Mortal Limits

Some things are easy.  Some things are impossible.

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.' Those who heard it said, 'Then who can be saved?' He replied, 'What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.' - Luke 18:25-27

Today's Gospel reading contains a line we all remember easily.  It has to do with the eye of the needle and a camel.

We walk away with the message that the rich have no way to enter the kingdom of God, and yet that is not all the lesson tells us.  When asked who can be saved, Jesus says something that seems obvious.  In God all things are possible.

What we cannot do on our own, God can do for us.

We know that, right?  It's nothing new, and yet hearing it here, right after saying how impossible it is for the rich gives us all hope.  No matter what limits we face as mortals, with God, we can succeed.

So, what does that tell us about the rich man who would not sell all his possessions?  Can he enter the Kingdom?

While it is up to God, there is something we need to do as well.  It is all about faith.  The more we are willing to sacrifice, the closer we get to God.

We don't need to do anything to receive God's grace, so it is possible we could be saved without doing a thing.  But what if we choose to follow Christ and offer everything up?  What could become possible i this world that we are not aware of?

We can wait for what God has in store for us in the next life.  Or we can enter the kingdom now.  That is the choice I believe we have.

It is why the rich man had to do something.  But because he walked away, he would never know what could have been.

More to come...