The Lutheran Hour

"Not Very Likely"

#77-06
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on October 18, 2009
Speaker: Rev. Ken Klaus
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Mark 10:23-27

Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed! If you do not know Him who has given His life for your salvation, today is the day He wishes to make your acquaintance. If He already is your Lord and Savior, He wishes to draw you closer to Him. By the Holy Spirit’s power, may every voice and every heart rejoice in the wonders of God’s great grace and the salvation won by our risen Redeemer. Grant this, Lord, to us all. Amen.

So, do you know Jesus? There are a lot of people who think they do – but far too many of them are mistaken. Now that’s not a judgment on my part; that’s a plain and simple fact. For example, when I ask people to give me an adjective which describes the Savior, they often use words like, kind, gentle, caring, loving, compassionate, and accepting. Most certainly, Jesus was all of those things – but if those things are all you know of Jesus, then your picture isn’t complete. There is another side to Jesus which isn’t touched upon in a list like that. Was Jesus always gentle? If you believe that, then watch out, because He could and did wield a whip and clean the crooks out of God’s house. Was the Savior always accepting? If you think that’s true, then you need to read the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. There, Jesus speaks words of condemnation toward the Pharisees. Here’s just a small sample of what He said: “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” I’ve heard a lot of preaches over the years, and some of them were real fire-and-brimstone, but none of them used that kind of tone when they were talking to their congregations.

So, I ask again, “Do you know Jesus?” More and more young folks have formed their opinion of the Savior through the way He is shown in movies and denigrating sound bytes generated by His critics. When they’re asked to describe the Lord of life, they can sum up their attitude toward the Savior of the world in one word: boring. If that’s really how they see Him, they’ve never really looked at Holy Scripture. There some people described Him as being a Devil, a Liar, a Party-goer, a Friend of sinners, and an Insurrectionist. His church, His government, and the pillars of the community all thought He was too dangerous to let live. So, how did Jesus go from being a Firebrand-Rabble-rouser to being a dull and dreary Pushover? I don’t know, but that’s the way it is for many who think they’ve got Jesus pegged.

Here’s another thing people think they know about Jesus. They think the Savior was always serious. Now that misconception is a little easier to explain. Jesus was born into this world as our Savior. His designated work was to perfectly fulfill the laws of God which we sinful humans had broken. His work was to resist all the temptations which Satan placed in front of Him. His duty was to bear our sins and take them to the cross. The cross. From the beginning of His earthly life to the moment He gave up the ghost on the cross of Calvary, Jesus had been destined to die. Every step He took, every breath He drew brought Him closer to the cross where He would be offered as a ransom for your salvation. It was a monumental undertaking, a task from which there was neither respite nor relief. Jesus was in the business of saving sinful souls. Little wonder people think of Him as always serious.

But He wasn’t. Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth. Living in a time before TV or radio or movies, Jesus relied on His words to paint mental pictures for His listeners – mental pictures which could be humorous. An example of Jesus’ lighter side can be found in the tenth chapter of the New Testament Gospel of Mark. There Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of preachers try to explain away that line, and explain away Jesus’ own joyful presentation by saying something like, “In ancient Jerusalem there is a small door in the city wall called ‘the needle’s eye.’ If a camel wished to go through that gate, he had to kneel down, divest himself of his burden and crawl through, unencumbered by his burdens. In a similar way, if we wish to enter the kingdom of heaven it will only be when we kneel down in humility and take off all that weighs us down.” Over the years I’ve heard that explanation and I’ve watched as entire congregations nodded their heads in understanding and agreement.

There are two problems with that perspective. First, it’s simply not true. I’ve been to Jerusalem many times, and there’s no such door in the old city wall. There never has been. Did you get that? There isn’t now, and there never has been a door called “the needle’s eye.” But there’s a second problem. Those pastors say, “We’re supposed to kneel down like a camel and crawl through the gate.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the reality: camels don’t crawl. A camel may want to crawl with every fiber of its being; it may train to crawl like an Olympic athlete; it may even put crawling on its bucket list of things to do before it dies. But the reality is, camels don’t crawl. The way their front and hind legs are hinged, it is physically impossible for a camel to crawl. And as far as a camel divesting itself of its burdens so it may move forward – it’s ridiculous and along with being ridiculous, it’s bad theology. Camels don’t take off their burdens and people don’t remove their sins. It is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; it is the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from all our sin.

So, why did Jesus say: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”? I think I can tell you. Jesus wanted His disciples to get an indelible, unforgettable mental picture, a humorous snapshot of a needle and a camel trying to squeeze through that miniscule opening of the needle’s eye. Then, with that picture before them, Jesus wanted His listeners, His disciples, to come to the conclusion: “That’s not going to happen.” Indeed, that’s almost what they thought. The Bible tells their story as it records the disciples’ reaction. It says, “They were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” For a moment, just for a moment, the disciples panicked. Then, Peter reassured his fellow followers by saying something like, “Hey, fellows, not to worry. We’re not rich. We’ve left everything we had to follow Jesus. That has to count for something.” If you had been there that day, you might have heard an audible sigh of relief as the others might have agreed: “Hey, yeah, that’s right. We’re not rich. We’ll make the cut into Christ’s kingdom.”

Indeed, if I was standing by your side right now, you might have a similar thought: You may be saying to yourself, “I’m not rich. I’m no multi-multi-millionaire. I don’t drive a Rolls Royce or a Lamborghini.” On one level that is true; it has some validity. You may not have all the stuff that somebody else has. Still, without much fear of serious contradiction, I am able to state; most of us are richer than Midas, richer than Caesar, richer than Croesus. Most of us who are listening to this broadcast have things in our possession that were denied to the most affluent and prosperous citizens of the ancient world. No, you may not have countless slaves who live to serve you, but you do have a washing machine and a dryer, and an iron, and a stove, and a microwave. You may not have musicians to entertain you, but you do have radio, and television, and movies, and iPods and CDs, and video tape. You may not be able to sit at the feet of a learned tutor as they did, but you do have access to libraries, and Internet, and papers, and magazines, and 24-hour news, and weather gleaned instantaneously from around the world.

Do you have air-conditioning in your home? The richest person of Jesus’ day sweltered and sweat. How about central heat? Not many had that when Jesus walked the earth. Do you have electric lights? No Caesar who ever ruled the vast Roman Empire ever had electricity, or penicillin, or anesthetic before surgery. The richest of the rich couldn’t boast corrective eyeglasses, or a telephone, or a ballpoint pen. The most affluent never tasted corn on the cob, or turkey, or cranberries, or tomatoes, or peanut butter, or pineapple, or, and this is the big one – chocolate.

According to Jesus, our wealth and our mixed-up priorities, mean we have more stuff to struggle for, to strive for, more stuff to divert our attention away from God and His will. Our different priorities, different goals, different wants, different desires make our getting into heaven as likely as a camel going through the eye of a very small needle. Years ago, at least so I’ve been told, a new mother found her husband in the nursery standing over their newborn son. For a few moments she watched him, silently, from the doorway. As he stood looking down at the sleeping infant, she saw a progression of emotions and thoughts progressively slide across his face. There was disbelief, doubt, delight, amazement, astonishment, and admiration. Every once in a while he would stand back, smile, shake his head and whisper under his breath, “Amazing, simply amazing.” The wife was understandably moved by this unusual display of emotion her husband was showing toward their son. Slowly she slipped up to his side, put her arm around his waist and whispered into his ear, “Darling, a penny for your thoughts.” Without turning, he kept looking at the crib. “I’m amazed,” he said. “And what are you amazed at?” she wondered out loud. In a voice that could hardly be heard, he replied, “I’m amazed that they are able to sell this crib for less than $75.” A minute later he was surprised to find his wife had abruptly left the room.

20 centuries ago, the Lord sent His Son into this world to seek and save lost sinners. It was a gracious, Godly act. From the moment Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He dedicated Himself to redeeming us from Satan, our sin, and ourselves. Selflessly, unstintingly, Jesus did all that was necessary to do His Father’s will. When people lied about Him, He continued to love them and speak the truth. When they rejected Him, He didn’t quit. On the contrary, He kept going. When they misunderstood His teachings, He simplified and told them again, using stories to explain how they might be saved. When He was confronted by sickness, sadness, or sorrow, He provided a healing that only the Son of God could bestow. His service as our suffering Substitute saw Him arrested, beaten, spit upon, whipped, and crucified. Yet, even as He hung dying on Calvary’s cross, He still managed to show His concern for His mother; for a thief, for the very people whose hatred had put Him there; for the ones who had swung hammer on nail.

Jesus had, in 33 years, done for us what we could never have managed to do for ourselves. Without a slip or a stumble, He had fulfilled the law; He had carried our sins; He had defeated eternal death that our disobedience had earned. On the third day after He died, in unexpected victory He rose from the grave and showed His sacrifice had been accepted. In that earth-shaking, eternity-changing, salvation-bestowing moment, the world was given God’s gracious guarantee that when the Holy Spirit moves you to faith in Jesus as your Savior, you are forgiven of past wrongdoing. In Jesus, believers are given an unending, undeserved future filled with hope and happiness. Jesus is God’s great gift to us; He is the Lord’s mighty miracle of love. Now, like the wife in that story, God waits to see our reaction to His Son’s sacrifice; He anticipates our thanks for this life He gives; He waits to see how we will respond to Jesus’ cradle, His cross, and His open grave.

Again, like the wife in the story, all too often God must be disappointed at our response, or lack of response. Rather than being overwhelmed, overawed, overcome by the gift of life Jesus gives; rather than rejoicing in the forgiveness He has won, rather than giving thanks for our redemption, our eyes settle on the lesser, the smaller, the inconsequential and insignificant. Rather than being dedicated to offering our thanks and praise, many act as if salvation were a gift they were owed; they live as if Jesus has made no difference to them. They, like the husband in that story, find their eyes being drawn to the world’s toys, tinsel, and trinkets. Rather than appreciating God’s great Gift which offers eternal life, many struggle and strive for the flawed things which fail, fade, and leave us disappointed, unfulfilled, and unsaved.

If you have found the world can only raise your standard of longing, and not your standard of living; if you’ve discovered the rat race is only for rats, I have some good news for you. Just as it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, it is impossible for us to get into heaven on our own. But the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus says we are not on our own. With God all things are possible, and by God’s power, and solely by God’s power, we can be saved. Today, the Savior, with nail-pierced hands, reaches out to bring light to those who see nothing but darkness around them; to bring close those who are alone and lonely, to bring hope to the discouraged and depressed, to bring salvation to sinners. Today the Savior extends His arms to receive you and your thanks.

Now all God need know is what your reaction will be to His invitation? In 1834, Charlotte Elliott was an invalid. When her family went to Brighton, England to raise money for a school, Charlotte was left at home. That night, overwhelmed by her helplessness she was unable to sleep. That sadness was transformed to joy when, the next day, the cares and disappointments of the world were replaced by a realization of what God had done for her in Jesus. That joy caused her to write these words: “Just as I am, without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!” Today the Holy Spirit calls you to join with Charlotte in that prayerful promise. May you also say, “O Lamb of God, I come, I come.” To that end, if we can be of assistance to you, please call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 18, 2009
Topic: Shut-Ins

Announcer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to a question prompted by a painful and troubling situation. I’m Mark Eischer.

Klaus: And we are going to try and deal with this in a compassionate manner. What does our listener say?

Announcer: The letter is rather lengthy, so I’d like to break it into parts and maybe you could respond to each section as we go.

Klaus: Sounds like a plan.

Announcer: The letter begins: ‘”A certain Lutheran parish did not provide Mom with good spiritual care during the final years of her life after she became a shut-in and could no longer attend services. Part of (the problem was) her parish went through four pastors in five years.'”

Klaus: Four pastors in five years? In all my years in the ministry I’ve never heard of such a thing. Could it be we’re talking about a small congregation that may not be able to financially support a pastor?

Announcer: Well, I don’t know. It could be a very large congregation with a whole team of pastors. Either way, I think it’s unusual that they were able to call and lose four pastors in the space of five years. That might suggest that there are some serious problems at that church or possibly even within that district.

Klaus: Indeed. No matter how I look at that statement, I have to
believe the situation was not a good one, a healthy one. That doesn’t excuse the neglect of members, but it does offer some kind of explanation.

Announcer: Let’s continue. The writer says, “One young pastor, in his first call, came knocking on the door one day and said he needed to see Mom right now.”

Klaus: So, somebody did try to visit her. That’s something.

Announcer: However, our listener says, “Mom had been taken by a neighbor to the doctor that day and according to dad, the young pastor never came back.”

Klaus: Does the writer say if anybody contacted the pastor, or called the church and requested a visit? I know a call like that shouldn’t be necessary, but when things at a church are going every which way, sometimes such a call can be a beneficial reminder.

Announcer: Well, he doesn’t say. He does add, “Praise God for Pastors who do care about their neighbors….Our neighbor (from) across the street, is a Methodist pastor….He provided the pastoral support Mom needed … indeed, he even offered his parish… for the funeral.”

Klaus: That kind of makes the picture a little clearer.

Announcer: In what way?

Klaus: Common courtesy would have had that Methodist pastor call the local Lutheran preacher and in a brotherly fashion say, “Get your behind to this home. There is a lady there that needs you.” That’s what almost every minister with integrity would do in such a situation. That that apparently didn’t happen implies the Methodist minister knew the parish may be too dysfunctional, or the pastor simply couldn’t take care of the problem. Once again, not an excuse, but an explanation.

Announcer: Which takes us back to the letter. It says, “How should churches support their elderly members when those seasoned citizens can no longer come to worship?” And it concludes, “God’s peace to you. Thank you for (The Lutheran) Hour. Most Sundays you give me something to think on as I drive from home from church.”

Klaus: Mark, I’m going to beg your indulgence and that of our listeners to answer this question in my own way. I truly feel sorry for this woman and her family. As a member of the church she had the right to expect better care than what she apparently received. I cannot help but think that she is just one of many casualties from a sad congregational situation.

The truth is, God gives His congregations the energy to perform the ministries that He has entrusted to them: the preaching of the Word, the administration of the Sacraments, the visitations, the marriages, the funerals. When pastors and parishes work in harmony toward that end, the fellowship is blessed, the Savior is glorified.

Of course, Satan has no desire to see such harmony and he uses our sinful natures and our shortcomings to cause disruption, disagreements, disorder, disharmony. At those moments, and those moments do come, it’s right for clergy and laity to make confession, repent, and be rededicated to sharing the Savior’s story.

I have to believe, if that had happened, the lady would have received better spiritual care.

Announcer: What then is the obligation of the church to such people?

Klaus: It is our job, as their health allows, to administer the Lords’ Supper; to provide support for family, to make sure the person is at peace with their past and ready for their future. It is our job to care for them as best we can.

Announcer: Anything else?

Klaus: Just this. For almost 80 years, The Lutheran Hour has been sharing the Savior’s story of salvation with shut-ins, those who are hospitalized, those who can’t attend worship regularly. We preach to the lost, most certainly – but we truly value the opportunity of representing local churches in the homes of their members.

Announcer: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music selection for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC

“Just As I Am” arranged by Henry Gerike. Used by permission.

“Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven” performed by the Concordia Seminary Chorus.

“Praeludium in D” by Dietrich Buxtehude. From Richard Heschke at the Hradetzky in Red Bank by Richard Heschke (© 1993 Arkay Records)

“Allegro” by J.S. Bach. From Richard Heschke at the Hradetzky in Red Bank by Richard Heschke (© 1993 Arkay Records)