Sermon Mark 10:17-31
October 14, 2018 year B Ordinary Time
Power & Wealth
As I was seeking or I should say, sifting through my books
and papers for an opener related to power and wealth for this sermon, I ran
across a book titled, “The Last Lecture”.
A man named Randy Pausch, an engineer
who taught at the University of Virginia, wrote a book based on his last
lectures.
In his introduction to the book he wrote this, “I have an engineering problem.” “While for the most part I’m in great
physical shape, I have ten tumors in my liver…” Randy goes on to explain
the purpose of his book.
He asks the question of “How to live his limited time
left in this life.”
He explains the book is his way of talking to his
children who were too young to understand the grown up world. He wrote, “Engineering
isn’t perfect about solutions; its about doing the best you can with limited
resources.”
This story in the gospel of Mark is about a man who comes to
Jesus with an abundance of resources and wonders what he can do with his life.
It is a story of perplexity that we all face. Where do we fit into the scheme
of life? What are the questions we are to ask and what do we do with the
answers we receive? This man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. I think
we all want the answer to that question.
Jesus tells him to obey the law and learns that this man has been an obedient faithful man. This
mas seems to be waiting for Jesus to tell him more. He seems to understand as
he looks at Jesus that obedience to the law is not enough. He looks at Jesus
waiting to be able to ‘do’ more.
And Jesus looks at him and loves him.
Jesus loves him.
Before Jesus says anything.
Before Jesus does anything else with this man.
Before Jesus judges or instructs, or gives advice…before
anything….Jesus loves him.
If we could hang on to this before we go any further, we can
learn a lot about who we are and how we are in this world.
Jesus loves us.
Before any instructions we get from God, Jesus loves us.
Before any work we do well, Jesus loves us. Before any turning our back on the
commands of God, Jesus loves us. Perhaps, that’s the most important phrase to
remember today.
No matter what, Jesus loves us.
Jesus challenges this man to go. To sell. To give. And to follow.
He is shocked when Jesus
instructs him to do this. He is grieved deeply. It is clear he wants to be
engaged with Jesus in some way. But, there is a part of him that cannot fulfill
even one of the four actions Jesus demands of him.
Go. Sell. Give. Follow.
When I began the final preparations
for this text, I found it difficult to be preaching about someone with so much
wealth when there has been so much devastation around us and people have lost
everything. I had a hard time wrapping my head around what it looks like to
lose everything. How can Jesus ask someone to give up all they have? And if
they do, does it look like what these folks who have been through a storm where
they are lucky to be alive? Gosh, I hope not.
We have heard about those in the
tsunamis, in the earthquakes, and the hurricanes. I have watched the news over
and over again as Hurricane Michael tore across the panhandle of Florida and
even here on the Eastern Shore. These dear people have nothing left. They don’t
even have a roof over their heads, no cars, nothing. It is too hard to imagine.
I am stunned in thinking what this means for people and communities to try to
move forward.
Where does what has just happened around the world fit into
today’s lesson from Jesus? I struggle with the tension of it all. The situation of losing everything at the
will of disaster or the situation of offering up everything to the will of God.
What’s the difference if we end up with nothing either way?
Maybe it’s like Randy Pausch describes engineering-it isn’t
perfect about solutions; its about doing the best you can with limited
resources.” Our limited understanding
of the words of Jesus now in the 21st century only give us a glimpse
of what he might have meant.
We can only speculate. We only work with our
limited resources to try to understand.
In this life today, how do we
respond to demands and commands from the world in times of disaster? Are we
able to let go of our limited resources for the sake of others? Can we offer a
dime to the person homeless on the street? Are we able to cope with going on
vacation when others in the family are struggling to pay their electric bills?
These are the questions that hit hard. And yet, that is
exactly how Jesus is talking to this man in the Bible. Jesus is requiring this
man to let go of the control of his life. That’s what go, sell, give
and follow are all about. The storms that come along our way in life remind us all to well how we relinquish control of our
possessions and even our life. We are not in control as much as we would like
to think we are. And if we offer the control to the One who is the creator of
the universe, the one who loved us enough to become one of us, perhaps this is
where can begin to live the command to go, sell, give, and follow, just a
little. Not because we are trying to earn something, but because we have
offered the control of it to God.
Jesus turns the question around from ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ to the
statement ‘for God all things are possible’.
It is no longer about
earning God’s favor, but receiving God’s love.
Perhaps, Jesus is trying to help
this man and his disciples to understand the danger of wealth and how people
proudly proclaim, ‘I did it my way’; ‘the self-sufficiency ideal’; which has
a way of taking control and power that becomes all about the self rather
than looking outward towards a relationship with others and the world.
This man is honest with Jesus when asked to go, sell,
give, and follow.
He can’t do it.
He grieves over the fact that he can’t do it.
His heart wants to, but his head says no.
He is honest with Jesus and with himself.
He confesses before him that it is too much to ask of him.
He walks away grieved.
This story is a chance for our honesty to come forth
too. It is our chance for transparency.
It is our chance to say to Jesus you are asking too much of
me.
It is our chance to witness that even when we walk away grieved Jesus
loves us and that never changes.
We all have a limited time.
Whether its five years or fifty years, we have to wonder how
we live this life. Jesus is giving us a solution.
Offer this life to God.
In doing so, we will receive abundance here and forever.
When we let go of the
worries of this world and this life we discover the treasure of heaven and the
abundance of wonder here on earth freely given.
That friends, is abundant life.
To be loved. Always.
With God all things are possible.
Jesus loves us. Now and forever. Amen.
Reverend Monica Gould
PCUSA
Resources: Feasting on the Word; Working Preacher
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