And as Jesus was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I believe to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, give up your dogmas, and love the unorthodox, and you will have understanding in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great doctrines.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have dogmatic beliefs to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for Barth's Church Dogmatics to pass through the eye of a needle, than for an orthodox person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
(Based on Mark 10, and inspired by Rev. Tom Bartley's sermon today at Crooked Creek Baptist Church)
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