A Sermon delivered on Sunday, October 13, 2024 by Rev. Dr. Patrick H. Wrisley.
As we prepare to hear this morning’s scripture read, it is helpful to remember what precedes our reading. People were bringing little children to Jesus for blessing and the disciples sharply rebuked them. Jesus shoots back at the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Do not hinder them. To such belongs the kingdom of God. Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” In other words, Jesus reminds the disciples that little children are dependent upon others to survive. Children know that they are reliant on others. Mark has a wonderful way of taking a teaching of Jesus and then offer a real-life example of that teaching in action. That’s what we have this morning in our scripture lesson.
And this brings us to today’s Story from Mark 10:17-31. Listen to the Word of the Lord.
Mark 10:17-31
17As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “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, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”[1]
Mark’s Story shows a contrast between two vastly diverse ways of living in the world. One involves dependence, and the other is about self-reliance. Little children are dependent, the rich man is self-reliant. He has amassed many possessions. The term describing his wealth refers to large swaths of land and estates. Dependence versus self-reliance. This is what the Story is about, and it is the one most important thing.
Let us make sure we see all this correctly. Jesus did not make judgments about wealth and say being wealthy is bad. There is nothing in the Story to show the man was insincere in his coming to Jesus. He could have been the president of Rotary and an upstanding elder at his local church for all we know. He shows deference to Jesus in that he falls to the ground before him, recognizing Jesus’ spiritual wisdom. It is through this spiritual wisdom Jesus correctly diagnosed the man’s real problem and then prescribes the cure. In all honesty, we all suffer from the rich man’s ailment of self-reliance.
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The irony here is you do not do anything to inherit something. You are part of the family, and an inheritance is given to you by virtue of who you are. It is not given because of what you do. The rich man relied on himself not to kill anyone. He avoided sleeping with another’s wife. He did not steal. He refrained from telling lies or conducting shady business deals. He honored his parents. He was a good boy growing up! He simply wants to know what he can do to guarantee his seat on Heaven’s glory bus. The man wants the ticket to get on and Jesus reminds him the tickets are not for sale and are for family members. And it is right here Jesus gives him instructions on how to become part of the family.
Liquidate all your assets, invest them with the poor, and come, follow me.
Scholar Charles Campbell says, “Jesus (is) requiring an action that is more extreme than obedience to the commandments.”[2] Jesus’ instructions even unsettle his disciples who were with him. Their reaction is described as literally being blown away by what Jesus said. Wealth and good fortune were interpreted as a sign of God’s blessing for living a good life. And Jesus wants him to do what? Yup. Liquidate.
The rich man was relying on his self-made piety to be a good Jew. The rich man’s identity is wrapped up in his real estate holdings and wealth. Jesus does not demand the man to do anything. Instead, he places the answer to the rich man’s question right in front of him. It is up to the man to decide if he wants to pick it up and do something about it. Jesus never forces us to do anything; that is not the Lord’s way. The Lord simply shows us the path. Still, each of us is confronted with the decision whether or not to take it up.
The rich man lacked one thing: Total dependence on God. If you want to be a part of God’s family and receive the inheritance, you must act like it. You must depend on God for everything. You are to key your decisions in life on God’s provision, not your own. Jesus is trying to teach that you get by giving. You hang on by letting go. You lead by being last. Strength is displayed through humility. You live by dying. No wonder the rich man went away sad, and the other disciples were anxious about what they heard. Jesus’ calculus was turning everything on its head.
Come, follow me. A three-word invitation that will turn a person’s world upside down. Following demands a person to detach from where they are and orient themselves towards a different destination. It’s moving from self-reliance to dependence upon whom we are following.
Now up to this point, we have listened about this text as it relates to someone else — the dejected rich guy, who we do not know if he went and sold all his property and gave the proceeds to the poor or not. Where it pinches a bit is when we purposefully place ourselves into the Story and we ask Jesus a question.
Perhaps you do not have huge real estate holdings that you rely upon. But what holds you back? What prevents your total dependence on God? What is the one thing you need to give up for total dependence on Christ? How can you fully live into the kingdom of God? Perhaps, it is a relationship. Is it a job? Golf? A boat? School? Are you so spiritually minded you are no earthly good like the man in our Story? The good Lord knows it is not easy. The rich man was grievously sad at Jesus’ response. The disciples were left speechless by what Jesus asked the man to do. That is why Jesus says salvation can’t be earned. It is impossible for men and women to achieve. Yet what was is impossible for us is totally possible for God. God does for us that we can’t do for ourselves. All God requires is our fidelity in our dependence on upon him.
When we answer Jesus’ call to put down and follow, we enter the promise of eternal life at that moment; we gain entrance to the kingdom and realm of God. As we do, we get a hundredfold new mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, or lands but not without persecutions. Being dependent on God costs us something. It is not nor should it be easy as relationships need attention and work. Showing God our fidelity requires our taking risks, our making changes in how we live and relate with others. It takes time. It requires soul searching and self-examination. It begins with our understanding the one thing we lack.
“Come, follow me.” Three simple words. How shall we respond? Let us pray.
© October 13, 2024, by Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, NY, and not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved.
[1] The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 4: Season after Pentecost 2 (Propers 17-Reign of Christ) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) by David L. Bartlett, Barbara Brown Taylor https://a.co/6HXRSWj.
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