Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Context: Matthew 19:24 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.” 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
From the lexicon: Impossible=without power. Possible=power.
Pulling it together: A young rich ruler went away from Jesus unwilling to give up his wealth to follow Him. Jesus remarked that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man enter the kingdom of heaven (v.24). Some think that Jesus referred to the eye of a sewing needle. Some believe he referred to a particularly narrow gate in the land of Israel known as the “Eye of a Needle.” Either way Jesus made it clear that it is impossible or virtually so, for a man of wealth to come to a relationship with God. The lust for riches has such a pull on men that even having obtained them, we tend to be concerned about them and have no room for a heavenly Father.
Amazed at Jesus’s remarks, His disciples questioned “Who then can be saved (v.25)? They equated wealth with God’s favor and if a man with so much of God’s favor cannot enter the kingdom of God and be saved from the wrath to come, who then can be? But Jesus’s answer in v.26 reads like this: “In what man is powerless to do, God shows His power.”
The fact is whenever someone, whatever his or her station in life, believes unto salvation, it is a miracle. Romans 3:11 states: no one understands; no one seeks for God. We all need to accept the gift of saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It comes from God and Him alone. Only through coming to God through His Son, Jesus can we see His power to do the impossible in our lives starting with the gift of faith to believe in Him.
Lord, I pray for grace to thank You for giving me the faith that saved me.