Daily Lesson for June 24, 2014

Today's Daily Lesson is from Matthew 19 verses 

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

A reinterpretation of this Scripture has done more for my own growth in grace and in love than perhaps anything else in the last year.

A rich man comes to Jesus inquiring how he might enter into eternal life. He says he has obeyed all the commandments; yet Jesus says he still lacks one thing. He must sell everything he has and give it to the poor and come and follow Jesus.  The man turns and walks away sad, for his possessions are many.  Jesus then turns to his disciples and says, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is a rich man to get into the kingdom of God."

I have always read and interpreted that story to be a kind of tsk tsk judgment against this wealthy man.

But a sermon by the late, great Peter Gomes changed the meaning for of this text for me altogether.  Gomes asked one simple question, "Who of us would do it?"  Who of us would have gone and given everything away to the poor and come and followed Jesus?  Reading that question, I had to admit - I would not; for I have not, and right now I will not.

With that question honestly answered, judgement had to be set aside.  Suddenly Gomes opened for me a way way of reading the text anew.  He opened for me the Gospel in this text.  It is impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven; as impossible as it is for Donald Trump's big-headed ego to squeeze through the hole in a donut.  For a man like the Don it's absolutely impossible - but for God?  Well, with God such things are possible. With God anything is possible.

Is there an edge of judgment in this text?  Sure; we all have possessions which end up possessing us.   These are not always monetary possessions, but rather any kind of story we have bought into which possesses the core of who we think we are and what we might not be able to live without.  Our unwillingness to let to of these stories keeps us from making the it through the narrow pass into the kingdom of God, where he story of who we are is replaced by the story of who we might become.

But there is also a word of Gospel in this text - the good news that even though we would not dare to pare ourselves down enough to make the journey into becoming alone, the journey will not be alone.  The stripping away of all things we have put such stock in - our wealth, our righteousness, our preparedness for the journey ahead - such stripping is impossible for human beings; but it is not impossible with God.  For nothing is impossible with God.