9/3/10 Matthew 19:25-30 Nothing Impossible with God

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." 27 Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" 28 Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

(angel appearing to Mary- "Nothing is Impossible with God").

Thoughts: "Who can be saved?" The disciples were despairing that if this man who was by all accounts a good man, who humbled himself before Jesus, who kept the law- if he went away sorrowful, what about the rest?  Perhaps they thought that the standard would be to give everything away.  Peter pointed out that they had left everything.  Jesus replied as he did to the rich young man that there would be treasure in heaven (cf. vs. 28 to 21).  The good news begins with our own weakness- salvation by ourselves is impossible.  But it ends with "with God all things are possible."  This echoes back to the words of the angel to Mary (Lk. 1:37 "Nothing is impossible with God.").  Today there was bad news- four hurricanes in the Atlantic- another gulf oild platform explosion.  Someone approached me today and said that maybe the world was coming to an end.  But it appears that their hopelessness was baseless.  The oil fire was a dud, and the hurricanes-so far appear to be harmless.  Many times our hopelessness is our perception of our helplessness.  But with God there is always hope. So God makes a way through the sea for Moses; so God shuts the mouths of the lions for Daniel; so there is the resurrection after the cross.  These stories of hope are for us, to remind us where our hope lies.
 
Prayer: May your strength in the midst of my weakness- fill me with hope.  Give me grace to believe that nothing is impossible with you today!