Conundrum… It’s a Puzzle!

Mark 10:24-27 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.” They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Conundrum… I love this word! Not that I like puzzles, I only like them if I KNOW the answer – which – kind of defeats the word, right? But, to me, conundrum has the connotation of TOO MANY answers, so it is not only KNOWING the answer, but CHOOSING the BEST one!

Conundrum… a confusing and difficult problem or question… a question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer; a riddle… anything that puzzles. (from two dictionaries living on my computer)

Just the sound of this word… con – nun – drum, puts an image of much head shaking. The other half of the image is someone standing and impatiently, tapping a foot or pointing to the seconds on their watch, waiting for your decision… your answer.

To me, SALVATION is one of those “puzzles” and evidently the disciples of Jesus thought so too… they were even more astonished because camels going through the eye of a needle well… let me hear you say IMPOSSIBLE! And Jesus also said, “this would be easier than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.“

Some have said that the “eye of the needle” is talking about a side gate to the principle entryway that people with beasts of burdens had to use to enter (maybe like our “deliveries made at the back door). Not necessarily impossible IF one was willing to do the work to unload the animal, carry the load through,  and reload in order to enter the destination.  BUT would it be possible for a rich man to be willing to unload all his earthly treasures? And, because it is the kingdom of God, there will be NO TAKING them with you or loading them back up. For some people dependent on their riches for the identity and necessity of their chosen life, this choice would be worst possible conundrum! 

Whether we are talking about a sewing needle or a very small opening to walk through… salvation does indeed fit the definition of a conundrum!

Like the disciples, I throw up my hands and shout… “Then who can be saved?”

Who… which of us… can and does the work necessary… NOT VERY MANY – IF ANY!

Tell us the solution!

And Jesus does. “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” 

Whoa! The solution to our puzzle (predicament) is…???… GOD?

But I thought and have always heard that HE IS THE PUZZLE!

Conundrum… how do I SOLVE Him?

I know… I will put all the “right” things on my camel! “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from;’ (Luke 13:24-27)

Or… I will be His perfect child, the one He can’t/won’t find fault with! For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

Our conundrum just got serious – maybe not as confusing – but definitely NOT AMUSING! 

The narrow door… the narrowest of doors… there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

The solution to our mystery… to our puzzle… to our PROBLEM… is not US at all…

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. The solution… the only truly possible solution… is JESUS!

Keep My word… confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes , resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-11)

Impossible for us… But God… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

ALL things are possible with God!

The only conundrum left is… the choice.

Not WHAT you will choose! WHO you will choose!

Is it still a conundrum… a puzzle… for you?

All the pieces to the puzzle are available. We just have to use our heart to study whether we will accept God’s solution to the puzzle of our salvation.

We can’t save ourselves… it is impossible for us to thread ourselves through this needle. However, if we want to be saved – living with God eternally, in His kingdom, we have to accept His terms. We MUST GIVE ourselves to Him AND ALLOW Him to thread us through the needle.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 

Threaded and fed with The Bread of Life! Conundrum solved!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible