Matthew 19:26
- Popular Bible Verse Series
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." - Matthew 19:26
For two decades, I have shared the Gospel with my father. At times, he was not just uninterested but hostile to the message. I am committed to continuing to share this vital truth with him, though I was uncertain whether he would ever accept Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
A few weeks ago, my father was admitted to the ICU in China. Upon hearing this news, I prayed for his recovery and, more urgently, for his salvation, as he is in his 90s and has been in poor health for years. I trust in God’s sovereignty over all creation and recognize my role as a messenger of the Gospel to our family. My father’s response is not my concern; I must obey God’s call, leaving the results in His hands.
During his ICU stay, the only visiting window was 4–5 p.m. China time, which is 2 a.m. Central Time in the U.S. My wife and I set an alarm, woke at 2 a.m., and called my nephew, who put my father on speakerphone in the ICU. Surprisingly, my father spoke clearly and loudly, despite my mother’s report of his weakened voice the previous day. His thoughts were logical, and I sensed he was eagerly awaiting our conversation. When I asked if I could pray for him, he loudly said, “Yes.” I told him to say “Amen” if he agreed with my prayer. I shared the Gospel, leading him to ask Jesus to be his Savior and Lord. At the end, he said “Amen” not once, not twice, but three times! My wife and I were overwhelmed with joy, unable to sleep. Praise the Lord! Matthew 19:26 came to mind: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Despite years of effort, I could not persuade my father to share my faith. That night, he was ready to accept Jesus—an impossibility by human effort but possible with God. My wife and I witnessed how God uses all circumstances, good or bad, to draw people to Christ.
Many Christians cherish Matthew 19:26, applying it to humanly unattainable desires, like political victories, finding comfort in “all things are possible with God.” However, this verse’s true meaning emerges in its context. In Matthew 19:23–26, Jesus says: “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples, astonished, ask, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replies, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
This follows Jesus’ encounter with a rich young man who asked how to gain eternal life (Matthew 19:16–22). Jesus listed commandments—do not murder, commit adultery, steal, or bear false witness; honor parents; love your neighbor. The man claimed to have kept them and asked what he lacked. Jesus replied, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Sorrowful, the man left, unable to part with his wealth.
Jesus’ statement about the rich entering Heaven (Matthew 19:23–24) isn’t a literal ban on the wealthy. Joseph of Arimathea, a rich follower, buried Jesus in his tomb (Matthew 27:57–60). Throughout church history, people of all economic statuses have followed Christ. Salvation is for anyone who believes Jesus died for their sins and rose on the third day.
The disciples’ question—“Who then can be saved?”—reveals they understood Jesus’ point: salvation is impossible for anyone, rich or poor, by human effort. They weren’t wealthy, but they clung to other things. Jesus both challenged and comforted them: relying on human strength makes entering Heaven impossible, but God’s power makes salvation possible according to His will.
The rich young man wasn’t an atheist or uninterested in God. He sought eternal life, confident in his good deeds. Yet, when Jesus asked him to sell his possessions, he left sorrowful, unable to let go. To his credit, he didn’t pretend to follow Jesus. He missed a life-changing opportunity, focusing on his deeds and wealth rather than the truth of Matthew 19:26: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
For my father, myself, and all people, salvation is impossible by our own efforts. But God makes it possible through Christ’s blood, perfecting us before Him. No one can persuade themselves or others to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. Our duty as Christians is to share the Gospel, trusting God to save in ways impossible for us but possible with Him.
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