Big Buts of the Bible

Really?

I’ll let you in on a pet-peeve of mine: The misuse of quantifying pronouns.  You know, when a waitress comes to your table and asks, “How is everything?”  Everything?  Really?  Don’t get me started. 

My favorite? (Now I’m started!) The receptionist at my doctor’s office welcomed me once saying, “And how are we feeling today?” Well … considering I’m for my annual prostate exam … WE are a little uncomfortable! 

Here’s an observation. As often as we misuse or exaggerate pronouns in our everyday usage, God never does. 

When He says ‘all’, He means it. Check out this passage from Matthew 19:23-26.

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

Drop back and give Matthew 19:16-22 a read.  

Consider the scene. A rich man had approached Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus could have given the answer sidewalk evangelist’s go to: “Why, say the sinner’s prayer and invite Jesus into your heart!”  

But Jesus was a better evangelist than that.  

He heard the man’s question and answered. The man asked what good thing he must do. Jesus said, “Keep the commandments.”

The man confidently replied, “All these (commandments) I’ve kept. What else do I lack?”

It’s too bad this guy hadn’t heard the Sermon on the Mount. There Jesus made it clear, God’s law was never about the letter of the law; it was always about the heart of it. In other words, it hits where you live. 

Jesus clarified:

 “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

In other words, Surrender all and follow me. The young man left discouraged. 

At this point, Jesus used this occasion to teach his disciples an important truth: Wealthy people, the self-reliant, and those well provided for have a much harder time humbling themselves and admitting their need, even to God, than those who are poor. But it refers to people who rest their confidences elsewhere—an over-confidence in their intellect, or their abilities, or whatever. Surrender means all. 

What aren’t you ready to walk away from?

We all have to ask ourselves this question. What are we grasping more tightly than God?

How about an illustration?

It is so unnatural and so abnormal for a human being to lay down everything—especially for a rich man—Jesus said “a camel could sooner pass through the eye of a needle.”

Aha! There it is. Jesus, exaggerating! Servers, nurses … and Messiahs!

Did he really exaggerate? Jesus used a simile to depict an impossibility.  

You couldn’t get a camel through the eye of a needle. You couldn’t get a llama through. You couldn’t even get an alpaca … you get the point. It’s impossible. And it’s also impossible for man to save himself.

This is where we find a really big but. With man it’s impossible; But with God! All things—even the most unnatural and abnormal—are possible! 

God can change the human heart. God can rearrange the affections of a man’s heart. God can re-order a man’s priorities.  

God could do that just as easily as He could push a camel through the eye of a needle!  What? You don’t think he can? Do you have a camel? I mean, it might get messy, but …

(Please note: No camels were hurt during the composition of this illustration.)