O God, you heap your love upon us like a parent providing for a family’s needs, embracing a child with tenderness. Forgive us when, like spoiled children, we treat your generosity as our right, or hug it possessively to ourselves. Give us enough trust to live secure in your love and to share it freely with others in open-handed confidence that your grace will never run out. Amen.
(© Jan Berry)
What must I do to inherit eternal life? It is the question of the rich young man standing before Jesus. What must I do… it is transactional… something we can accomplish… tic off our list…
But of course, salvation is not ours to do.
Jesus said to the disciples, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It 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.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
We are saved by grace. By God’s gift, for God all things are possible.
The Gospel story tells us that Jesus loved the young man. The young man knows there's something more, something he's missing that’s why he asked the question. And Jesus' answer goes right to the heart of it. To what's come between the young man and God, his possessions. He’s led a good life & followed the commandments, but the missing piece is all the stuff that controls his life. Give it all away!
As the author Frederick Buechner ponders this question, “Jesus says that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Maybe the reason is not that the rich are so wicked they're kept out of the place but that they're so out of touch with reality they can't see it's a place worth getting into." Maybe it’s a reality we all struggle with, to let go of our things to follow him. So, what if we reimagined the story from the Gospel…
A couple came before Jesus: "Good teacher, we have raised two beautiful children. We cared for them, taught them and loved them through all the twists and turns of childhood. We got them through college and they are now on their own. What must we do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus looked at the couple and loved them. He said to them, "Go, use your new freedom to help other families struggling with all the issues you struggled with. Be a source of wisdom and guidance for them as they raise their families. Then come, follow me."
And the couple's faces fell, because their flight to the Bahamas was beginning to board.
The CEO of a large corporation came before Jesus: "Good teacher, my company employs hundreds of people. We conduct our business honestly and ethically. We meticulously keep every employment, safety and environmental regulation - even though it costs us a lot of money. What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus looked at the CEO and loved him. He said to him, "Go, redirect the greater share of your profits to providing for your employees. Take the lead in the responsible care of the environment by businesses like yours. Make your company a model of ethical advertising and consumer protection. Then come, follow me."
The CEO's face fell, because he knew this would never fly with his board.
A politician came before Jesus: "Good teacher, I serve my district 24-7. I listen to the voters and act in their best interests. I've been a dependable and consistent vote for policies and programs that will guarantee the future of our city and state. What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus looked at the politician and loved him. He said to him, "Go, support an initiative that will be unpopular with your voters, that may cost you your office, but will benefit the poor, the powerless, the vulnerable. Then come, follow me."
And the politician's face fell, because it was an election year.
A teenager came before Jesus: "Good teacher, I study hard in school. I get good grades. I have a part-time job after school. I'm on the basketball team and play in the band. I try to be a good daughter and sister. I'm working hard to get into a good college. What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Jesus looked at the teen and loved her. "Go, befriend the student in your school who is alone. Give your mom and dad a break by taking on some responsibility around the house. Give time to a charitable work of your church or community service agency. Then come, follow me."
And the teenager's face fell, because her schedule was full.
We know how the rich young man feels in today's Gospel. Yes, Jesus asks everything of us as the cost of being his disciple - but Jesus asks of us only what we have, not what we don't have. Each one of us possesses talents and resources, skills and assets that we have been given by God for the work of making the kingdom of God a reality here and now.
A picture floating on Facebook… “FSU Football Player Eats Lunch With Boy With Autism After Seeing Him Sitting Alone” (Travis Rudolph (WR) and Bo (student)) that to me is someone who has accepted God’s grace & using what he has. The stuff of our lives (possessions and wealth) are nothing compared to the grace and love of God. Who or what do we follow today?
"If we imagine Jesus looking at & loving us, I wonder what is the 'one thing missing' he would see & what is it that he would ask us to do in order to finally be fully following him?" (David Ewart)
Authentic discipleship demands more than token contributions and the rote following of rituals and traditions; our baptism into the life of Christ compels us to focus our lives on the things of God. To be the disciple of Christ we seek to become means a reordering of our priorities, a restructuring of our days to make time for the things of God & not our stuff. May we return to God the gifts he has given us in order to embrace eternity in the time to come. Amen.
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