21^stSunday after Pentecost

Amos 5:6-7, 10-15; Psalm 90:12-17; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31 

Mark 10:17-31

¹⁷As Jesus 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.’ ” ²⁰The man said to Jesus, “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 the man 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 dominion of God!” ²⁴And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the dominion 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 dominion 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 Jesus, “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.”

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Grace Stewardship, Part I: A Better Life

Grace to you, beloved of God, and peace from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

The rich man seeking the rabbi from Nazareth in our gospel narrative today still wants the life that only Jesus can give. By all the civic and religious standards of the time, he is a good man. Apparently, he has been observant of the Torah, especially the parts that are concerned with life in the community. He has prospered, and the common understanding would be that he had done right by himself by doing right by God. 

He approaches Jesus with piety and deference. He kneels before him as he would do with any honorable teacher. He has the security and the respect that come with his prosperity, yet there is a disconnect, and something is amiss. For some reason, he still does not feel safe. He says, Lord, what must I do to receive everlasting life? What can I do to honor my heritage as a beloved child of God?

I have a strong suspicion that we all want the life God hopes for us: a peaceful, just, and dignified life. A life where we can live, love, and laugh and still provide for ourselves and the communities to which we belong. A life where we are free to make mistakes and say, I am sorry. A life where we don’t need to save face to preserve our honor. A life where mercy and forgiveness are not held against us. A life without fear of bondage. I suspect we all hope for the life God hopes for us: a gracious and safer life, a better life. Yet, there is a disconnect, and something is amiss. 

There is a disconnect, and something seems amiss because we keep seeking Jesus and asking what we must do to live this gracious and safer life, a better life. There is a disconnect because we gather here to sit at his feet, knowing that he has the words for this type of life, an everlasting life, yet we often don’t seem capable of embracing the life we hope for and that God hopes for us. There is a disconnect, and something is amiss because we often seem to leave his presence empty-handed, wounded, and in grief. 

I wonder if what is missing is trust in God’s love, who has already done everything for us. As we leave the nourishing of our faith communities, we are bombarded by the narratives that say we must do something for ourselves; but there is nothing we must do, or can do, or may do, to receive this life, because it has already been given to us. 

The gracious and safer life, the joyful life, the better life, is already ours. God’s generosity was such that God gave themselves so we could have this life. God, stopped demanding stuff in return. God stopped dealing with merit and forgiveness. God has declared long ago that we all belong. Soon enough Rosie and Royce will be marked with the cross of Christ, and this life will belong to them, too. This life must be cherished, lived, and nourished the same way it nourishes us. 

The gracious and safer life, a joyful life, a better life, is at hand. Yet something is amiss. Perhaps we need to surrender our concerns. Perhaps we could renounce our need to get stuff in return. Perhaps we may stop being dealers of merit and forgiveness.

The gracious, safe, and joyful life, the better life, is learned here, and it is among God’s faithful people that we make disciples and stewards of God’s grace. It is here that we make sure no one leaves empty-handed. It is here the wounds are healed. Together, we can do it with Christ. Together, no one needs to be left to die. Together, we can all be safe. May we approach the throne with boldness and remain stewards of God’s grace. Give back to God. Amen.