Looking for a Year of Impossible Things

When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:25-26)

This is the time of year for making resolutions. These are goals set for the year in which we seek to improve ourselves and our lives. It is usually about matters of habit and self-discipline.

• Exercise more
• Eat better
• Sleep better
• Stop smoking, drinking, etc.
• Spend less
• Save more
• Manage time better

We want to make better choices, be better people.

Most people fall flat with their New Year’s resolutions because what they really want is to change the window dressing in their lives rather than things that are at the core of their being.

We want to add good stuff to our lives.

The young man that came to Jesus in Matthew 19 wanted to know what he needed to add to his already righteous life to have assurance of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Matthew 19:17).

People have the same questions today about what to do to achieve heaven—even if it is some sort of heaven on earth—a fulfilling life.  Read the list above.

Our problem is self-perception.

We need a little tweak—a few changes.  If we just solve a couple of problems in our lives, everything will be OK. Jesus looked at this young man and asked Him a penetrating question.

So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

In essence, Jesus was questioning whether this young man even knew the definition of “good.”  The young man argued that he did.

²⁰ And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

Oh.  So, you are Ok are you?  You just need a little change here or there for everything to be OK?  Jesus went along with that self-deceived thinking.

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

Jesus did not speak from a heart of condemnation, but a heart of love.  However, it was heart of knowledge.  This young man was genuinely self-deceived. One line from Jesus brought the entire matter into perfect focus.

“Sell everything, give it to the poor and follow me. “

And with that the illusion of righteousness fell flat.

• He had another God more important that the God of heaven.
• His personal wealth was his idol.
• If everything truly belongs to God, and he refuses to do with it what He asks, isn’t that stealing?
• He made a false claim before the Master, that he had kept the entire Law, breaking the command against bearing false witness.
• He defrauded the poor, who now should be the recipients of the wealth transferred by Christ from the young man to them.
• Maybe his parents were poor, and he could have given to them.

So much for the Law. Of course, the disciples were mystified.  Jesus explained how hard it was for a rich man to enter heaven.  How hard?  Impossible hard according to the passage.

We don’t need reformation; we need an impossible transformation.

No tweaks will do when a miracle is what is necessary.  But our God is in the miracle working business.  I cannot work miracles.  No man can.  But God delights in doing so.

For many, you need the miracle of salvation.  You do not need for God to make your life better, or even to help you do better.  You need Him to completely transform you into something new.  That is what salvation does.  It makes us new creations in Christ.

But even for people who have been born again, the continuing work of sanctification is not a process of exerting the will, but in surrendering to the miraculous transforming work of the Holy Spirit who is actively present in the lives of everyone who believes. He works miracles in our personal growth.  He answers prayer often miraculously.

I don’t want a hum drum year ahead.  I want God to do His a miraculous work in me this year.

I don’t need a resolution this year.  I need a miracle.  And I know just the One who can make that happen.

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Audio version of this post here: Looking for a Year of Impossible Things