All Things Are Possible

Scripture: Mark 10:17-27

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."

Reaction: This is the reading for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which we discuss at our prayer group tomorrow. I have often been puzzled by this scripture, wondering if God really expects us to give all of our possessions to the poor. But today that did not seem to be the thrust of this reading; instead, the phrase that jumped out at me was "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God.” I felt that what Jesus is really asking of me is to give as much as I can to the poor, especially when unexpected events come up. I need to be aware and open to helping out wherever I can, even if I thing that it might ‘blow my budget’. Recent circumstances have given me to opportunity to do this, and for that I am grateful. But what is more difficult for me is to set aside the desire to plan out my financial savings plan, a habit I’ve had since I was an early teen. It would seem that this would be an insurmountable task for me, but then, for God all things are possible. During my meditation, I realized that while I have come a long way in trusting God’s providence, I am sometimes still lacking in this regard. But I continue to pray that the idea of financial security will continue to diminish in importance to me, a notion that might seem impossible for me, but with God’s grace it can be done.