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Thursday, March 28, 2024

All things are possible

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Maintaining momentum

Tis the seasonā€¦

Making room for the merge

Again.

I saw a quote on an Instagram story the other day that said while most people have already closed out 2019, you still have time.

You still have time. Read that again. Read it one more time. Feel each word. You. Still. Have. Time. Time to do what? More than you realize, especially when you allow God to be on your side.

Our favorite quotable portion of Matthew 19:26 says ā€œ…with God ALL things are possible.ā€ That favorite quotable portion doesnā€™t speak restrictively concerning time, space or ability. It does speak to the possibility of each and every thing with God.

Letā€™s take a look at the story preceding this favorite quotable portion of text. In verses 16-20, our friend and brother Jesus converses with a young man who desires eternal life. As any of us would, he asks Jesus how to go about reaching the goal.

Jesus explained he needed to follow the commandments (verses 17-19). The young man told Jesus he keeps them and asked what still did he lack. The text proceeds with Jesus giving this answer ā€” if you want to be perfect (mature), get rid of your material goods (and the mindset that accompanies them). Then, follow me, because thereā€™s so much more in heaven.

The young man was saddened, crushed, heartbroken and devastated. He wasnā€™t able to let go of what he had or of what heā€™d known for the opportunity to receive more (catch that before you get home).

In a follow up conversation with the disciples, Jesus said itā€™s hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yet,Ā itā€™s easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle. Jesus got jokes. Still it was a serious statement. The disciples responded, with a thought of ā€œwell Iā€™ll beā€ that translated verbally as ā€œwho can be saved?ā€ Can you see the raised and frowned brows of curiosity?

Hereā€™s where the full version of our favorite quotable portion of verse 26 comes into play ā€” But Jesus looked atĀ themĀ and said,Ā ā€œWith men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.ā€

Earlier I mentioned the possibility of each and every thing with God. The beginning of the text is saying from a human perspective, a rich man entering the kingdom of heaven and a camel entering the eye of the needle is unable to be done. Ah, but when you put God, the Great I AM in the equation, all things which in Greek means individually ā€” each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; collectively ā€” some of all types are able to be done.

While most people have closed out 2019, you still have time. Not within the human mental confines of impossibility, but in the limitless realm of exceeding abundantly above all you could ask or think according to the power within you, because with God ALL things are possible.

Rae Karim, formerly chapel director at Christian Theological Seminary, is now pastor at First Christian Church of Honolulu. She can be reached at pastoraefcc@gmail.com.

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