MARK 10:17-30
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE
LADY WHO WENT INTO A PET STORE? THE OWNER SOLD HER A BEAUTIFUL
PARROT, TELLING HER THAT THIS BIRD COULD TALK UP A STORM. SHE
BROUGHT IT HOME, AND IT DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. SHE WENT BACK AND THE
OWNER SAID, WELL, MAYBE YOU NEED A MIRROR SO HE WON'T FEEL LONELY.
SO SHE BOUGHT THAT. IT DIDN'T WORK. SHE WENT BACK AGAIN, AND HE
SOLD HER A LADDER SO THE BIRD COULD GET EXERCISE. DIDN'T WORK. THEN
HE SOLD HER A SWING, SO THE BIRD COULD FEEL LIKE IT WAS ON A TREE
BRANCH. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE LADY CAME BACK AND SAID, NOTHING
WORKED. THE OWNER ASKED, DID THE PARROT EVER SAY ANYTHING? WELL,
SAID THE LADY, JUST BEFORE IT DIED I THINK I HEARD IT WHISPER, “LADY,
DOESN'T THAT PET SHOP SELL ANY FOOD?” THE PARROT HAD EVERYTHING BUT
THE ONE THING IT REALLY NEEDED.
WHEN WE HEAR THIS GOSPEL
STORY OF THE RICH YOUNG MAN, I THINK MANY OF US FOCUS ON THE
STATEMENT JESUS MADE, IN WHICH HE SAYS THAT IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL
TO PASS THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE THAN FOR ONE WHO IS RICH TO ENTER
THE KINGDOM OF GOD. AND WE CONCLUDE, RICHES ARE BAD. OR, PERHAPS WE
ABSTRACT IT A LITTLE AND SAY THE STORY SIMPLY MEANS THAT WE NEED TO
BE DETACHED FROM OUR WEALTH, OUR THINGS. IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN HANG
ON TO THEM AS LONG AS THEY DON'T BECOME THE CENTER OF OUR EXISTENCE.
AND OF COURSE IT TURNS OUT THAT IT IS A LOT EASIER TO BE DETACHED
FROM STUFF IF YOU HAVE STUFF, SO WE CAN GO BACK TO WHAT WE ARE DOING
BEFORE THE GOSPEL STORY DISTURBED US.
BUT MARK MAKES SURE THAT
WE KNOW THIS RICH MAN IS GOOD. FIRST, HE OBEYS ALL THE COMMANDMENTS.
WE CAN ASSUME THAT BESIDES THOSE LISTED HERE, HE KEEPS ALL THE OTHER
COMMANDMENTS OF JEWISH LAW, MANY OF WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH CHARITY
TOWARDS THE POOR, TITHING, AND PROPER TREATMENT OF ONE'S SERVANTS OR
SLAVES. AND TO TOP IT OFF, JESUS LOOKED AT HIM AND LOVED HIM. TO
THE PEOPLE OF JESUS' TIME THERE WOULD BE NO QUESTION THAT THIS RICH
MAN WAS GOOD; NOT ONLY DID HE TAKE PAINS TO OBEY THE LAW IN ALL ITS
DETAILS, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT GOD LOOKED ON HIM FAVORABLY; BECAUSE
HE WAS RICH. THAT'S WHY THE APOSTLES WERE AMAZED AT HIS WORDS.
AFTER ALL, THE MANY STORIES IN SCRIPTURE SHOWED THAT GOD REWARDED THE
PEOPLE WHO KEPT HIS LAW, AND PUNISHED THOSE WHO DIDN'T. WHEN ABRAHAM
WAS FAITHFUL, HE BECAME VERY RICH; WHEN JOB REMAINED FAITHFUL EVEN IN
ADVERSITY, GOD GAVE HIM BACK EVERYTHING HE HAD ALLOWED TO BE TAKEN,
AND MORE.
BUT HERE'S THE THING.
JESUS HAS NOTHING AGAINST RICHES IN AND OF THEMSELVES. WHAT HE
DEMONSTRATED IN TELLING THE MAN THAT HE LACKED ONE THING, AND THAT HE
SHOULD GO, SELL ALL HE HAD AND GIVE TO THE POOR AND FOLLOW JESUS, WAS
THAT THE MAN HAD NO FAITH. AND THAT'S THE DANGER OF RICHES; THEY
MAKE US THINK THAT WE CAN CONTROL OUR LIVES, OUR DESTINIES. WE GOT
OUR RICHES BY WORKING HARD AND APPLYING OURSELVES. SOME OF US BUILT
BUSINESSES THAT TOOK EVERY WAKING MOMENT; SOME OF US SPENT MANY YEARS
BECOMING EDUCATED IN OUR FIELD AND PUTTING OFF THE GOOD THINGS IN
LIFE UNTIL WE FINISHED. SOME OF US ARE STILL WORKING TO ACHIEVE
GOALS THAT WE SET FOR OURSELVES. SO YOU AND I AND MOST OF THE PEOPLE
IN THIS CHURCH, WHO ARE RICH BEYOND THE WILDEST DREAMS OF THE RICH
MAN IN JESUS' STORY, KNOW BECAUSE OF OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT HARD
WORK, SMART WORK, AND A LITTLE LUCK CAN GET US WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
AND IT JUST SEEMS LOGICAL THAT GETTING INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS
THE SAME; JUST FOLLOW THE RULES, AVOID SERIOUS SIN, TAKE PART IN THE
SACRAMENTS, PRAY NOW AND THEN, TREAT PEOPLE DECENTLY.
BUT NO, JESUS SAYS. TO
GET INTO THE KINGDOM YOU HAVE TO COMPLETELY CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE; YOU
HAVE TO GET RID OF THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN DO ANYTHING THAT CAN MAKE
GOD DO SOMETHING FOR YOU IN RETURN. IN SHORT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE
FAITH. AND FOR THE RICH MAN, TO DO THIS HE HAD TO GET RID OF HIS
RICHES, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BARRIER THAT KEPT HIM FROM LETTING GOD
TAKE OVER HIS LIFE. TO PUT YOUR CHANCE FOR ETERNAL LIFE IN THE HANDS
OF SOMEONE ELSE, EVEN GOD, WAS MORE THAN HE COULD BEAR.
I THINK EACH OF US WHO IS
TRYING TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN HAS TO FACE THAT MOMENT WHEN WE
ARE CHALLENGED TO LET GO OF THE FALSE IDEA THAT WE ARE IN CONTROL,
THAT IF WE JUST DO THE RIGHT THINGS, WE CAN COUNT ON GOD, JUST LIKE
IF I GIVE MONEY TO A CAR DEALER, I CAN EXPECT A CAR. AND I THINK
THAT GOD GIVES EACH OF US A MOMENT WHEN, LIKE THE RICH MAN, WE HAVE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE OUR MINDS. WHEN I MEET SOMEONE WITH
TERMINAL CANCER, OR VISIT SOMEONE WHO IS VERY OLD AND FRAIL,
SOMETIMES I SEE THAT THEY HAVE REACHED THAT POINT WHERE THEY REALIZE
THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER IN CONTROL, THAT EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON THE
GENEROSITY AND GOOD WILL OF OTHER PEOPLE. AND PERHAPS FROM THAT
PERSPECTIVE YOU CAN COME TO REALIZE THAT ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN IS ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON GOD'S GOOD GRACES.
THERE ONCE WAS A LITTLE
GIRL WHO TREASURED A NECKLACE MADE OF PLASTIC BEADS. ONE DAY HER
FATHER ASKED HER TO GIVE IT TO HIM. SHE REFUSED. EVERY NOW AND
THEN, HE WOULD ASK HER AGAIN, GENTLY, BUT INSISTENTLY, “GIVE ME
THAT NECKLACE PLEASE.” AND SHE WOULD ALWAYS REFUSE. FINALLY, ONE
DAY IN TEARS SHE TOOK OFF THE NECKLACE AND PLACED IT IN HIS HANDS.
“THERE! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?” SHE SAID. AND THE FATHER REACHED IN
HIS POCKET AND HANDED HER A BEAUTIFUL NECKLACE MADE OF PERFECT
PEARLS.
THIS IS THE HARDEST THING
FOR A HUMAN BEING TO DO, I THINK – BECAUSE I HAVEN'T DONE IT, SO I
DON'T KNOW – TO LET GO OF ONE'S SECURITY, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT
JESUS IS ASKING OF THE YOUNG MAN. IT IS INTERESTING THAT PETER
SUDDENLY RECOGNIZES THAT HE AND THE OTHER APOSTLES HAVE DONE WHAT
JESUS HAS ASKED OF THE YOUNG MAN – LIKE A LIGHT BULB COMING ON, HE
RECOGNIZES THAT THIS IS PRECISELY WHAT JESUS IS ASKING – THAT
COMPLETE TRUST IN HIM IS THE KEY TO THE KINGDOM.
AND WHENEVER I HEAR THIS
GOSPEL, I FEEL A LITTLE SAD, BECAUSE I REALLY IDENTIFY WITH THE RICH
YOUNG MAN. BUT THEN I TAKE HOPE FROM JESUS' STATEMENT THAT WITH GOD,
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
