"Too Great a Price"
Sermon Presented October 15, 2006
Mark 10:17-31
I imagine most of us would like to have more money and material things than we now have. (People preparing to move to smaller quarters may not desire more things as they pare down their possessions, but more money is always welcome.) We also envy the respect that money affords. In Milwaukee, if your name is Steve Marcus, Herb Kohl, Bud Selig, Richard Teerlink or Michael Cudahy, people listen to you and jump when you speak. This sounds good to us. Wealth purchases influence in government and society; causes people to spend an inordinate amount of time managing their finances, and exudes an odor of importance.
When Jesus gives instructions to a rich young ruler, we say, "I'm off the hook! I don't have a stock broker, a financial advisor, a home on Lake Drive, or a 6 or 7 or 8 figure income! He's not talking to me!"
But maybe he is! Do you define yourself by your possessions? When I was a homeowner, I commanded more respect when I cashed a check than when I lived in a parsonage or an apartment. In my apartment building, those who have two and three bedroom apartments command more respect than those with only one bedroom. The brand of clothing worn is important to many children, teenagers and adults. The kind of car we drive or the electronic equipment we possess can raise or lower our public esteem. This rich ruler was really rich - and young! He had it all!
As I read the text, I invite you to see if something here speaks to you in a personal or confrontive manner. Maybe we do allow our possessions to get between us and God. Maybe we need to consider new ways to enhance our spiritual lives that entail the reduction of our things or bank accounts. Hear Jesus' exchange with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-31.
In one significant way, the rich young ruler reminds me of myself! Oh, I'm not wealthy, or a ruler, or a man, but I'm a person who wants to do what's right and cover all of the bases. My desire is to "be perfect!" No, let me rephrase that: My desire is that people believe I am perfect! Now I don't have any illusions that ANY of you believe me to be perfect, but I have always worked on my image. However, I have made good progress in recent years and believe I am more real today than ever before. I now hope people will accept me with all of my flaws!
The young man in our text wants to make sure he will inherit eternal life. He has obeyed the religious laws since old enough to understand the rules. He didn't get drunk after the prom or smoke a joint with his friends. He doesn't drive his new Porsche 20 MPH over the speed limit or cheat on his income taxes. He goes to the synagogue each Sabbath and discusses scripture with the rabbi. He gives money to the poor and treats his parents with respect. He cares about the future - not just the present, and he wants to make sure he is safe for eternity. He is a good man whose life is on track for a great obituary, and yet he senses he needs to do something more.
With this in mind, he runs to Jesus and kneels before him. Something is disturbing him and he wants to put it to rest. The text says that Jesus loves him and yet Jesus can't assure him that he's okay as he is. Jesus acknowledges that he's good, and yet he challenges him at his core values.
The question the young man asks is: "What can I do to inherit eternal life?" He assumes he can make it happen if he does the right thing. However, in love, Jesus tells him to sell everything he has, give the money to the poor and then follow him. But the rich man can't do it! He can't even consider it. He's shocked that Jesus wants him to sell all of his possessions! Maybe if Jesus asked him to sell a third or half or even three-fourths of his property, he could do it, but not everything! His ties to his property are so binding that he leaves grieving. His identity is tied up with his wealth, and according to Jesus, his wealth can't provide what he wants. In fact, his possessions are keeping him from the relationship with God he seeks.
He knows that God can give him eternal life and that Jesus can help him. He's come to the right place. He believes that eternal life is an inheritance - something to which his goodness entitles him. But he's not good enough - not perfect enough - to give everything he has to the poor.
In the first century, wealth was either inherited or attained through corrupt means. The goal of the honorably wealthy was to preserve their status and not gain more wealth. An honorable person would strive to avoid the accumulation of more capital, since this is seen as a threat to the community and community balance. Since all goods are limited, one who seeks to gain more wealth is dishonorable or greedy. The only way to accumulate more wealth was through the loss suffered by another. This rich young ruler is an honorable man who has a legitimate claim on his wealth.
Jesus calls the young man to what we might understand as a commune or a kibbutz, where no individual holds any personal wealth. The community at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found was such a community. At the kibbutz I visited in Israel, people who joined the community brought their wealth to the community. Several professional people worked outside the kibbutz, but brought their paychecks to the treasurer of the community. Each family in the kibbutz submitted requests for their needs, and the requests were evaluated and distributed without regard to the contributions made. The difference between this concept and that of our text is that Jesus asks the rich man to divest himself of all of his possessions, give the money to the poor, and then join the community of Jesus' followers. The man turns away because no matter how much he wants to be perfect, he can't trust himself to this new community.
This text brings us eyeball to eyeball with one of the most entrenched values of American society: the accumulation of material goods. The story makes us uncomfortable, so we try to lessen the impact. We know Mark's community expected Jesus' imminent return, so they didn't sense a need for long-term planning. We, on the other hand believe we need to plan for the future with plenty of insurance - car, life, health and long-term care, money set aside for emergencies like a new roof or an unexpected catastrophe, and money for retirement.
We not only save for the future, we also love our treasures. Our books, art objects, family heirlooms, tools, home, musical instruments, electronic devices are used to fill the emptiness in our souls. Some of these treasures nourish our souls and some crowd out God and people and keep us from seeing how needy we really are. Jesus told the rich man to release his wealth and give it to the poor - to become poor himself - and then to follow Jesus. We grieve for him because we fear our answer would be the same.
Later, when Jesus is alone with his disciples, he further expands on the relationship of possessions to the Kingdom of God. He tells them that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a wealthy person to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus speaks here of an impossibility, but he adds that nothing is impossible with God. Eternal life and wholeness are in God's realm.
One thing we might want to keep in mind is that Jesus didn't ask the same of everyone. This story is the only one like it, so probably Jesus understood something about this young man that we don't see. The call to Kingdom living comes to each person differently, and each of us has different barriers to accepting that call.
When we consider this teaching, we can see that accumulating wealth can become an end in itself and even be idolatrous. Caring for our possessions can take priority over our relationship with God. Our possessions - even though meager - can take our focus off of following Jesus - when we give them priority.
The question posed to Jesus was: What must I do to inherit eternal life? The answer is that we must turn loose of everything that prohibits us from seeing that we can't save ourselves. Jesus said that our salvation is tied up with caring for the poor and following Jesus.
How do we know when a call to divest ourselves from our possessions is from God? There have always been those whose desire is to separate us from our money with the appeal that God wants it from us. Those who followed Jim Jones and many televangelists lost everything believing they were securing their salvation. We must test the spirits and not act quickly or irrationally. We must determine who will benefit from our actions.
So, what can we do to inherit eternal life? Nothing! For people it's impossible. But not for God! Neither wealth nor giving away our wealth saves us. God does the saving, and salvation is an inheritance - an undeserved gift!
Having said this, we can't conclude that we are called to an easy gospel - all grace and no commitment. That isn't what Jesus taught. Jesus calls us to be committed to helping the poor and working for justice, and when we don't follow, our spiritual lives dry up and blow away.
The kind of materialism Jesus calls us to requires not the accumulation of goods, but an engagement with people, particularly people in need. Perhaps the first lesson for us in all of our wealth is to realize the empty promise of our consumption. The second is to follow Jesus in the abundant life of engagement. This is what Jesus asked of the rich man and what he asks of us.
What are you holding on to that keeps you from following Jesus? What baggage do you need to shed in order to be what God wants you to be, and do what God wants you to do? How much of a nonconformist is God asking you to become? Let's ask God what we need to do to have real life. Like the rich man, we may not like what we hear. However, the answer will show us the way to true joy!
