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Reading: Luke 18:18-30

18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

28 Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!”

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Reflection

What a great and disconcerting passage for anyone living with riches and wealth or living in a society (like our North American culture) that idolizing of riches, wealth and affluence).

We all assume the rich are blessed. Certainly the disciples assumed this: "Who then can be saved?" (verse 26). That is, if this rich man cannot enter the Kingdom of God (and he must be blessed by God because of his riches) who then can be saved???"

In response to their question we might have expected Jesus to say: "It is impossible for this young man but not impossible for you because you have followed me"or "It is not impossible for you because you have left s much to follow me" or something like that.

But Jesus' response is unexpected: "What is impossible for man is possible with God." Entering the Kingdom is impossible for humans but is possible for God. Entering the Kingdom requires the incredible and supernatural work of God in our lives and hearts. This is precisely what Jesus had said to Nicodeumus in John 3: "You must be born from above by the Spirit of God."

And yet Jesus' response is also full of hope. "What is impossible with man is possible with God." The God Jesus presents is a God quite willing to do the impossible in the hearts of human beings. And God does this all the time: during hard hearts into soft hearts and leading people away from their riches and wealth to fully embrace Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

May God do the impossible in our hearts over and over and over again.