Twenty-five years ago, I met Grace in Edinburgh, Scotland. We were both in our twenties and trying to figure out life. In 6 months, we became fast friends. I moved back to the States, she later moved to Australia. Fast forward. This summer, she graciously hosted me in her beautiful million-dollar home on Sydney Harbor. It was a model of simplicity: no clutter, efficient and newly painted. I slept on an air mattress and hung my clothes on a drying rack. Professionally she is an analyst offering a combination of wisdom and scotch practicality. Grace and her husband Neil let me stay in their apartment, even while they went on holiday. But that meant that I needed to lock their keys in the apartment as my friend and I were leaving for the airport. We had all our belongs packed and ready to go, wheeled our suitcases out and heard the door click behind us. When I suddenly realized my carry-on bag with my passport and money was locked inside. I panicked! I thought, “We would miss our flight, I would not get to dive, how would I get home without a passport?” Then Ann and I regrouped. My friend Ann showed more faith, trusting all would be well. We start knocking on neighbors’ doors, finally led to a property management agent who could not help but gave us the number of a locksmith. Amazingly a young guy answered his phone while on his lunch break. “I’m locked out of my friend’s apartment who is in Europe,” I said. “I’m on my way to the airport, and I am a silly American. Can you help me?” He drops his lunch and comes over. We are breaking every rule in the book breaking in to this apartment, but he opens the door, we test the lock, and I get my bag! With only a 40-minute delay and $75 fee, and I have all my stuff!!! My passport, my money, my meds and all my treasured possessions. To top it off, we make our flight!!!! I know God was with me!
Losing my stuff, even for that short time, drove me crazy. I wanted to cry. Even though passports and money are important, none of us like to lose our stuff. We certainly get attached to the things in our lives. Our stuff can be tangible, a vintage car, a newly remodeled house, a closet full of clothes. Maybe it is your garage full of tools, your room full of sewing supplies, or your place settings of dishes. What is the thing you value most? What stuff has a hold on you? What would bring you to tears if you had to part with it? With that in mind let us hear a parable told in three of the gospels. (Mark 10:17-31)
Jesus wants us to sell all our stuff, the stuff we just thought about, the stuff that gives us joy. Sell it all then give the money to the poor. How are you feeling right now? Is this parable making you feel uncomfortable? Are you feeling shocked and grieved like the rich young man, or are you having another response? Hebrews reminds us that the word of God is living and active and is able to judge the thoughts and feelings of your heart. So, what is your heart telling you right now? I think it is important to sit with this teaching of Jesus, really contemplate what it might mean. I know that when I have preached on this parable in the past I would focus on other things like eternal life, or camel through the eye of the needle or first shall be last. Sometimes I’d even imply Jesus doesn’t really mean it. But this time I saw it in a new way.
A rich young man asks Jesus about eternal life and Jesus tells him to sell all his possession. But first they confirm he is fulfilling the law, checking all the boxes for being a good Jew, but he is looking for more. He knows there must be more than just going through the motions, just coming to church, helping when I can, praying as we ought. Have you ever thought there must be more to my faith, more to my relationship with God, but I do not know what it is? I think that is what this man is saying to Jesus. I have done all I have been asked to do by keeping the law, but I want more. Can you help me have a deeper faith? Can you show me what I must do to stand more fully in your brilliant light?
“Jesus looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing.”
Jesus saw him, really saw him, what he needed, who he was, and Jesus loved him.
That really does bring tears to my eyes.
Maybe if you ask Jesus and he saw you and loved you he might tell you something different. Something that you need to give up to be closer to him.
But for this young man, Jesus loving him means that he is asking him to give up his possessions to follow Jesus.
I can relate to that. There are times I depend on my money, my possessions, more than I depend upon God. How loving it would be for Jesus to help me to shift. I believe there is grace in letting go, in trusting in God. It is one of the reasons I give, I tithe, to the church. It helps me feel less dependent on my money and more dependent on God. I will admit, I have struggled with this passage in the past. I could not understand why Jesus would ask him to give up everything. But now when I see “Jesus loved him” as the precursor it feels different. I realize Jesus is asking for everything because the man had a lesson to learn, not because the poor needed the money. Jesus wants to bless the man with the freedom of fully living in Jesus’ light without all the trapping of possession. He wants faith to rank higher than things. Jesus wants trust to be more important than your bank account. Jesus is offering him a gift, Jesus is offering us a gift, to live free from the weight of our possessions.
An exegetical note- in the other gospels, the ones that do not say “Jesus loved him” the man goes away “sad” and “sorrowful.” But in Mark’s telling when Jesus sees him and loves him, he goes away “shocked and grieved.” Jesus saw what the man needed and invited him on a path forward. But when things are too close to home we can have a hard time seeing them. The man wanted to know what he could do to inherit eternal life, but we can DO nothing. We can only look at ourselves and hopefully hear when God is asking us to take another step closer to being the disciples God wants us to be.
When Jesus looks at you and loves you and says you lack one thing, what might that be?
What might be the one thing that if you gave it up you would be closer to Jesus?
Remember Jesus is loving you while asking. It might feel impossible to do. But with God all things are possible!
This week Grace came to visit. We didn’t see each other for 25 years and then we get together on opposite sides of the world twice in 4 months! We spent Tuesday walking in the giant redwoods in Henry Cowell State Park and along our magnificent coastline near Pepple Beach. It was a lovely day! On the drive home she asked me about what my sermon would be on this week and I told her. Then she said in her sweet Scottish accent, “I’m quite cross with all my stuff getting in the way.” This from a woman who has one car for the couple, simplified and beautiful home, and no excess in her cupboards. I know because I explored her kitchen looking for things while on my own. Do you ever get cross with how your stuff gets in the way? Then maybe this parable is for you. Now I am not saying to sell everything and be on the street tomorrow. But you can look at your finances and remember God in your estate planning. You can have generosity of heart leaving money to the church when you no longer need it. A member at a previous church came up to me one day and said I have created an annuity for the church. One that would create an income stream for the church once she passed. I could see the contented joy she found in doing that simple act.
We all want to know what we must do to inherit eternal life. I would ask you instead to consider what Jesus might lovingly ask of you, to help you to become a more faithful disciple of Christ?
Amen.
