Proper 23 (October 16, 2024)

2 Kings 5:14–27 NIV84

14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.” 16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. 17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.” 19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked. 22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’ ” 23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. 25 Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. “Where have you been, Gehazi?” Elisha asked. “Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered. 26 But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? 27 Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.

Hebrews 4:12–13 NIV84

12 For 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 heart. 13 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.

Mark 10:17–27 NIV84

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 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.” 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Many of you remember the old TV program Mission: Impossible, and some of you have become acquainted with it through the more recent movie versions starring Tom Cruise. Basically, the television program revolved around an agent receiving dangerous government assignments. The tagline was a tape recording at the beginning of each show that said, “Your mission, Mr. Phelps, should you decide to accept it, is . . .” And then, after relaying the message, the tape would self-destruct “in five seconds.” I suppose the show's name came from these assignments, which appeared impossible. They, indeed, were problematic. However, by the end of every show, Agent Phelps and his team of agents had triumphed and had done the “impossible.”

Jesus offers us an incomparable treasure that no money can buy, and no thief can steal. It truly is impossible for us to acquire it through our efforts. It is impossible because other priorities in life get in the way. Truth be known, the thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. Material wealth will shackle us to this earth unless we guard our hearts and set our treasure on God and his everlasting kingdom.

GOAL: Make Eternal Life Your highest treasure by setting your heart on Jesus by faith.

Eternal Life our Highest Treasure

How does one obtain this treasure?

See Christ who loves You.

He saw our need for forgiveness and restoration (Phil 2:4)

He emptied Himself by becoming a man in order to fill us with His love (Phil 2:7)

He humbled Himself for you by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross (Phil 2:8)

He earned our salvation for us by His cross.

We cannot do it ourselves, but God can by His power. — Camel eye of the needle, or Square peg in a round hole. But God can make it happen.

Now He looks at us in love (Mark 10:21)

He looks at the rich man in love as he came running to our Lord and knelt before Him.

The man showed anxiety about spiritual things while most others were oblivious and indifferent.

It’s not often said in the gospels that Jesus loved a specific person, so why is that important here, and why did Jesus love this young man?  Because he saw his sincerity? Because he noticed the young man’s dedication? Because Jesus looked at him and saw just how committed he was to doing the right thing and making the good choices? Because Jesus saw in this man some great potential for the future? No! None of answers are correct

Here was a man who was ignorant of the way to God and was steeped in self-righteousness. Sound familiar? Jesus loved this man precisely in the same way he loved you when you were his blind, dead, enemy. He was lost. He was on his one way march away from God. And what’s worst of all, at the time he thought he’d been doing better than most.

Jesus looked at him and loved him because here was another sinner in desperate need of his salvation, his rescue, his forgiveness. When put face to face with our hopeless spiritual condition, the disciples’ words make all the sense in the world, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” We are powerless to de-clutter our sin-filled, self-centered hearts. What is impossible for us, God stepped in and did perfectly.

There are hundreds of professing Christians today have no idea of their own sinfulness and guilt in the sight of God. Therefore,

Shed the things that get in the way.

God’s Omniscience We may not think God knows about our secret sins, but He knows everything.

Psalm 139:1–4 NASB95

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

Gehazi’s Priorities Gehazi’s heart prioritized the world’s riches over his walk with God and the judgment for his greed and deception was Naaman’s former leprosy (2 Kings 5:14-27).

The Rich Man was convinced of his goodness Yet, according to the second reading the truth was uncovered before Jesus, the Word made flesh. The Word of God is alive. The Word of God is active. A double-edged sword, which cuts and destroys all our pretensions and pride. It judges our hearts and speaks truth to the lies we tell ourselves about why we do what we do. Thankfully nothing is hidden from Him so he can skillfully remove our selfish and prideful attitudes and give us life with the same Word.

Our Priorities God knows our heart and those things that we give more importance to over our walk with Christ — His omniscience.

Flatter ourselves that they have never done anything very wicked. “I have never murdered, or stolen, or committed adultery, or borne false witness. I’m faithful in my church attendance. Surely, I am not in much danger of missing heaven.”

Yet, do we forget about the holy nature of God of whom we say we love?

Do we put other things, like groups and clubs, in this world ahead Christ and His body? Do our social activities keep us from God’s house?

Have we forget how often we break God’s law in anger, or imagination, even when our outward conduct is correct.

Have we ever studies such portions of Scripture as the fifth chapter of Matthew, or maybe we have studied it, but a thick veil over our hearts, and do not apply it to ourselves. The result is that we are wrapped up in self-righteousness. Like the church of Laodicea,

Revelation 3:17 NKJV

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

Self-satisfied we live, and self-satisfied too often we die.

We cannot fix this on our own. It is impossible for us to do. Yet, out of love for us, God solves our problem. Christ has done everything necessary to earn eternal life for us. All things are possible with God, so,

Embrace the gifts Christ gives

His love — Jesus loves us just as we come to Him. He is sensitive to the conflict between our ways and his ways. So, He gives us the gift of Confession and Absolution.

As we confess, we cast ourselves down before Christ begging for mercy.

We cling to His mercy in the full knowledge that all things are possible with God (Mark 10:27).

What God’s powerful Word teaches us: Ephesians 2:8-10

Ephesians 2:8–10 NASB95

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Jesus created the universe with a word from his mouth, and he rightly owns all things. He holds in his hands everything – all power, all praise, all glory – and he emptied his hands for you.

He left all the wealth and glory of heaven to be born in the humblest circumstances. He went from having all power in his hands to having nothing in his hands except a couple of nails, and he did it for you. That’s the lesson he wanted to teach that rich young man, and that’s what he wants to teach you and me.

Jesus empties us of our false gods and foolish trust, so that he can fill us with his grace. That’s Jesus’ way, isn’t it? He empties you before he fills you.

He empties you of your self-centered thoughts that your relative goodness is the way to God’s ultimate goodness.

He empties you of your trust in the things you can see and quantify.

He empties you of your inborn desire to put your stuff ahead of your God.

He empties you of your sin and shame for ever loving money more than your Maker.

And then, in his grace, he fills you. He fills you with his perfect righteousness.

He fills you with a perfect priority shift, Jesus sets you free to see your worldly goods in a new way – not as a way to measure success or serve self – but as a way to love and serve those next to you.

You don’t need to hoard God’s spiritual gifts of mercy and grace because those are new every morning. In addition to those spiritual gifts, he fills you with confidence in his promise to provide daily bread. He fills you with the joy to know that should everything you own disappear, you haven’t lost a thing, because you have an eternal treasure in heaven with him. In a world that glorifies wealth and wants to hold onto stuff, seek the right riches, God’s true riches in his Word of promise. Seek God’s eternal riches in the gospel – all yours fully and freely in Christ who gave up his all so that he could give you everything.                                                                          Amen To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25)