But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
The disciples had just watched a rich, moral, eager man walk away from Jesus. So they asked the only question that mattered: if he cannot get in, who can? The Lord's reply does not soften the difficulty. It moves the question off man's ground and onto God's.
Why the Question Shocked Them
One writer explains why a rich man seemed the most likely person to enter the kingdom, not the least likely:
C E StuartWe understand the astonishment of the disciples better when we remember one thing. Sacrifices on God's altar were an essential part of Jewish religion. In the number and size of those the rich could surpass the poor. So people might see wealth as an advantage. The rich could both offer more and of course give larger gifts to the poor. How true these words are, though they were said in a different setting: "Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). The state of a man's heart hinders his entering the kingdom. On the other hand, salvation is from God; He works on man's heart.
"Impossible" Is Meant Literally
A popular explanation says the "eye of a needle" was a small gate a camel could squeeze through once unloaded. One commentator checks that idea:
Leslie M. GrantSome find this suggestion attractive: the picture of a camel going through the eye of a needle referred to a small gate, and a camel could not get through that gate without unloading. But no reliable historian supports this idea. In fact, the Lord says it is impossible with men, but possible with God. That shows it is an impossibility by nature.
Not Only Riches — Everything of Man
The barrier is not the bank balance. It is anything a person leans on instead of God:
William KellyBeyond measure surprised, they say among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" This gives the Lord the opportunity to explain what lies at the bottom of the whole question. Salvation is a question of God, and not of man at all. Law, nature, riches, poverty — no matter what a man loves or fears — has nothing in the least to do with the saving of the soul. The saving of the soul rests on the power of God's grace, and nothing else. What is impossible for man is possible with God.
The Pivot: From Man's Ability to God's
One writer puts the Lord's answer into plain terms:
F. B. Hole"Who then can be saved?" is a momentous question. Verse 27 gives a definite answer. Salvation is impossible with men, though possible with God. In other words, it was as though the Lord said this: "If it is a question of what man can do, nobody can be saved. But if it is a question of what God can do, anybody can be saved."
What "Possible with God" Cost
That God can save does not mean saving was cheap or easy for Him:
William Kelly"And who can be saved?" is the remark of those who heard a sentence so contrary to their secret desires. Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God." There is no other hope of salvation. It is of God, not of man. Yet to save cost God everything, yes, His own Son.
It Actually Happened
The Lord's words were not a comforting theory. Within months the same crowd of people did freely what the rich ruler refused to do:
The Bible TreasuryHe does not in the least relieve the conscience from the pressure that is upon it, but He draws us away to God. "What is impossible with man is possible with God." And in fact this happened only a few short months later. Jesus was exalted to heaven, and then the Holy Spirit came down from there. He revealed the Saviour to souls — the crucified, risen, exalted Saviour. Looking up by faith, they saw the One who had accomplished their salvation. The full tide of blessing so filled their hearts that crowds of people did, without any urging, what the young man refused to do. God had come in and had saved these 3,000 people, and the result was produced at once.
Summary
- Impossible — the camel and the needle are not exaggeration. The thing simply cannot be done from man's side, and no clever reading of the image should soften it.
- Everyone — riches are only the sharpest example. Law, nature, wealth or poverty, anything a person loves or fears, has nothing to do with saving a soul.
- Possible — the verse swings on who is acting. If it depends on what man can do, nobody can be saved; if on what God can do, anybody can be saved.
- Costly — "possible with God" was not easy for God. To save cost Him everything, even His own Son.
- Proved — a few months later 3,000 people freely did what the rich ruler would not. God came in, and the impossible happened at once.