Sermon:
INTRODUCTION

What do you think this red paperclip is worth? Do you think I could trade this red paperclip to someone for a house? You say, “Impossible!” What if I told you someone actually traded a red paperclip for a house? I’m not making this up. In 2005, a Canadian named Kyle McDonald was stuck in a dead-end job and had very little money. He decided to go online and see what he could trade for the paperclip. First, he traded it for a fish-shaped ink pen, which he then traded for doorknob, which he traded for a Coleman stove. He traded the Coleman stove for a Honda generator, which he traded for a keg of beer and an electric Budweiser sign. He traded the keg and the sign for a snowmobile, and so it continued. Exactly one year and 14 trades later he exchanged an acting part in a movie for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan.

You can find the story by Googling One Red Paperclip, which is the title of a book Kyle wrote. From a red paperclip to a two-story house, you say, “Impossible!” Nope, that’s just an example of what human imagination, ingenuity and persistence can do. People can do a lot of things that seem impossible. For most of the centuries of human history the idea of man flying seemed impossible, but now it’s ordinary. But in our passage today, Jesus employed a humorous one-sentence parable to tell us there is something that really IS impossible for a person.

Matthew 19:16-26. “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ ‘Why do you ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.’ ‘Which ones?’ the man inquired. Jesus replied, ‘‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’ ‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to 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 man to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

I’ve mentioned before that Jesus often employed humor in his teaching. He would have never made the cast of Saturday Night Live, because we don’t appreciate 1st century Jewish humor. Jesus used hyperbole and irony. Hey, did you hear the one about the camel? Stop me if you’ve heard it. Jesus said it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Ha! That’s a good one. I think Jesus must have liked camel jokes. In Matthew 23 He said that the Pharisees strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. What a funny picture!