Not Enough Pull

Theme: God is able to save us.

Bible Verse: But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)

Materials Needed:

• Two plungers with long handles

Bible Lesson

Jesus had just told his disciples that it was difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. In fact, it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. The disciples were astonished at this apparent impossibility. Mark 10:27 records Jesus’s reply to the disciples’ confusion.

In truth it is impossible for anyone to enter the kingdom of God on his or her own merit. No matter how good we are, we all fall far short of God’s perfection. No matter how much money we have or give away, we cannot buy a ticket into heaven. Now the good news: with God all things are possible, including our salvation. What we cannot do, God freely does for us by his love and grace.

Science Activity

This activity involves a tug-of-war. Push two plungers firmly together. The challenge is to pull them apart again. Perhaps two people can grasp each plunger. Have them sit on the floor so no unexpected falls occur. Participants will quickly find that it is nearly impossible to separate the plungers by pulling outward. It seems to be an impossible task, like the kind of predicament that perplexed the Lord’s disciples.

To separate the plungers, simply turn them so the handles are at right angles to each other. Air should then seep between the rubber seals and allow them to easily fall apart. What formerly seemed impossible is actually quite simple. Make clear to the audience that this is a very limited analogy to Mark 10:27. When we know the secret we can separate the plungers. However, gaining salvation by ourselves truly is impossible; there is no simple shortcut. Our eternal life is possible only through Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Two joined plungers make a good tug-of-war activity.

Science Explanation

A famous activity was performed in 1654 in Magdeburg, Germany. Scientist Otto von Guericke brought sixteen horses and two large copper bowls before the emperor. The metal bowls, each about two feet in diameter, were placed snugly together with a leather fitting. The inside air was then removed with a hand pump. Eight horses were harnessed to each copper hemisphere in an effort to pull them apart; they barely succeeded. This dramatic activity showed the surprising effect of air pressure. With no air or pressure inside the copper hemispheres, the weight of the outside air pushed the spheres together with many tons of force.

When two plungers are pushed together, the inside air is expelled. A plunger that is five inches in diameter has an outside surface area of about forty square inches. Each square inch of the outside surface experiences a force from the air pressure of about fifteen pounds. Thus the plungers are held together by an invisible force of several hundred pounds. It is no wonder that the tug-of-war does not easily succeed. When the plungers are turned at right angles, the inside vacuum is broken, outside air is admitted, and the pressure difference then disappears.