"Impossible Things" | The Rev. Heidi Thorsen | October 13, 2024

This week, I did an informal poll by asking a few friends this question: what is an example of an “impossible thing”?

The first few answers were somewhat scientific in nature:

It is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light.

It is impossible to travel backwards in time.

It is impossible to breathe underwater (at least with human lungs).

But from there, the answers got a bit more creative:

It is impossible to have a Thanksgiving Dinner without conflict, one person suggested.

It is impossible to fold a fitted sheet, another said.

It is impossible to turn a pumpkin into a carriage - channeling the Rodgers & Hammerstein music for Cinderella there.

And: It is impossible to step in the same river twice. I learned that I mistakenly thought this bit of wisdom comes from the Disney movie Pocahontas, and I was informed that it actually comes from the 5th century Greek philosopher Heraclitus.

We can add to this list of impossible things the metaphor that Jesus gives us in our Gospel passage for today: it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. This metaphor is given as an example of how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God, especially for those who are rich. “Then who can be saved?” The disciples ask Jesus with exasperation. Jesus replies with these gentle words: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

One of my tasks today, beyond exploring this morning’s scripture passages, is to introduce to you to this season of Stewardship at Trinity. For those who may be less familiar with church lingo, Stewardship Season is that time in the church year when we invite one another to think about our financial (and non-financial) contributions to the church. We are a non-profit organization, and on top of that we are a religious organization– both things that significantly impact how we operate. Trinity Church could not continue its ministries without the generous donations of the past, and the generous donations of the present. Each one of us is invited to consider how much we can contribute from our means, following ancient religious models such as the tithe of 10% in the Old Testament. And we give (hopefully) not out of guilt or obligation– but out of a sense that we can do so much more together, as a church, than we can do as individuals. We do so much more in terms of making God’s kingdom manifest on this earth—through music, prayer, action, service, community, mutual support, and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We encourage one another to give in the form of a pledge—a commitment for how much we can contribute on a regular basis throughout the coming year, so that we can plan in ways that fit the constraints of the contemporary world, and dream in ways that go beyond it.

Our Gospel passage for today is a funny one, in light of this stewardship theme. A man comes to Jesus asking, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus begins by going through the ten commandments, and the man replies that he has followed these all his life. Jesus turns back to the man, his eyes full of compassion, and says, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The man is distressed, and goes away empty-handed and empty hearted– for, as the scripture says, he had many possessions.

It is hard to enter the kingdom of God, especially for those who are wealthy. Well, the pitch for today’s stewardship sermon is clear: give us your wealth! That way it will be so much easier for you to enter the kingdom of God, and we will be able to keep our doors open. Thank you so much! Problem solved.

Of course, I am joking.

I don’t believe that offloading wealth, in and of itself, can save any of us. I also know that there are many people in our congregation who are not, or do not consider themselves wealthy. If we think of this passage as solely designed for the most rich among us, we are missing the point. Instead we have to think broadly about Jesus’ concerns in this passage. Two points come to mind.

First, I believe that Jesus is concerned with the unequal distribution of wealth in the communities where he is teaching. Throughout his teaching Jesus says things like “blessed are the poor” and invites us to imagine a world where a rich man and a poor man are not separated by an impossible chasm (see Luke 16:23-31), but are instead living as equal members in one human family. Today’s Gospel passage shows us that Jesus is indeed worried about a world in which some have many possessions, and others have none. 

Secondly, I believe Jesus is concerned with the ways that we make an idol of money and success. Sometimes we act as if these things can “save” us, but they cannot. Jesus is trying to open his disciples’ eyes to a kind of abundance that isn’t measured by money– but is instead measured by love, grace, and connection. These are the things that make up the fabric of eternal life. This passage is a helpful reminder that we as Christians are committed to thinking about money differently. Money isn’t an end that we aspire to. Instead, money is the means (one of many) to an end described in beautiful detail throughout the Gospels as the kingdom of God.

And now I want to get back to talking about impossible things– because there is another important lesson embedded in our Gospel passage for today. Jesus lets us know that his ministry is concerned, first and foremost, with impossible things.

Jesus doesn’t preach the status quo. Jesus doesn’t preach a world where we never change, or grow. Instead, Jesus opens our eyes to imagine impossible things. Jesus challenges us to live as if we are truly equal, in God’s eyes. Jesus challenges us to proclaim that peace is possible in a world that is constantly threatened by war and violence. Jesus challenges us to lead our lives with mercy, instead of judgment– to treat other people as we would like to be treated. Jesus challenges us to imagine a world in which there aren’t rich people and poor people; to imagine a world of abundance where there is more than enough for everyone.

As Christians, we don’t simply imagine these things. We work towards them– in big and small; individual and collective ways. We work towards these beautiful, impossible things because we believe that we are a part of God’s work in the world. We are Growing In Faith Together, as our stewardship theme proclaims for this year.

As we prepare our hearts and minds to give, I invite you to think about a few impossible things that I have seen happen at Trinity:

I have seen a man who used to heckle me on the side of the street become a friend, and an integral member of our Chapel on the Green community, until his death and burial in our Columbarium.

I have seen an Afghan asylum seeker arrive at our doors with nothing, and have a community of support built around him, one that would eventually lead to him finding an apartment just this past week.

I have seen human voices produce impossible, otherworldly music that inspired me to live with greater intention in the world.

I have seen a 98 year old poet, a survivor of cancer, decide to face her death with beauty and grace, saying goodbye to friends and continuing to read poems and make jokes along the way.

What impossible things do you want to see in the world? What impossible things do you want to see at Trinity?

I give to Trinity because it matters for me to be a part of a group of people who proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who proclaim that impossible things are possible, with God’s help. Of course, there is always an aspect of Stewardship Season that involves the mundane. We have to pay our bills, insurance, and software subscriptions. But I hope you can also see how the church is unique, as an organization in the world, in our pursuit of impossible things. We are unique in our restless imagination, trying to see the world in the way that God sees it. We are unique in our efforts to shine flashes of eternal life into our lives here and now, striving to make this world a more just and loving place.

Whatever impossible things you are longing for in your life right now, I pray that God will bless them, and make a way where it seems like there is no way forward. “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Amen.