Mark 10:17-31 — 2/4/2024 - English

You'll have to just click for me then.

Show me the money. I heard that Catch Phrase the very popular catchphrase in our culture. If one catchphrase could sum up an entire nation or culture. This might be it. Show me the money. Every time you turn on the news, it's all about where the money's going and where it's coming from. Show me the money the money it takes to fight Wars the money. It takes to feed people the money. It takes the money it takes the money it takes. Entire news channels are devoted to the study of how do we make more money? And in this country the American dream can maybe be summed up as be a good person. And be a rich person.

You asked me what was the nature of my childhood? It was you can be anything you want to be. And you can do anything you want to do as long as you're a good person and maybe God will bless you to be a rich person because you're a good person.

There's something wrong with that right? It's subtle. It's very subtle. What is one of the things that I'm afraid? We are teaching our children. It's one of the things that is being taught to us and Mass. But you can have it all. But you can be a good person and you can be a rich person. The problem is rich people. Arnold is good.

You can name any number of people who have many possessions much wealth and are notoriously awful human beings. I'll let you imagine who I'm talking about. But the converse is also true. Good people aren't always rich. right

And then some people think because they are rich they must be good.

It's easy to deceive ourselves that God is blessing our goodness with riches. But that has been the American dream that has been trumpeted for centuries.

Be good. And you can be rich. In our text today, we see that Jesus shows us the definition of good. the danger of good the definition of rich and the danger of being rich read with me and Matthew chapter 17 Matthew 10:17 setting out on a journey of man ran up and knelt down before him and ask him good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life. Why do you call me? Good Jesus ask him. No one is good. Except God alone, you know the Commandments do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud honor your father and mother. He said to him teacher. I've kept all these from my you looking at him Jesus loved him and said to him you lack one thing go sell all you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven then come follow me, but he was dismayed by the Snowman and he went away grieving because he had many possessions Jesus looked around and said to his disciples how hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were astonished at his words again. Jesus said to them 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 person to enter the kingdom of God. They read more astonishing to one another then who can be saved looking at them. Jesus said with man, it is impossible but not with God because all things are possible with God. Peter began to tell them look we have left everything and followed you truly I tell you Jesus said there is no one who has left house or brother or sister or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now at this time houses brothers and sisters mothers and children and filled with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come. The many who are first will be last and the last first. This is God's work. first the definition of good It's been a couple of weeks. We talked about marriage and divorce we talked about hell today. I get to talk to you about money. But this story doesn't start with his wealth the story starts with him coming to Jesus and I just coming but running and kneeling before Jesus and saying good teacher good teacher. He's asking why do you call me? Good because no one is good, but God Alone.

Is he good? Is Jesus good absolutely is Jesus good? But this man comes and runs up to Jesus calling him good teacher good rabbi. There's no greater honor in this Society then to be a respected Rabbi. I said last week that when the father would walk into a room all this children with stand. But if his son were a rabbi he would stand in honor of his son. Being a good Rabbi was a place of honor. and it meant there was goodness and Jesus response is confused commentators for years because he said it's no one is good except God alone and what I think he's doing I think he's asking this man. Who do you think I am? How good? Of a teacher am I? Because the definition of good that we use for one another is not the definition of good that God has for his people. Me give you an example. I have a good dog. Sometimes right he is going to make a mess of the house, but in general he's a good obedient dog, right? But if I describe one of you as being a good person the way I described him being a good dog. That's not a very high bar to set doesn't make a mess in my house doesn't chew up my shoe, right the definition of good depends on who and what you're talking about. When we talk about being a good person. What do we mean? We need to keep the rules. We keep the loss. You know a good person doesn't go 100 on the highway when the speed limits 55. A good person doesn't drive drunk. A good person doesn't cheat on their spouse a good person a good person a good person.

He tells this man, you know the rules. You know the law, you know the Commandments. Inarguably starts with what are probably the easier Commandments for most of us to follow. The second half of the Ten Commandments show us how to have relationship with other people. The first half though or frankly the harder ones because they show us how to have a relationship with God himself. But Jesus says, you know the Commandments the ones that keep you in good relationship with other people you don't kill him. You don't cheat on your spouse. You don't steal. You don't lie. You don't defraud you honor your father and mother. And he said to him teacher. I've kept all these from my and you know what I believe in, don't you? This is a good man. This is a good man who's coming to Jesus and if you notice there's a slight difference in the word. When he asked the question what must I do to inherit eternal life. Remember last week. Jesus said back up in verse 15. Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God, like a little child will never enter it. this man has probably inherited a lot of his possessions and so is it so hard to imagine that maybe he thinks this life eternal that Jesus is going around talking about could be inherited. Might be burned. Maybe there's just a little something that he lacks. Maybe Jesus can put him over the top. Maybe Jesus can give him that little nudge to push him over the mountain.

Looking at him. Jesus loved him.

Jesus sees this man. And because I believe Jesus is who he says he is Jesus knows how this is all going to play out.

He still loves him. Because he sees a man who is as good as probably they come.

When I read about this Rich Young Ruler, I'm reminded back to Nicodemus and John chapter 3. A Pharisee among Pharisees I Keeper of the law among keepers of the law. What did Jesus tell him? You must be born again. I'm not here to get you over the top. I'm not here to push you a little further. I'm not here to make you a little better. I'm here to make you go back and start over. Because your definition of good is all wrong.

He said to him teacher. I've kept all these from my youth. Looking at him Jesus loved and it said to him. You like one thing?

Just one thing.

What is the big thing?

You like the one thing that makes all the other things add up.

That one thing is there is something that has you breaking the very first commandment. The very first commanded that all the other Commandments are based on. You must not have been at The Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said your guys's definition of good. Isn't good enough.

You're not cheating on your spouse, but you're lusting. You're worrying. You're greedy. You're anxious.

You're not murdering people, but you look at somebody's he will let you or nobody. You're a fool. I don't care about you.

Your definition of good is all wrong because you lack the one thing.

That one thing being that there be no Gods before him.

You go back to Deuteronomy chapter 10, which was right for us this morning for the Lord. Your God is the god of gods and he's the Lord of lords the Great Mighty and awe-inspiring God showing no partiality and taking no bride. He executes Justice for the fatherless and the Widow and loves the resident alien giving him food and clothing. Do you want a definition of good? God is good. If you need a definition of goodness, look no further than the God who is the god of gods and the Lord of lords who shows no partiality who executes his Justice for those who need it the most

you need a definition of good. There it is. But second there is a danger of being good. Because your Romans chapter 3 Paul says as it is written there is no one righteous. Not even one. There is no one who understands there is no one who seeks God.

This man thought he was living up to the wall. It was just that one simple little thing. That one thing that was truly keeping him from being good Matthew uses the word if you want to be complete if you want to be perfect. Here's what you'll do.

Because in order to be complete and in order to be perfect. You cannot serve God and money. You can't serve God and anything else. He must be the god of gods and the Lord of lords. There is no one there who understands and no one who seeks god without God seeking them first. Jesus came here after us And so whoever gets to make the definition of good. Is the one who sought us.

but the danger Is we start thinking? We're good enough.

Did you go back to The Sermon on the Mount the beginning and at the very end of his sermon Jesus says anyone who wants to follow me must practice these things. You know, I'm not a perfect surgeon I make mistakes. I make bad decisions surgeons don't always make perfect decisions about everything but it's called the practice of Medicine.

You're expected to get better and learn from your mistakes newsflash to some of you apparently. Jesus says you have to practice my way. Cuz if you think you're good, you really don't have a clue at all. third the definition of being rich since this man went away grieving because he had many possessions.

many possessions

So what's the definition of rich? It would make me feel a lot better. If you were just put a tax bracket cut off.

Right if you make more than x amount of year, you're a rich person.

You make less than this amount of year. You're not a rich person.

He doesn't do that. Does he? I don't think what Jesus is Calling this man or anyone else too is an ascetic life sitting on a Mountaintop somewhere free of all Earthly possessions. I don't think he's expecting you to go out and give up your home and your car and every single thing that you have and sell it all to the poor so that then someone else has to take care of you.

Because from the very beginning just as Jesus Took the conversation to Genesis chapter two about marriage and divorce we can take the idea of work and earning a living back to Genesis chapter 2. God Made Them In His Image and he gave them Dominion to rule over his creation. And there is incredible dignity in working and earning a living. Over and over again it throughout scripture earning a living is commanded.

So what's the definition of rich? When is too much too much? Wouldn't it be nice to know?

This is why it's so stinking hard. The danger of being rich is there is no clear number definition of being rich.

You see that?

You could have billions. Or millions or hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands or thousands. And the definition of rich is how hard do you hold onto it?

Is it yours?

Ultimately, is it yours?

What is one of three things is going to happen to every single possession that any of us ever owned. You're going to give it all up willingly.

It's going to be brutally. horrifically taken away from you or you're going to die and it's all you have.

You're either going to place everything you own in the hands of the god of gods and Lord of lords, and you're going to tell him it's his do what you will. Or something's going to happen in your life, and he's going to brutally take it all away from you. Or you're going to die and it's going to be all that you have. I think of Luke chapter 16 when Jesus gives the account of the rich man and Lazarus. I've heard it said. Did this rich man is not given a name because that is his name. His identity is not that he was Joe from Jerusalem.

His identity was that key was a rich man. His entire identity was wrapped up into the possessions and the things he could do for himself.

There was a poor Nate man named Lazarus covered with sores Lionsgate. While he's high on the hog eating as much as he wants wearing whatever he likes and I care in the world.

If you know that story. The rich man is going to be rich and a rich man for all of eternity.

He dies just like Lazarus dies and he begs God to send Lazarus. Did you give him a taste of water? He begged God to send him to his family so that they will know.

What's a wack? What they need to avoid. How did not end up like him?

But he's eternally a rich man.

And I think what we should take from this passage. Is that both with goodness? Personal goodness thinking that you are good. and with riches the more you have the more you have to lose.

The more you have in your possession. The more they can be taken away from you. And if your heart isn't prepared for it to be brutally ripped away from you. Then you are a rich person.

There's your test. There's your definition. Because if it all goes away in a second and you were completely destroyed.

Then it truly was your many possessions. But if it's all ripped away from you and you can like Jobe say God is still good. And God is still good alone.

Then it wasn't yours to begin with.

Cuz the more you have the more you have to lose.

work for riches it works for goodness. Nicodemus had a hard time letting go of his own goodness adopting Jesus definition of goodness to go back and be born again and to start again the Rich Young Ruler had a lot of goodness on his own, but it wasn't good enough.

He wasn't willing to sacrifice and give up and let go of his goodness. And he wasn't willing to sacrifice and give up and let go of his riches.

the two things are intrinsically tied

So what must he do?

he says 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 person to enter the kingdom of God.

People try to explain this away for many many years. Well, there was a there was a gate in Jerusalem and you know, the the camel like would squeeze in real tight it can fit through and so, you know, it's just it's really hard. It's not impossible to get a camel through the gate which was called the eye of the needle or the word for Camel and Greek is sort of similar to the I don't know just read verse 27 With man, it is impossible but not with God because all things are possible with God. He said it's really really tough. For people with possessions and many of them to enter the kingdom of God. Cuz they have a lot to lose.

and if left to their own devices if left to their own abilities if left to their own willingness to give it all up and let go of it. He'll never do it.

He'll never stop trusting and themselves long enough. To give it all up. With man, it is impossible. but with God

all things are possible.

Because Jesus Took up his cross. To make us good and Rich.

The definition of goodness the definition of richness Jesus lays before us at the end of this passage who will not receive a hundred times more yet Peter. You left your family. You're still lacking some stuff man. You're still lacking a lot. You think you've given up all this stuff? Just wait to have to give up your life.

Just wait till you have to give up your dignity.

Switch you have to give up everything. for me

Jesus Took up his cross to make us good and Rich.

The thing that this is Rich Young Ruler locked. That he wasn't liking.

He wasn't liking. He didn't feel like he was missing anything. He didn't think that there was anything left. It could be added to what he's already done. And couldn't let go to put his trust anywhere. but itself

I beg you to think about this morning. What impossible thing can Jesus make possible?

There's something you're locking or something. I'm liking. There's a lot of things I'm liking. What's be real. What impossible thing? Can Jesus make possible?

Going to take some letting go. Going to take some dropping everything you got at his feet going to take running and kneeling before him throwing those things under his control.

I'll tell you something that already there.

But you can give them up willingly.

Whatever thing. You are lacking. Whatever thing that is put you. From being worse able to worship the god of gods and Lord of War, first and foremost in everything in your life. He can take it away.

Paul caught in storm

But he said that Jesus Grace was sufficient for that. What impossible thing can Jesus make possible?