Pastor Toms Sunday Sermon

Sermon Mark 10.17
     ​   Here in this short passage of five verses we have an amazing dialogue between Jesus and a wealthy man. If we look at Matthew, Mark and Luke we know that he is not just a wealthy man but that he is a rich, young ruler and that is how we commonly refer to him.
 Are you rich? Do you consider yourself wealthy? You might say – hey I’m not one of those billionaires flying around in space. I didn’t make the list of the 400 wealthiest people in America. I’m getting by, I’m making it or maybe even I’m pretty well off but I don’t know about rich. Anyone who’s TRAVELED outside the country to some of the poorer countries will tell you there’s billions of people who think most of us are rich – even if we don’t think we are. Does this passage have anything to say to those that are rich? Does it have anything to say to the billions of people that truly are poor and destitute?
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to the cross that awaits him. Along the way a man runs up to him, kneels before him and says “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Listen again – what a revealing question – Good Teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life? We’ll come back to that. Jesus replies “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”
What do you notice about Jesus reply? Listen to how the young man replies. “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” Jesus looks at him and loves him. Ok let’s look once again at what we’ve heard so far. Good Teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life. He comes to Jesus respectfully kneeling before him - Good Teacher – He doesn’t really understand who he’s kneeling in front of. Jesus’ reply hints at the fact that he is more than a Good Teacher. No one is good except God alone. The man continues – what must I DO to inherit eternal life? Does that sound like fingernails on a blackboard to you? I know it. You know it. There is nothing that WE DO to inherit eternal life. We are not pretty good on our own and just need a little help from God. We are not a toddler in our faith that just needs someone to help keep us steady so we can walk the right path to eternal life. We are like caterpillars in a ring of fire. We are doomed unless God in his mercy and grace and rescues us. Jesus’ reply continues – you know the commandments – Jesus doesn’t talk about those commandments that refer to God. He talks about all those that relate to the neighbor – murder, adultery, stealing, lying, honoring mom and dad. The young man replies – I have kept these things from my youth.
We might think – ya right – you’re full of it, you prideful, self- righteous so and so. But as far as we know he’s sincere in thinking that by his actions – he’s kept the commands. At least he thinks that outwardly he’s observed them most of the time. The interesting thing is that he felt that he kept the commands and yet he knows in his heart it’s not enough. What else must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus sums up the commandments – he boils them down into two – love God and love neighbor. Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.
We can try to view the commandments as a checklist – I haven’t murdered – check. I haven’t stolen – check. We can look at our own behavior and say - see I haven’t done anything wrong to my neighbor. I’ve been a good neighbor.
The next phrase about Jesus almost seems out of place. Jesus looked at him and loved him. Loved him? What do we think would have been loving? Maybe to say something like – wow I can see that your sincere and that you’ve been working so hard. You’re a godly young man with status, wealth, power – you’re an up and comer – a natural born leader – I’d like you to be on my team – in fact we’d be honored if you’d join our team. Doesn’t it seem like the way to love this his man is to welcome him?
But that’s not how Jesus loves him. Jesus looks on him with love and said “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
What – go sell all you possess and give to the poor. Does God have something against having possessions? What about Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Solomon? God blessed them with material things. If God doesn’t like material possessions, why does He give a command to protect them. God commands thou shall not steal. The early church shared what they had with one another. Is that what God wants us to do? Does Jesus want us all to sell our possessions and follow Him? Is that the thing that we must DO to inherit eternal life? That can’t be it because we know that we can’t DO anything – even sell all our possessions and give them to the poor – to inherit eternal life. And what about the poor? Those that don’t have any possessions. Are they to look to the rich to provide what they need? Is that how God will provide for them?
Why does Jesus tell him go and sell everything? The Bible doesn’t come right out and say. We get some hints in the verses that follow but we tread on thin ice when we speculate about God’s motives. Here are some thoughts – informed thoughts – opinions shared by others - but still they are only thoughts not scripture
1)    One thought is that Jesus didn’t just consider his godly behavior - he looked at his heart. And Jesus could see that he didn’t just have possessions but that the man’s property possessed him. It had become what he relied on – what he trusted in. Hence his possessions had become his idol - the thing that had taken the place of God. Jesus asked him to forsake his idol. Jesus desired to set him free from his old way of life – to die to self and all the self-made things he was relying on. But he could not let it go.
2)    Another thought is that he was completely self-focused. He was so focused on himself – his good behavior – that he didn’t even see his neighbors in need. Where you might be able to look at the commands as a check list – murder – no – check. Adultery – no – check. Love your neighbor is not something that you can check off. It’s never done. You don’t get to the end of the day and go – loved my neighbors – check. Not doing wrong to our neighbors is only part of what it means to love them.
Whatever Jesus’ motives were, we know how the man responded, he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. He chose to cling to his things rather than to Jesus. He chose to hold onto his things rather than share them with his neighbors in need. Even though he knew in his heart that his religious practices – his keeping the commands and all his possessions couldn’t earn him eternal life. And Jesus lets him walk away. He doesn’t run after him – plead with him. He lets him walk away grieving. I remember the first time I preached on this passage 21 years ago. I was a seminary student studying in Africa. I had a friend who lived in the slums that invited me to preach at their church The roads were horrible because nobody owned cars. We were driving a little Toyota corolla that we had rented from another missionary family. And we slowly carefully made our way to the church. The church was made of rusty corrugated tin, and it was about 12’ x 20’. Church for them is an all-day event. You worship for a couple hours have lunch and then come back and worship some more. Their sermons can go on for an hour or more. I spoke for 20 minutes, and they were shocked that I didn’t preach longer. At the end of the service, they invited Laurie and I up to receive a love offering from them. We declined yet they insisted. So, as not to be rude, we stood at the front of the church and held our hands open as these poor and destitute people filed forward. One by one they placed what money they had in our hands. Then there came this man in his Sunday best he came forward but had no money and so he took his prized possession his tie clasp off and placed it in my hands. So, the rich young American who drove in on the only car in the whole area – was humbled to enjoy a feast of food that surely cost the congregation a fortune and then received all they had – even their treasured possession.
Those gracious and loving people taught me about clinging to Jesus and not my possessions – about trusting the Lord instead of trusting myself. And they taught me about sharing with those in need - they gave their all to this economically rich but spiritually poor seminary student. May their faith and generosity inspire us always. Amen 
 First Reading:                                                                                    Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
6 Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel, 7 O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth! 10They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. 11Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. 12For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins — you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. 13Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time. 14Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. 15Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
                                    Psalm 90:12-17
12 So teach us to number our days that
We may apply our hearts to wisdom.
 13 Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry?
Be gracious to your servants.
 14 Satisfy us by your lovingkindness in the morning; so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
 15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us and the years in which we suffered adversity.
 16 Show your servants your works and your splendor to their children.
 17 May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.
Second Reading: Hebrews 3:12-19
12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 31But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 16For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief
                                                                           Gospel         –
Mark 10:17-22
17As {Jesus} was setting out on his journey; a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, Do not bear false witness, do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
 


Have a Very Blessed Day W