THE IMPOSSIBLE GIFT
Mark 10:17-31
Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost, Year B
Analysis by Ben Williams
17As was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It 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.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age – houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
“This is the heart of the gospel: even when it is impossible for us, it is possible for God. Jesus doesn’t love us because we deserve it or because we’ve done enough – he loves us precisely in our failure as sinners (Romans 5:8).”
Author’s note: In this study, I interpret the rich man’s search for “eternal life” as a parallel to our own pursuit of the “good life,” reflecting modern concerns about meaning and fulfillment. Today, we often seek the good life – a modern pursuit of salvation – through wealth, success, and self-reliance. However, true flourishing comes not from achievement but from a life grounded in grace and relationship with God. From this perspective, “eternal life” in Mark 10 is not just about life after death, but about the fullness of life now, lived in harmony with God’s purposes. I find Luther’s thesis on law and promise illuminating to this matter of how we tend to live and how we get to live: “The law says, ‘do this,’ and it is never done. Grace says ‘believe in this,’ and everything is already done” (Heidelberg Disputation, thesis 26).
DIAGNOSIS: What Must I Do?
Step 1-Initial Diagnosis (External Problem): The Question We All Ask
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v. 17)
Like the rich man, we approach life as a series of achievements. We believe the good life is something we can earn or control by doing enough or being good enough. In a world measured by merit, we seek assurance through action, always asking, “What must I do?” This is the human condition – trying to secure our future, striving to justify ourselves through effort.
Step 2-Advanced Diagnosis (Internal Problem): Shocked by the Invitation
“You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor.” (v. 21)
The rich man’s shock reflects our own when Jesus exposes the root of our security. We clutch our Wealth – whether it’s money, status, or accomplishments – believing it can secure our lives. But Jesus reveals that our attachment to these things is a barrier between us and God’s kingdom. When confronted with grace’s radical call, we are stunned, for it dismantles the systems of merit we trust. We want the good life, but on our terms. Grace invites surrender, and we recoil, unable to let go.
Step 3-Final Diagnosis (Ultimate Problem): Who Can Be Saved?
“Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!” (v. 24)
The disciples’ question, “Then who can be saved?” (v. 26), exposes a universal truth: no one can enter God’s kingdom by their own effort. Whether rich or poor, none of us can meet the law’s demands. Our striving for eternal life only reveals our inability to save ourselves. The harder we try, the more we fail. The more we fail, the harder we try. We are trapped in a cycle of merit and self-justification. But the door to God’s kingdom remains closed.
PROGNOSIS: What God Has Done
Step 4-Initial Prognosis (Ultimate Solution): Loved in Our Impossibility
“Jesus, looking at him, loved him…” (v. 21)
“For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” (v. 27)
Despite our attachment to wealth, our failure to meet the law’s demands, and our inability to save ourselves, Jesus looks at us and loves us. This is the heart of the gospel: even when it is impossible for us, it is possible for God. Jesus doesn’t love us because we deserve it or because we’ve done enough – he loves us precisely in our failure as sinners (Romans 5:8). He sees our brokenness, our reluctance to surrender, and our weakness, and still chooses to love us. Grace does not wait for us to be perfect; it comes to us in our imperfection and accomplishes what we cannot, making us right with God.
Step 5-Advanced Prognosis (Internal Solution): Leaving Everything to Follow
“Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’” (v. 28)
The Holy Spirit works in us to loosen our grip on the things we once held so tightly. No longer relying on wealth, success, or merit, we are set free to follow Jesus. The Spirit inspires us to release what we cannot hold onto and instead place our trust in God’s grace. This is not a transaction or another merit-based exchange. Instead, it is the fruit of faith – faith that is gifted to us by the Holy Spirit. We, then, are invited to join in Jesus’ mission, not because of what we have done, but because of what God has done for us (1 John 4:19) and continues to do.
Step 6-Final Prognosis (External Solution): A Promise Beyond Imagination
“Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house… who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age… and in the age to come eternal life.” (v. 29-30)
When we leave everything to follow Jesus, we are promised an inheritance far greater than anything we could achieve on our own. The good life is not the result of our merit or effort, but the gift of God’s grace. This promise transforms how we live in the present. We live generously, no longer striving to secure our future, but trusting in God’s abundance. And while we may face challenges or loss, we are sustained by the hope of the kingdom, where grace reigns and God’s love knows no limits.