More Possible Impossibilities

The sermon series that I blogged about a few weeks ago (Radical: What the Gospel Demands) has got me thinking hard (and Victoria too, although she's not been able to get as far into the series as she'd like). The words of Jesus drawn from the gospel of Mark, Chapter 10, Verses 17-31 that were referenced on numerous occasions throughout the series haunt me (in a good way) as I consider the literal demands of Jesus upon the rich, young ruler. Many are familiar with this story wherein a young man, replete with wealth confidently approaches Jesus and asks Him what he must do to have eternal life. There is an exchange between the two of them that dashes the young man's confidence, then builds it up again, and then obliterates it once and for all when Jesus asks him to sell all he has and follow Him. The Bible says the young man's countenance dropped and he left grieved because he had much wealth. Jesus then told the disciples that it would be very hard for rich men to enter the kingdom of God (of which I am one), and then compared it to something that is simply impossible to accomplish - literally threading a camel through the eye of needle. Now was not only the rich, young ruler grieved, but so were those who followed Jesus because they then drew the conclusion that no one could be saved. And their conclusion was correct, at which point Jesus redirects their despair away from themselves and directs their hope to God and in Him alone. Jesus just shattered their paradigms, once again, and made the impossible possible.

Every once in awhile I like to pen a few stanzas of poetry (or attempted poetry) and tried to capture this intercourse between Jesus and the young man in poetic form so that I might remember it more indelibly. Here's (below) what came out:

Feeling so good,

The man knelt down,

And asked the Good Man,

"What must be done,

To have the life,

From the promised One?"

"And why am I,

As one called good?

You know of the God,

Our sins withstood.

Only He's the one,

Called 'Good' if one would."

Confused men muse,

And thought within,

They asked of themselves,

"He's known no sin,

And has obeyed;

There's no good in Him?"

The man did all,

All that was asked.

Feeling so sure,

He sought a task.

Only to hear,

It's beyond his grasp.

O' the Good Man,

Loved him as rich,

And gazing in eyes,

He did not mince,

"Go sell it all,

Or remain a wretch."

"Treasure's not here,

Follow me there."

That is what He said,

Save not to spare.

The rich man left,

With utter despair.

"Hard for the rich,

To enter in."

Amazed there they stood,

To hear from Him.

"One can thread through,

Small holes before then."

"Can one be saved?"

They asked Jesus.

Now hopeless in thought,

No where to trust.

"With man no way,

But only with Us."

How can this be,

That I cannot save,

It doesn't seem just,

When I behave.

And that's the place,

To which man's a slave.

God help me see,

At life's facade,

That it need not be,

Nor seem so odd,

Impossible man,

But with possible God.

Victoria and I are prayerfully hopeful that God does something radical with our lives, for this is what the gospel demands. Radical not for the sake of "radical-ness", but radical because everything about the Christian life is radically opposed to most everything we know and adore about life on this earth.

Pursuing More Possible Impossibilities,