to’ impossible’. “Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how difficult 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.’ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’
Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it IS impossible’ ” .
Jesus is comparing something very large to something very small. Humanly speaking, no one can slip a camel through the eye of a needle. Not only do riches make it very difficult to keep the eyes of our heart & trust on our God & His kingdom to come; but Jesus declares that it is actually impossible for man to enter on his own. To sin means we have chosen a false god for our life. We are dead in our sin; which makes it impossible for us to choose to live again. It’s impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom of heaven – on their own.
With our sinful nature, earthly things will get in the way of heaven, because they compete for the trust of our soul. Even tho in James 1 it says: ‘Every good & perfect gift is from above.’ Yet any of God’s good gifts can be used by Satan & the world as a temptation. Jesus says this includes: house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or lands.
All earthly things can become idols. Are there people who neglect God’s Word & worship because of one or more family members? Are there people who leave a Biblically faithful church to join a church with false doctrine because they want some sort of ‘earthly’ benefit? = whether it’s for more friends or programs, a different worship style, or more toleration of their sins. As the disciples learned, Jesus’ teaching isn’t just about rich people or money; it’s about who or what has first place in our life, and whether our idol can accomplish this impossible mission of eternal life.
At times, God’s hard truth is like a brick wall to us. The truth is that no one can save himself. For any man, woman or child, that IS impossible; no exceptions. No matter what race or age, no matter how smart or ignorant, rich or poor. No matter how sincerely we want to put a camel thru the eye of the needle, sincerity can’t do it. This very religious young man was headed for hell; not because he was rich, but because he did not trust God as his god.
What must be done on OUR side of salvation is impossible for us, so God doesn’t leave any part for us to do. What we bring to the table is just our sin, & for that, the Law disqualifies us. The disciples reached that conclusion and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ and Jesus says: with man, it is mission: impossible. “But not with God. For all things are possible with God.’ He does not say that God gives man the tools to work it out. That would be like a coroner giving a dead person a defibrillator to use on their self. God has to do the impossible for us.
His Word & Spirit bring us life; with His name & promise we are Baptized. It is called the washing of regeneration & renewal in the HSp. God jumpstarts the soul to believe in the impossible using the Gospel of Christ. Like when Jesus’ voice called dead Lazarus to life. When this promise of our Savior is proclaimed, it gives us the new birth as a child of God, and is giving us entry into His kingdom.
The Father made the plan, & carried out all the arrangements thru human history;
that His Son would pay the price which was impossible for you to pay. It was impossible for a virgin to conceive, but that’s how the Son was able to take up a body so that He could pay the death penalty for your sin, & the sin of the whole world = so that ALL might be saved.
Although by sin our hearts & souls are stone-cold-dead to God, the work of the Spirit is in giving to us the new birth. Only by the Spirit’s working can the dead be made alive.
Wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, the HSp is working to convert hearts to faith in Christ, so that -in this faith- God’s people will bear good fruit for His kingdom.
God blesses His people with earthly things; some more than others. But He saves rich & poor the same. We confess this saving work of God 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.”
So, our theme question is: Is it difficult or impossible? It’s both. God has done the impossible by paying for all our sins, and turning our hearts of stone into believing hearts. And now, until we enter fully into the kingdom in the resurrection, our mission will be very difficult, as He calls upon us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. We will not sadly shake our head at his teaching, & walk away from Jesus == for HE IS our eternal life!
So, we ask, learn, trust, & obey Him; even when we don’t fully understand.
Having God & His Word first in our life will often not bring earthly riches; but wealth is not a measure of faith. We are thankful for our possessions; we are thankful for our house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children & lands. But we learn that they can compete for our priorities. To value those things, and care for them, is a living mission God has given to us. And to make sure those things do not throw God out of being first place in our life is
‘mission – very difficult.’
It’s only because we have a Savior, who has first guaranteed for us the impossible salvation, & His promise of life-to-come, that we are able to walk in this life with the faith that enables us to complete our mission in the right way. Jesus assured the disciples that ‘in the age to come’ the benefits of eternal life are huge. That reality helps keep our eyes off of our possessions and keeps them on our Lord & on our goal.
Our daily thanks is to Jesus, who chose to accept God’s mission-impossible to save us, and He accomplished it! With our true treasure being in heaven, we are Gospel-agents who will follow Him. Amen.