Mark 10:17-31

This text is used for the Lectionary Year B on October 11, 2015.

Henry Holiday
Henry Holiday

We have before us a familiar story from all three synoptic gospels. Indeed, it is so familiar we have harmonized the story and titled it the “Rich Young Ruler.” Beware, sometimes familiarity causes us to assume aspects of the story that are not present in the text before us. Only Matthew calls this man “young” and only Luke calls the man a “ruler.” All three Gospels reference the man’s wealth—although Mark does not reveal the man’s economic status until he walks away.

After Jesus proclaimed that we must receive the kingdom like children (Mark 10:15), his journey to Jerusalem continues. Along the way, a man runs to meet Jesus. This is an image worth bringing into the congregation’s visual imagination. One wonders if the man was in the market place when some mothers began chatting about how the famous teacher embraced their children. We do not know how the man learns that Jesus is in the area, but he must hear of Jesus’ proximity when it is almost too late. The man’s only chance to ask Jesus his burning question is to take off running—which means he hiked up his tunic, showed a little leg, maybe kicked off his sandals, and ran through his village. Running was an undignified act, even more shocking once we learn this man had wealth. Rich men did not go running through their towns. This man wanted to see Jesus and did not care what others thought of him in the process. I like this guy before he even gets to Jesus.

Then, the man kneels before Jesus. He is not like the Pharisees standing and questioning Jesus. He does not come trying to test Jesus with trick questions. This man is seeking Jesus and when he finds him, panting and out of breath, he kneels before him. His question is about inheriting eternal life. Jesus answers by referencing those commandments that focus on what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves. We should believe the man when he replies he has already kept all those commands. If he was trying to flatter everyone or to boast in his own goodness, then surely he would not have just thrown dignity to the wind. Jesus must believe him because the text says Jesus “loved him.” This is the only person in the entire Gospel of Mark whom Jesus is said to “love!” That’s a little detail a preacher should notice.

Loving him, Jesus issues a call in five imperatives: go, sell, give, come, follow. This man is invited to follow Jesus, but first he must sell all he has and give it to the poor. The last we see of this man is his back as he walks away grieving.

The disciples are rightly shocked when Jesus laments how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. Wealth was considered a sign of God’s blessing. This man ran to find Jesus, kneeled before Jesus, testified to a life of loving neighbor, received the love of Jesus, and then we discover he was rich, a man blessed by God. If it is hard for this man to enter the kingdom of heaven, we are all doomed. Jesus agrees: “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God…”

There are many options for the preacher opening this familiar text. Perhaps each option should begin by bringing the story to life through some of the details reviewed above. Help the congregation hear the story in a fresh way. Then, ponder what truth you might draw out of the text.

You could focus on the man’s initial question “What must I do? Perhaps the main point of this story is that the question was wrong from the beginning. Only after the man has walked away does Jesus pronounce that it is impossible for mortals to do anything to inherit eternal life. Maybe a reference to the previous pericope is in order, we receive the Kingdom like children receive Jesus’ blessing, as pure gift.

And yet, Jesus still makes significant demands. Perhaps a sermon can ask whether Jesus is answering two different questions. On the one hand, there is the question of eternal life on the minds of both the running man and the disciples. Ultimately, Jesus answers this question by stating eternal life is pure gift. However, Jesus is rarely interested in things related to eternal future. Jesus is primarily focused on the Kingdom of God coming now and his answer to the man is an invitation to enter the Kingdom now, not just inherit it at death. Jesus invites disciples to follow him in this life, not to earn eternal salvation, but to live in its present in-breaking. That invitation makes demands on all of us.

Whether rich or poor, Jesus’ invitation means we must give up significant aspects of our identities. We might have to leave family behind, leave our homes and land, and to top it off, all that leaving could result in persecution (a real threat to Mark’s original audience as it is to many in our world today). For those preaching this text in seasons of stewardship, it is wise to focus less on Jesus’ demand to sell his possessions and give to the poor (especially since the poor and the Church are not the same), and instead focus on the good gifts we share. Those who give up family and home gain even greater family and home through the community of the Church.

Finally, the preacher might invite everyone to ponder what happens next. The man walks away grieving. Is he grieving because Jesus’ demands are too great, leaving him out of the Kingdom of God? Or, is he grieving because he knows how hard the next step will be? Maybe he grieves because he knows how much he is about to give up. Give the story back to your congregation, how will they write an ending with their lives?

RustyEdwards-headshotlow-resDr. Rusty Edwards
Pastor
University Baptist Church, Hattiesburg, MS
rusty@ubchm.org

 

 

Tags: discipleship, stewardship, wealth, grace

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