Possible Impossibilities

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26 

Not so easy for a man to cross over from impossible to possible; so goes the quagmire of a man’s journey on earth. Mounting obstacles are mostly comprised of unresolvable conflicts which loom larger than our ability to solve them. These leave us devastated and staring into space. With man life is impossible.

However, with God all things are possible. How so? First reason goes this way, “there is nothing impossible with God.” Matthew 19:26.

The next reason says, “nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 17:20 The impasse for God is non-existent, for us it is unbelief. But faith as tiny as a mustard seed releases immeasurable possibilities.

So, “faith” itself summarizes the goal of every preacher. To impart faith, without which we cannot please God, completes the activity of preaching and hearing. Without this faith-impartation we spin our wheels.

Every Pastor knows that behind most front doors lies pain, often hidden, sometimes long-drawn out, sometimes very deep. from’ Trusting God in the Darkness” by Christopher Ash

Beloved, pain and unbelief form a brotherhood. In this union, the “impossible” also participates and helps define the whoa-some state. It hurts, it resists healing potential; faith is missing.

Our pain complex, (from a wounding), is comprised of hurt and analytical observation. Jeremiah cried, in Jeremiah 15:18  “Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? “For thus ‘”Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.” ” … thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: .”Jeremiah 30:15 

My wound seems to have its own agenda and goal, impotent and frail, refusing healing. Grievous, “the metaphor is taken from a body wounded and bruised in such a manner, as to be past the skill of the most able surgeon to cure it.” J Gill

Isaiah describes the condition of God’s people  “Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. ” Isaiah 1:5-6 

In summary, we can conclude that the entire condition of all men is past healing and no further beatings can change that. Impossible, yes impossible. We cannot beat the impossible out of a man.

Lets observe the Bible story, in John 5:1 -10

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.   Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.   For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.  And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  

Let’s look at the complexed situation of the poor man. First is a faulty healing possibility, of pure chance. Per-chance the angel would come and move the water. Not without some previous evidence was the hope, but highly unlikely. Wounded will often trust spurious things, hoping against hope.

Next, 38 years of waiting destroyed, most likely any hope of healing.

Finally, the situation became more impossible as he couldn’t even respond any more in a physical way. Help was needed to get him to the water first.

However,

“When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him,

Wilt thou be made whole? 

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.  Jesus saith unto him,

Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. “

Not by chance, not by physical means, not by extended waiting:

“But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. John 5:17 

Beloved, a sovereign act of God’s benevolence healed the man. Nothing less heals any person. Nothing shall be impossible to God. And God couples His Sovereignty with His grace. Sovereignty is unpredictable but God’s love and grace are ever present. He indeed waits to be gracious, Isaiah 30:18 His love never fails.

love ya