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Mark 10:17-31

For God, All Things Are Possible

October 13, 2024

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Year B

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
I’d like us to try something...
First, take a big breath of air in and then hold it. Just take in this big amazingly huge breath of air and then hold it in.
Ready? I'll do it with you. On three. One… two… three… BREATHE IN and HOLD!
[try to say the following without expelling very much breath...you should sound a little funny - that's the idea] -- Now that you're all full of air, WITHOUT LETTING GO OF THE AIR YOU HAVE, try to breathe in another HUGE breath! 1, 2, 3, GO!
[ Try to breathe in more air. Optional: make weird noises and faces while doing it ]
Ok, you can go back to breathing normal.
So, what do you think? Could you breathe in as much air the second time as you could the first time?
Why not?
That's right! You couldn't get as much air because you were still holding on to that first breath of air.
The way breathing works is that you have to LET GO of the first breath in order to be able to take a second breath.
But if you think about it, that’s kind of scary. We’re letting go of something we need before we actually have the next amount of the thing we need. We have to trust that there will be more air for us after we expel our breath.

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

In today's Bible story, we hear a similar thing happen.
In today’s scripture story there’s a man who asks Jesus how he can better receive what God is offering.
So Jesus tells the man that he has to give away (let go of) the one thing that the man thinks he needs so that he can receive from God the next thing he needs.
Sounds like breathing, right?
Except, for this man, letting go of that first thing was a really hard thing for him to do.
It was so hard for the man to let go of, that the man actually gave up and walked away – he couldn’t let go.
Jesus then tells his disciples, “This is a very hard thing to do.”
So the disciples ask, “Yeah we see that – how can anyone do this?”

And Jesus says, “For God, all things are possible.”

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

What Jesus means by “For God all things are possible” is that we are not expected to do things on our own.
Instead, we are expected to ask for God’s help.
Not just with the big things, but also the small things.
But in order to receive God’s help, we sometimes have to let go of something else, we have to let out that first breath, so that we have room to take in that second breath.
It sounds a little scary, I know – which is why I’m thankful we have these stories about Jesus that show us what happens when we ask for God’s help and make room in our lives to receive God’s help.
We see Jesus share God’s healing, forgiveness, mercy and love with many, many people.
And when we ask for God’s help and make room in our lives to receive God’s help, then we can do those same things that Jesus did…
…because all things are possible for God.
And that’s the good news for today. Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Thank you for Jesus...

...who shows us…

…how to receive…

…more of your gifts…

…by sharing the gifts…

…you’ve already given us.

Thank you and Amen

Originally posted September 27, 2015

Updated on September 12, 2024

Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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