Faith Sees the Impossible – October 18, 2024

Read: Mark 10:17-27

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:27

Faith Sees the Impossible

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you wear glasses or contact lenses? If you do, you know how difficult it is to see without them. But you also know how important it is for them to be the right prescription. If you don’t have the right prescription, wearing your glasses won’t matter—everything will still be fuzzy or blurry.

The man who approached Jesus thought he could see quite well, spiritually speaking. He was pretty sure the key to eternal life was being a good person and living a good life. So, when he asked Jesus what he had to do to earn eternal life, he did so because he was confident that he had lived a pretty good life.

But Jesus helped him see things differently. It was like the man had the wrong prescription, and Jesus gave him the right one so he could see he wasn’t as good as he thought. Jesus helped him see that his heart was too focused on his money and possessions. And then, Jesus invited him to, “Come, follow me.” Sadly, the man refused and walked away. The price was too high. His eyes couldn’t see the prize—Jesus, treasure of heaven.

Maybe you’re thinking, “If it’s possible for me to walk away from and lose sight of Jesus, how can I keep my eyes on him all the way to heaven? You can’t. But here is the good news: Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

No matter how good a job we think we may be doing, it’s impossible for us to follow Jesus on our own to heaven. God has a better prescription for us to see him. It’s called the gospel. The power of the gospel is its ability for us to see Jesus, believe in him, and never lose sight of him! Through the prescription of faith, we can clearly see that our salvation only comes through Jesus, our Savior.

Closing Prayer:

Dear Lord, our lives are so busy and filled with so many activities. Thank you for helping me see that none of them are greater than you. Help me always to see you with eyes of faith. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Why is it impossible for anyone to save themself?
• What did God do that makes it possible for all people to be saved?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• The man in today’s devotion felt he was doing a pretty good job keeping God’s commands? What areas of life do you feel you’re doing pretty good in?
• The man went away sad because it was hard for him to imagine giving away his wealth. What is something that you would find hard to give up if it meant keeping Jesus as number one in your life?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Read Mark 10:24-27. What words prove that we aren’t good enough to earn eternal life?
• Agree or disagree? Good people don’t get into heaven.