PENTECOST 19, B – October 11, 2009

SCRIPTURES – Ps. 112; Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Heb. 3:12-19; Mark 10:17-22

Jesus’ answer to this man is difficult to understand. He seems to be saying things that don’t make sense or agree with other things the Bible tells us.

For instance, He seems to distance Himself from God when He says, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Is Jesus saying He is not good, and so is not God? Actually, no. What He is doing is refusing to allow the man to put Him above God or in opposition to God, as if He knows of another way a person can gain eternal life than by following what God says. Jesus is a teacher who teaches nothing other than God’s good Word. He therefore directs the man to God’s Command-ments, for they are God’s good words. If the man does them, he will gain eternal life.

Isn’t Jesus now teaching salvation by works, saying that our obedience of God and the good we do determines whether we will go to heaven or not? No, He is simply following the man’s reasoning. The man thinks there is something he can do to gain heaven, and so Jesus tells him what it is: obey God’s commands. His commandments are good, after all, expressions of His good will for our lives. There is great benefit in following them, and great harm often follows the breaking of them.

o   I gave blood the other day. Before they allowed me to give they asked me a whole bunch of questions, most of which were about sex. Had I ever had sex with a prostitute? With another man? Had I ever had sex for drugs? The list went on and on. Why? Because if I had done such things I would very likely be infected with a disease that could infect and harm, and even kill, anyone who received my blood.

Ignoring and breaking God’s good commandments often results in much harm and suffering; whereas, if you learn and follow them, you are likely to be happier, healthier, and better off. We are certainly blessed in this life if we keep God’s commandments.

But, will they get us to heaven? That depends. Do you keep them? And, not as best as you can, but as well as He requires? The man who came to Jesus believed he had. “Teacher, all these [commandments] I have kept from my youth,” he said. Had he? Did he completely trust God, and so entrust his life to Him? That is what the commandments are all about. They are not about earning God’s favor so that He rewards you with eternal life, but about entrusting yourself to God, following what He says because He is good and so knows what is good. “No one is good except God alone.” Did the man believe this? Would he trust God completely, and not his own goodness or rely on his own wealth and ability? Would he show this in his life? What about you? Do you believe that God alone is good, and you are not? Will you trust Him and so follow Him completely, including in your use of money and possessions? Will you show this in your life, by how you live and use them – and give them away?

“Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” Here’s another troubling statement of Jesus. You can’t have money and possessions and be a Christian! That’s what He seems to be saying. Here we must note that He says this to this man, not to all people who would follow Him.

o   Remember Zacchaeus, the wealthy tax collector who climbed a tree to see Jesus? He promised to give half of his possessions to the poor, not all of them. But, even with half of his wealth he would still have more than most. Even so, Jesus blessed him and said that salvation had come to him.

Jesus told this man to sell all that he had and give it to the poor because He knew his heart. He knew that the man was willing to go only so far in following God.

What is in your heart? How far are you willing to go in following Jesus? What would you be willing to give up to gain eternal life? If you are not willing to give up everything – your possessions, your money, even your very life – you are not worthy of Christ. If you are unwilling to trust Him completely and follow completely all of His commandments, you are not worthy to inherit eternal life.

You are not worthy of God. Neither am I. Nor was this wealthy man who came to Jesus. Still, Jesus looked at him and loved him. Did He not see what was in the man’s heart? Did He not see how the man trusted in his wealth more than in God? Yes, He did. But, still, He loved him. Jesus loves sinners. He loves the weak, the sinful, the unworthy, so much so that He did what we cannot: He gave up all that He had and gave it to the poor – to us poor, unworthy sinners. He gave up His dwelling place in heaven in the presence of His Father; He gave up the company of the holy angels; He gave up His rule over all things. He gave all this up to come in our weak flesh and live in the company of sinners. He gave up His holiness to take our sins upon Himself. He gave up His very life to pay for our sins. He gave up everything for us.

And, Jesus did not only love the man; He offered Himself to him. “Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Follow me, the Good Teacher! Oh, that this man had done so. He would have found that he had lost nothing in giving up his wealth. What are money and possessions, after all? They are uncertain things which can be taken from you, be lost, or be destroyed. They can certainly be helpful in many ways in this life, but they cannot buy you happiness or love, or preserve your health and life indefinitely. There are many rich people who are miserable and who die young! But, if you have Jesus, you have wealth which nothing in this world, indeed, nothing in all creation, can ever take away. With Jesus you have the true riches of a pure and holy life that is free of any stain of sin, for He bore them all and paid their penalty for you. In Him you have eternal life, a great inheritance with your Father in heaven. You also have a life which is filled with good works. Christ’s life was rich with good deeds, deeds which were gladly done in loving obedience of His Father’s commandments. How rich and full of good was His life! All of these riches He has given to you who believe in Him. They are counted as yours! And, always, your Savior looks on you with love, and this is what matters above all.

o   His gaze is even better than that of an elderly couple who have celebrated many years of marriage. They are certainly very different from what they were when they were first married. Their faces are no longer smooth and beautiful, but wrinkled with cares and blotched with age spots; their bodies are not strong and straight, but bent and weak. Yet, this is not what they focus upon when they look upon each other. They see the beauty that was there at first, and even more. Love sees beauty, even if it is hidden.

In Jesus His Son your heavenly Father looks on you with love. “For God so loved the world He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) In Christ you have beauty which is great and eternal. When God now looks at you who believe in Jesus, He does not shake His head with disappointment; His brow is not furrowed by an angry frown. He gladly forgives your sins and promises you eternal life as your inheritance at the end of this life. We can therefore be joyful, not sorrowful, and gladly follow Him.

Follow Him! Rejoice in your heavenly Father’s love and look on Him with love! Love His Word and His commandments, and follow them that people may see the good you do and give glory to your Father in heaven. And, as God blesses you with money and possessions, gladly use them to help the poor, especially those who do not know the love of Jesus and the blessed life we have in Him. Give to this end, that people may know and receive Jesus. This is the greatest giving of all!

Take my life and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise! (LSB #783)