Nothing is Impossible

It seems like there is always something that people declare to be “impossible.” Fermat’s Last Theorem was such and assertion. However, English mathematician, Andrew Wiles proved Fermat’s last theorem. It took the Princeton University professor seven years to come up with the 200-page proof that solved the 350-year-old problem, which many mathematicians had declared was unsolvable. The problem was named after Pierre de Fermat, who lived from 1601 to 1665. He was a magistrate whose avocation was mathematics. Fermat is known as a founder of modern number theory and probability theory. He also did much to establish coordinate geometry. He also invented a number of methods for determining maxima and minima that were later of use to Newton in applying the calculus. He noted without proof, although he claimed to have discovered one, the assertion now known as Fermat's Last Theorem, which states that the equation xn + yn = zn, where x, y, z, and n are nonzero integers, has no solutions for n that are greater than 2. Prizes were offered for a proof of this theorem, and attempted proofs resulted in many developments in the theory of numbers. British mathematician Andrew Wiles described a proof of the conjecture in 1993, but a gap in the proof required additional work, which was completed in 1994. However, Wiles' proof involved mathematical concepts that were unknown in Fermat's lifetime, so whether Fermat had a valid proof remains conjecture. In optics Fermat recognized that of all possible paths, light takes the path that takes the least time; this fundamental rule is known as Fermat's principle. And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (Mark 9:14-29 ESV). So many times we fail only because we believe that we cannot succeed. Faith is the essential ingredient to our success in all of life. Philip Yancey defines faith as: "Believing in advance in something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse." The miraculous await those who believe. Your challenge today may not be as complicated as Fermat’s Last Theorem, but it may seem just as impossible to solve. Trust in the Lord and believe in His mighty hand stretching out to you in grace. He will not fail you!