And Jesus looking
upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God. for with God all
things are possible. (10:27)
Salvation is impossible
with men, rich or poor, be they as rich as the disappointed young ruler or as
poor as the beggar Lazarus. Salvation is beyond purchase; beyond money; beyond
price; and beyond all human standards of religion, morality, good works, and
self-effort. The disciples should have known from the Old Testament Scriptures
themselves that the basic principle of salvation rests on something other than
money (Isa. 55:1; Mic. 6:5-8).
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But what is impossible
with men is possible with God. Salvation is God's idea, planned by Him before
even time began, provided by Him at infinite cost and offered to one and all
as the gift of His grace.
Then Peter
began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. (10:28)
Suddenly, Peter
saw the other side of the coin. The rich young ruler had not been prepared to
give up anything for Christ; Peter and the other disciples had given up everything
for Him. Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew had all given up lucrative
businesses to become the Lord's disciples. It had never occurred to them, until
now, apparently, that there was anything particularly meritorious about their
action. At the time, it had seemed the sensible thing to do. They had been more
than rewarded by their association with the miracle-working, heartwarming, life-transforming,
mind-expanding Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren,
or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands; for my sake,
and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses,
and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions;
and in the world to come eternal life. (10:29-30)
Two figures of
speech are discernible in this remarkable statement. The first is the paradiastole
(the repetition of the disjunctives "either, or," or the disjunctives "neither,
nor"). The word or is repeated constantly to separate each thing that
is surrendered from the other things that are surrendered. This figure of speech
is used for emphasis. Thus, the Lord particularizes each item. Similarly, the
polysyndeton is used — the word and is repeated constantly
to separate each promise, to draw attention to each promise, and to emphasize
each promise. Thus, each promise is made independent, important, and emphatic.