Luke 18:26-27
Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The disciples’ question, "Then who can be saved?", isn't just about the rich; it reveals their dawning realization that no one can meet God's standard on their own. They're grasping that following Jesus requires an impossible level of commitment and purity that transcends simply giving up wealth.
Jesus has just told a rich young ruler that to enter the kingdom, he must sell all his possessions, a statement that deeply saddened the young man. When the disciples heard Jesus then explain how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom, even using the vivid imagery of a camel passing through a needle's eye, they were astonished and asked in dismay, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus drops a bombshell: it's incredibly hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom. The disciples' immediate reaction? Utter shock and despair.
Jesus' statement about the rich man and the needle's eye (Luke 18:25) wasn't just a colorful saying; it was a stark reality check. The disciples understood this to mean that meeting God's perfect standard for entering His Kingdom was, in human terms, impossible. They weren't just hearing about a difficult path; they were realizing the absolute inability of anyone to meet the requirements through their own efforts. This wasn't about a special rule for the rich, but a revelation about the fundamental human condition in the face of God's holiness. As Calvin notes, the disciples' astonishment wasn't misplaced; it highlighted the immense obstacle that riches, and by extension, any human reliance on self or possessions, presented.
Faced with the impossibility of salvation through human effort, the disciples voiced their ultimate fear. But Jesus immediately pivots to the answer.
The disciples' question, "Who then can be saved?" reveals their dawning realization that salvation isn't a reward for good behavior or a result of human striving. It's a question born of despair, recognizing that no one, regardless of wealth or status, can achieve it on their own. But Jesus doesn't leave them there. His response, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26, implied context), shifts the focus entirely. Salvation isn't about human capability; it's about God's sovereign power and grace. This reveals a core theological truth: our inability is precisely the condition that opens the door for God's intervention. The disciples, though initially struck with terror, were being led to understand that true discipleship involves recognizing our limitations and depending entirely on God's power.
Understand the original words
sōzō · Greek Verb
The act of being rescued from the power and penalty of sin, restored to a right relationship with God, and granted the hope of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a work entirely of God's grace.
adunatos · Greek Adjective
Refers to the state of being unable to achieve something through human strength, intellect, or resources; in this context, it highlights the total dependence of humanity on divine intervention for salvation.
This passage presents the disciples asking the exact same question immediately after hearing Jesus' teaching about the difficulty for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, highlighting their shared astonishment.
Mark 10:26Similar to Luke's account, Mark records the disciples' response of bewilderment, emphasizing the shock of Jesus' statement and the perceived impossibility of salvation under such conditions.
Luke 18:27This verse immediately follows the disciples' question, providing Jesus' direct answer that what is impossible with humans is possible with God, directly addressing their despair.
Romans 3:23This verse speaks to the universal sinfulness of humanity, which underscores the disciples' question of 'who can be saved?' because it implies that no one naturally meets God's standard.
Philippians 2:13This verse offers a parallel to Jesus' answer in Luke 18:27, explaining that it is God who works within believers to will and to work for His good pleasure, providing the divine enablement for salvation that the disciples found impossible.
calvinLuke 18:24-27: "And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"
- And Jesus said to his disciples, Verily I say to you, A rich man will with difficulty enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24. Again I say to you, It is easier for a camel [630] to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25. And his disciples, when they had heard these things, were greatly amazed, [631] sa…
pulpitLuke 18:26: "And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?"
Verse 26. - And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? This hard saying appeared to the disciples to be terribly comprehensive in its scope; the longing to be rich was confined to no one class or order, it was the universal passion. Were theft guiltless here? Were they not looking for riches and glory in the Messianic kingdom of the immediate future? And of all peoples the Jews in every age have been credited with the bl…
The disciples’ question, "Then who can be saved?", isn't just about the rich; it reveals their dawning realization that no one can meet God's standard on their own. They're grasping that following Jesus requires an impossible level of commitment and purity that transcends simply giving up wealth.
Jesus has just told a rich young ruler that to enter the kingdom, he must sell all his possessions, a statement that deeply saddened the young man. When the disciples heard Jesus then explain how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom, even using the vivid imagery of a camel passing through a needle's eye, they were astonished and asked in dismay, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus has just told a rich young ruler that to enter the kingdom, he must sell all his possessions, a statement that deeply saddened the young man. When the disciples heard Jesus then explain how difficult it is for the rich to enter God's kingdom, even using the vivid imagery of a camel passing through a needle's eye, they were astonished and asked in dismay, "Who then can be saved?"
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"Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”" — The disciples’ question, "Then who can be saved?", isn't just about the rich; it reveals their dawning realization that no one can meet God's standard on their own. They're grasping that following…
