Loving God, so many things can become barriers that prevent us from following Jesus.  Open the way into our hearts this day by the power of your Spirit, filling us with your love, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

           The rich man in today’s gospel, unlike many of the others who come to Jesus with questions, seems to be sincere.  He truly wants to know what he must do in order to inherit eternal life.  It is an odd question in the sense that normally we don’t do anything in order to inherit something.  However, all oddities aside, the man seems sincere in seeking the eternal life that Jesus came to bring.  It is also entirely possible that this man thought that perhaps he would be an asset to Jesus’ ministry – able to offer both financial and material support to Jesus and his disciples.

         Thus, imagine his surprise when Jesus seems more interested in his heart than in his possessions.  “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mk. 10:21).  This man seems to have no trouble following the commandments, but this? – Not at all what he was expecting!  As it turns out, he is totally incapable of doing what Jesus asks of him, and goes away grieving.  He is possessed by his possessions, rather than the other way around.

         As the gospel continues, Jesus makes some truly astonishing statements showing that this man will not be the only one who turns away from him.  “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mk. 10:24).  In fact, a camel fitting through the eye of a needle is more likely than a rich person entering the kingdom of God.

         While this might seem to us to be unduly harsh, there is a lot of truth in this statement.  Those who have wealth and power in this world are often not interested in the kingdom of God.  After all, it is a kingdom where the poor and the powerless and the little ones are exalted by God, and the mighty are brought down from their thrones.  It is not wealth that gives you a place of honour in the family of God, but humility, and a pure heart, and trusting God for all that is needed.

         One of the questions that is lurking in the background here for us is this: “What are you willing to leave behind for Jesus?”  Are you willing to leave house and fields and family behind like the disciples?  Are you willing to leave your possessions behind, as the man in today’s gospel was asked to do?  Are you willing to leave your country behind and all the comforts of home, as many missionaries have done over the years?  Or, if these questions are too big to consider, how about some smaller ones?

         Are you willing to leave greed behind and live with the well-being of others in mind?  Are you willing to leave your sickness behind so that you can minister to others?  Are you willing to leave self-centredness behind so that the love of Jesus can rule in your heart?  Or, are you willing to leave your comfort zone, so that God can use you in new ways by the power of the Spirit?

         If you are hesitant with any or all of these questions, you are probably not alone.  We are unable to do any of these things without the Holy Spirit at work within and through us.  The disciples ask, “Then who can be saved?”  And then Jesus gives the good news: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible” (Mk. 10:27) – even saving us!

         We, like the rich man, cannot earn our way in.  In fact, even if we have kept all of the commandments (which seems fairly unlikely), we will not have earned our way in.  The way to God and to eternal life is in and through Jesus.  He has done all of the really hard work in order to open the way for us, breaking the power of sin and death through his sinless life and death and resurrection.  We enter through him and through our trust in him, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

         At the same time, just like the rich man, there are things that we will be asked to leave behind.  We will be asked to leave behind our attachment to earthly riches and possessions so that our hearts are free to embrace the love of God for all people.  We will be asked to leave behind our definition of family, as we gain many new brothers and sisters and parents and children in the family of God.  We will be asked to leave behind our opinions of who is most important, in order to recognize God’s regard for the poor and the innocent and the outcasts and the little ones.  We will also be asked to leave behind our burdens, which Jesus has taken with him to the cross.

         Even though the man in today’s gospel was not able to follow Jesus, we still hear that “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mk. 10:21) – a sign of Jesus’ love for all people.  Jesus has that same love for us, and also calls us to come and follow.  Come, and inherit eternal life.  Come, and be part of the family of God.  Come into the kingdom where those who are thought to be first in this world (the rich and the powerful) end up being last, and those who are thought to be least in this world end up being first.  Come, and experience life and salvation, for with God all things are possible.  Amen.

Lent 1 (NL 2)                                    Mark 10:17-31

March 1, 2020

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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