What must I do…

October 15, 2006, Proper 23B

Amos5:6-7, 10-15; Ps, 90:12-17; Heb. 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31

A priest, a minister and a rabbi were walking in the park when they found a paper bag with $10,000 in it. They were trying to decide what to do with it and the priest said, “Let’s draw a circle, throw the money up in the air. Everything that falls in the circle we will keep, and everything that falls outside the circle we will give to God.’ The minister said, “Okay, except we’ll keep everything that falls outside the circle and give to God what falls inside the circle.” The rabbi chimed in, “Why don’t we just throw it up in the air and God can keep what he wants and we will keep the rest!?”

Jesus is on a journey – he is ultimately headed for Jerusalem. Last week he had traveled from Capernaum to Judea beyond the Jordan. Now he sets out again, but we are not told where he is going. A man comes running up – he falls on his knees and says, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.” The address is over the top for a Jew. Jesus jokes with him, “Why do you call me ‘good’? No one is good but God.”

Next Jesus reminds him of the commandments – those dealing with our neighbors – those that deal with relationships here on earth. The Jewish belief was that if you just followed all the right laws, then you could please God and you would have eternal life. So his statement “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” was typical of this time and the Jewish mindset.

But there’s a problem with this – how many of you have every received an inheritance? What did you have to do to earn that inheritance? Did you do something to earn the inheritance, or was it the result of a relationship you enjoyed?

Jesus essentially tells this man, you cannot earn God’s gift – you can only accept it. You’ve probably heard people say things like, “You just earned another star in your crown.” But that just perpetuates the myth.

Eternal life is a gift. The gift of the kingdom of God is a gift of relationship. And Jesus is in the process of redefining relationship - relationship with God and with the people around you.

This man (Luke calls him a rich young ruler) is a good man – he is religious and has been diligent about keeping the commandments – he’s probably not much different from you and me. He’s spent his life living as best he knew how, following in his father’s footsteps, felt blessed by God because of his prosperity.

What he didn’t understand was that eternal life is a gift. There is a story told about a young boy in Sweden who wanted some grapes from the king’s garden for his sick mother. He asked the gardener if he could buy a bunch, but the gardener refused. Standing nearby was the King’s son, and right away he put two bunches of grapes in the boy’s hand. The boy offered to pay, but the prince said, “My father is not a merchant who sells, he is a king who gives.” Our God is not a merchant with eternal life to sell.

I can remember a number of years ago when Sam and I lived in Austin. We both had good jobs, two cars, two beautiful children and enough money for the things we needed. But something was missing. We were good people – we weren’t rich, but we had the things we needed, and yet, something was missing.

I would imagine that it wasn’t much different from this young man. He knew something was missing and he thought that he could buy or earn whatever it was. And Jesus tells him what it needed. His face falls, because he isn’t ready to give up what he has. This young man walks away, shoulders slumped, head down, turning away from what he desperately wanted, because he wasn’t willing to pay the price. He wasn’t willing to lay down what he had in order to pick up the mantle of Christ.

Jesus turns to his disciples and says that it’s hard for the wealthy to enter the kingdom – not impossible, but hard. It is only through the grace of God that any of us can enter the kingdom of God.

It’s hard for the rich to enter heaven because they have a tendency to rely on their wealth and/or self-reliance for the things they need and want. It’s hard for the rich to enter heaven because they sometimes develop an unhealthy attachment to their wealth. We often hear a misquote from the Bible, “Money is the root of all evil.” But that’s not right. It’s not money that is the root of all evil, it is “the love of money that is the root of all evil.” That comes from 1 Tim. 6:10. It is not money itself that is the problem, it is our attachment and dependence on it that is a problem.

But this is a new concept for the disciples. The culture – the Jewish religion itself affirmed that affluence was the direct result of the blessing and favor of God. Affluence was a shoe-in for heaven. But Jesus is giving them something new – getting into heaven is impossible for us – but not for God - with God all things are possible.

There’s a story about a man dying and going to heaven and St. Peter meets him at the gate and says, “We had to develop a new system to decide who gets to come into heaven. You need a thousand points to get in now. What have you done with your life?”

The man says, “Well, I was a minister and preached to hundreds of people and brought them to God. I visited prisoners and patients in hospitals. I started a food kitchen to feel the hungry and a clothing center to help people get clothes.”

St. Peter said, “Well, all that adds up to about 10 points.” The man, in shock, said, “Ten point? At that rate I’ll need the grace of God to get in.” St. Peter said, “That’s worth 990 points. Come on in.”

Peter speaks for the whole group – “We have left everything and followed you…” I know what that’s like – that’s pretty much what I did when I left for seminary – I walked away from pretty much everything. I didn’t sell it, but I gave a bunch away and walked away from the rest.

Jesus tells the disciples; "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive: -- >

Luke says: “many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

Matthew says: “a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.

But look at what Mark says: “,,, houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions.”

I don’t know about you, but for me that doesn’t sound happy – fields with persecutions? I think it’s safe to say that when we follow Jesus, it isn’t always fun and games. Sometimes there will be struggles and hardships. Sometimes we are going to suffer, regardless of who were are and what we are and what we have done.

You know those bumper stickers out there that say “Honk if you love Jesus.” Sam and I ran across one a couple of years ago that said, “If you love Jesus, tithe. Anyone can honk.”

God is asking something of us. He’s asking for a commitment. For some people that might take the form of a commitment of money. For others, it might be a commitment of time. And even others might be asked for a commitment of talent.

I have a niece who’s first husband would not allowed her to give to the church – even from the money she earned herself. She was a graphic artist, so she donated her time and talent to help provide the church with designs for flyers and newsletters.

I guess it’s sort of like earnest money in a contract – you are putting your money where you mouth is. You know those bumper stickers out there that say “Honk if you love Jesus.” Sam and I ran across one a couple of years ago that said, “If you love Jesus, tithe. Anyone can honk.”

It’s a commitment. The biblical commitment is the tithe – ten percent. Even if you don’t have money, there are other things you can do. So search your heart and see where God is calling you to commit you time or talent or treasure.

Please feel free to email me with any comments or questions at nan@doerrworks.com