Corona Chronicles 2: (Ep.55) Who Can Be Saved?
91 sermons
So we're carrying on in Mark chapter 10. Jesus has been talking to this rich young ruler man, and he's gone away sad, and the disciples are sort of questioning on that event, really. So I'll just read from verse 23. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were amazed at his words, but Jesus said again children how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God.
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were even more amazed and said to each other, Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, with man, this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God. You you really wish that the rich young man had stuck around to listen to this.
Yeah. Because this is really answering his question, isn't it? Jesus. And it is sad because he's gone away sad. And maybe he'll come to this conclusion himself.
Which is what I think what Jesus is is trying to get us to, isn't it? Mhmm. But you you just wish that he'd he'd heard. It is. Yeah.
Because the question who then can be saved -- Mhmm. -- is is really a better question -- Yeah. -- than saying, what must I do to be safe. Yes. Yeah.
And so Jesus has brought the disciples to this worrying point. Yeah. Who who Hey. Yeah. If rich people, and people like him -- Yeah.
-- who've done all these laws and rules and things -- Yeah. -- seem to be such a good bloke. Yep. If he can't be saved, who then can't be Yeah. You know?
Which is brilliant. Yeah. It's so brilliant. Yeah. So Jesus emphasizes this difficulty of of of of the rich and the important.
Mhmm. Be be because in 1 sense, it's a handicap to be rich and important. You think of yourself as something better. Right. Whereas we've seen before, you know, to be a little child in significant person.
Who has to be brought to Jesus. You know? That's the that's what the kingdom of God is made up of. And it gives this little sort of saying, doesn't he, or parable y thing, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle for someone who is rich to enter the King of God. I've heard all kinds of ludicrous things about this.
Yeah. Which which, if were true, deny what Jesus is saying. Yes. So so I've I've heard that the the the needle was a was a little A little gay a little gate. Yeah.
And for the camel to go through, it had to get on his knees, and then it would shuffle through. Right. And then what we need to do is to get on our knees and pray, and it would be shuffled through. And that's where you get those steps that you sort of kneel up in Rome, isn't it? You get you know, you points from God if you shuffle up a bit on your knees.
Yeah. Exactly. So again, it turns it back into works. What must I do? Well, get on your knees and shuffle through exactly.
Whereas it's impossible. Yes. So that the idea the only how do you get a camel through a a little hole in the top of a needle? Yeah. The only way you could do it, I've thought about this quite a lot, is to liquidate the camel.
Yeah? And then shoot its juice through. But it isn't a camel, the other side, is it? It's just mess. Yeah.
Yeah. So in other words, he's saying it is impossible. You can't get this camel -- No. -- through this little hole in the top of a needle. Yeah.
It's impossible. Right. So he's just emphasizing that. Yeah. I mean, that has to be right, isn't it?
Because then the disciples are even more amazed and they say who then can be saved. So if what some people say is, oh, you just need to get on your knees and shuffle humble yourself, bow, will be very lowly, go through this small gate. Then it would be possible to do it and you'd understand, oh, well I just should be more humble. But the disciples don't take it that way. They're even more amazed and they come to this conclusion who then can be saved.
Yeah. Not not even the best of the best that they can think of in their minds could be saved by what Jesus has just given. Yeah. So here's the question then -- Yeah. -- who can be saved?
What? Yeah. Brilliant. And then Jesus looks at them and says, with man, this is impossible. Again, don't try and figure out.
This is not a logical problem. How can a camel get and I have an needle. With man, this is impossible, Jesus says. Impossible. Impossible.
So hold it. Good religious people. Yeah. Impossible. Yeah.
Rich people. Impossible. Yeah. Just nice people. Definitely impossible.
Yeah. People are prey a lot. Impossible. Yeah. Yeah.
It's rubbing it in, isn't it? Impossible. Yeah. But -- Yep. -- and and that is 1 of the best words in the entire bible.
This is 1 of the big butts of the bible. This is a big butts of the bible and you need to get this. Yep. But and and it's worth reading the bible and seeing the butts, but not with God. All things are possible with God.
Yep. And and this is what Jesus has come to do, isn't it? Yeah. The impossible -- Yes. -- to bring us eternal life to bring us into the kingdom of heaven, to bring us to be children of God, and notice he says children.
Right. Right. To the to the disciples. Yep. That you're just children.
Yeah. You're nothing important. I'm the important 1. Yep. Yep.
Yeah. And, yeah, that kind of brings us full circle again because we started off with little insignificant undeserving, lowly children being brought Jesus. And what does he do? He takes them in his arms. He places hands on them and blesses them, which is sort of a priestly sign of having God's covenantal, kingdom, family, blessing on you, you know, you're saved.
When Jesus picks you up as an insignificant person, you do nothing on your own accord and he blesses you. Yeah. Think we'll leave it there.