The gospel story today is one of the most familiar stories of the New Testament and one of the most problematic - both for what it says about those who are wealthy - and for what it says about who in fact can inherit eternal life, who in fact can enter the Kingdom of God.
A man, who is both young and a ruler among his people (according to the Gospels of Luke and Matthew) approaches Jesus with a question. "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" he asks.
It is a question which reveals much and Jesus knows it, which is why he responds the way he does.
This is a man who doesn't have to worry about the life he already has. His mortgage is paid off. His creditors have been looked after. His stock portfolio is brimming over with only blue chip merchandise. He is truly blessed in the ways that the world, and indeed many of the church, count blessings. And he wants even more: he wants the blessings of heaven – he wants to enter the Kingdom of God and there dwell with Abraham and all who gone before him.
Let us not have any doubts about the sincerity of this man. His integrity is beyond question. When Jesus asks him if he has kept the commandments - and in particular those that relate to how we treat one another. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother, he responds that he has kept them all faithfully from the days of his childhood and Jesus, we are told, looked at him and loved him.
And then he tells the man that he lacks one thing, "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor", Jesus says, "and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
We never really hear how things turn out for the rich young ruler. We do know that he goes away from Jesus very sad, because he had great wealth. What we do not know is whether or not he later follows the command that Jesus gave him. Whether he does or doesn't is never mentioned and at one level it is not important for us to know. But Jesus does say something after the young man goes away that astonishes and perplexes his disciples. He says to them
"How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God." and when the disciples are amazed by these words, he goes on to say "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 a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."
I wish I could tell you just how perplexing it was for the disciples to hear these words. They, like so many of us, were raised to believe that earthly wealth - especially that wealth acquired by those who adhered to the customs, traditions, and laws of Moses - was a sign of God's blessing.
And in a very real sense it is.
Consider the story of Job - righteous before God and blessed with everything that a person could want till tested by Satan. And how those blessings were restored many times over when he passes his time of testing.
Consider the law itself which says, for example, in Deuteronomy, Chapter 7: 12-14:
If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land--your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young.
The disciples were even more amazed, our story today continues, when they heard these words of Jesus concerning how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, and they said to each other "Who then can be saved?"
Indeed, who can be saved?
I received a letter not so long ago that reminded me of so many conversations and letters I have had or received over the past years as a part of the church of Christ Jesus.
It said, in part.
I have been attempting to learn more about God's word to calm my fears and reassure myself that I will indeed be welcomed into God's kingdom when the time comes. Well, that is not happening....instead I am feeling that there is no chance of that happening. I feel further from God every time I try to understand. I know that I am a perfectionist and I know all of my faults, shortcomings and downfalls and what a letdown I have been to God who created me in His perfect image.
I have really been trying to put great whole hearted effort into listening to God and trying to do the things that He wants me to. I feel that I just keep falling short of the mark, then haunt myself hour after hour as I lay awake at night. Why am I getting farther from God instead of closer. Then I begin to analyse and become more critical.
"If I had more faith..... my feet would be healed"
"If I had more faith..... I could forgive my sister"
"If I had more faith..... I would not think mean, critical or harsh thoughts of others"
"If I had more faith..... I would not speak gossip, criticize or scold"
"If I had more faith..... I would have the same type of wisdom and insight that can be seen in all the other past and present members of my prayer group."
"If I had more faith..... I would not have to work so hard to be a Christian"
I really do try hard, but the more scriptures that I read and try to understand the more convinced I am that I am doomed.....
"Who then can be saved" the disciples ask Jesus.
What a question that is. One that echoes in my heart not only as I consider the rich young ruler or as I consider the plea of the person who wrote the letter I just read, but which echoes in my heart as I consider how much I love God and yet how far I am from the perfection that God demands of me.
One thing you lack....
I think every one of us here today, if we are brutally honest with ourselves, realizes that we lack one thing - perhaps even more than one thing.
As the reading from Hebrew's today says, and as the letter I read from my friend indicated
"the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heat. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
That Word most surely judges us - and finds in us - not just one thing that is lacking - but in many cases, many things lacking.
"The more scriptures that I read and try to understand the more convinced I am that I am doomed."
Could have the rich young man given everything away and followed Jesus and thereby entered the Kingdom of God. Was his problem simply that he loved money more than he loved God.
Perhaps.
The love of money is most certainly an evil and Jesus' words about the danger of being rich should give us all pause. When the truth is told it is all too likely true that for us, as it seems it may have been for the rich young ruler, that when it comes to giving it away most people stop at nothing, or next to nothing.
You know as well as I that there are many affluent people - and most of us are that - who will quickly profess their indifference to money – or disdain for it - as if to protect themselves from the charge that they are over attached to it - but who by their habits of spending - even on the Sabbath Day - show that they value a big lunch or a shopping trip far more than they value contributing to the work of God in their church and their community.
It is easy to fool ourselves when it comes to which we love more - God or Mammon. But that can change - for us - as much it could have changed for the rich young ruler.
But all in all, money is but a symbol of what stands in the way of our of entering the Kingdom of God and it is entirely possible to give up everything for God - and still not have the heart that we need to enter into his presence.
The Apostle Paul, who was one who had a religious pedigree and a zealousness for God that was among the best, writes in the third Chapter of his letter to the Philippians:
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
And then, in his first letter to the Corinthians he reminds us and undoubtedly himself:
If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
"Who then can be saved", the disciples ask.
It is a profound question. And Jesus answers it by saying, "With man this is impossible, but with God; all things are possible with God."
The scriptures today speak to us of those things that are impossible to us and of how the word of God reveals to us, sometimes in the starkest fashion, just who we are and how far we are from entering the Kingdom of God. A message, in short, that would be thoroughly depressing - if it were not for the fact that the core message in today's reading is this answer of Christ - that all things are possible with God.
My friends, as it says in the Letter to The Hebrews - in Christ we have a high priest who is able to sympathize with us and help us. He knows all our flaws and imperfections and yet intercedes on our behalf. Because of his goodness we can approach the throne of grace with confidence - and we called to do so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Inheriting eternal life is not something that we can earn - nor is entering the Kingdom of God something we can work for. There is nothing we can give to obtain it. It is free gift. All we have to do is hold out our hands and accept the gift. It's both the easiest and the hardest thing we can ever do.
The easiest - because the gift is free. The hardest - because our hands are so often filled with other things. I tell you today - keep holding out your hands - trust in God to show you the love he has promised even as he reminds you over and over again to let go of all those other things you worry about or value.
Praise be to God. Amen
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