The disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:25-26 NET
What must I do to inherit eternal life? A wealthy young man asked Jesus this question. When Jesus replied that he needed to sell all his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor, he left in sorrow, unwilling to do what Jesus had said. In response, Jesus told his disciples that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven–a seeming impossibility.
Jesus’ remark greatly astonished his disciples. Their culture considered wealth to be a sign of God’s favor. So, if it was impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom, what chance did the rest of them have? Who can be saved?
Jesus responded that none of us has what it takes to be saved. On our own, we are without hope. But what is impossible for us is possible for God. He can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
If I fell into a deep pit with steep walls and no tools, it would be impossible to get myself out. I would die in that pit. Salvation could come only through the efforts of someone outside that pit–someone who could lower a rope and pull me out.
And that is the situation we all once found ourselves in–sitting at the bottom of a deep pit, lost and without hope. But God reaches down into the pit and draws out all who will take hold of his hand. Salvation comes, not by what I do, but by what God does for me.
