Scripture
The Rich Man
16Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher,[1] what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
17“Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep[2] the commandments.”
18“Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’[3]”
20“I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24I’ll say it again—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!”
25The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
26Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
27Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?”
28Jesus replied, “I assure you that when the world is made new[4] and the Son of Man[5] sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[6]
Translation notes (6)
- 19:16 Some manuscripts read Good Teacher.
- 19:17 Some manuscripts read continue to keep.
- 19:18-19 Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20; Lev 19:18.
- 19:28a Or in the regeneration.
- 19:28b “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 19:30 Greek But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.
26Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
The other day in my workout class, I was convinced I could not complete one of the required exercises. It looked too challenging, and I almost convinced myself to modify the exercise instead. However, I decided to attempt the exercise at the last minute to see if I could. Imagine my surprise when I realized I could complete the exercise without needing modification. I had underestimated myself! You may have had a similar moment where you did more than you thought possible. There are many times when we underestimate our abilities. I also think we underestimate God's ability to work and move. He is far more capable than we may realize. After all, He can do anything.
Jesus had a conversation with His disciples one day about God's power in Matthew 19. He explained to them in this chapter that it is tough for someone rich and married to their possessions to enter His kingdom. He said, "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" (verse 24). Now, a camel can't fit through the eye of a needle, which is why Jesus' disciples asked next, "Then who in the world can be saved?" (verse 25). Jesus then taught them a timeless truth: "Humanly speaking it is impossible. But with God, everything is possible" (verse 26). Jesus explained to His disciples that there is nothing impossible for God. He can make the impossible possible. The question is, do we believe Him to do these things? Do we believe Him to work in ways we could not imagine in our lives, including our relationships?
What area of your life do you need God to work on? Is it restoration in your marriage or another relationship? Is it with the health of a loved one? Whatever the case, turn to God today. Believe that He can do anything. Of course, this does not mean everything will turn out exactly how we want it to, but it does mean that God is always working in our impossible situations for our good and His glory.
Moving toward action
After reading from the Going Deeper section below, take some time to journal about your Scripture reading today. What relationship are you looking for God to work in? How does the reminder that nothing is impossible with God impact your view of His role in that relationship? Ask Him to intervene. As you pray, believe He can do even more than you could imagine.
Going Deeper
Matthew 19:16-30 (NLT)
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