Mark 10:27

‘Jesus looking on them says, “With men it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” '

Jesus recognised that they were beginning dimly to see the truth, that attaining salvation is impossible to men, and He then went on to make clear that in fact the only reason that men could be saved was that nothing is impossible when God is there. That God is able to do anything, even save men. This stresses the miraculous nature of the work of converting of men and women and the bringing of them under the Kingly Rule of God. As He would say elsewhere, men came to Him because it was given to them by the Father (John 6:39; John 6:65) and because the Father Himself drew them (John 6:44), not because of their own ability or deserts. In the end, He was saying, salvation (Mark 10:26) is the gift of God, and only made possible by the work of God on them and within them. It is the greatest miracle of all.

‘For all things are possible with (alongside) God.' Genesis 18:14 in LXX in a similar construction expresses the same idea negatively, ‘is anything impossible alongside God?' Thus emphasising that anything is possible when God steps in. It is not a theoretical or philosophical statement, it is a deeply personal statement. We could translate, ‘All things are possible when God is there.' (Para to theo - alongside God). Compare also Zechariah 8:6 where LXX translates ‘marvellous' as ‘impossible'.

Basic then to all Jesus' words here is that men cannot save themselves by their actions. This rich young man had given Him a marvellous opportunity to bring this lesson home. In men's eyes there was no one closer to being acceptable to God than this eager young man, desirous of being good, and rich without being spoiled, seemingly ready to do ‘anything'. He seemed almost the perfect model for acceptability. But Jesus had seen deeper and had revealed exactly what was lacking. He was not ready to put God first in his life. His eagerness was with reservations, and that could not make him acceptable to God. What he must therefore do was look to God to do the ‘impossible' in his life, and in his case that involved following Jesus, as indeed in one way or another it does for us all. We cannot ever come for salvation and say that we will not follow Him.