Proper 23B (Pentecost 21 2024)

Text: “21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:21–22)

Let’s walk through this reading carefully, step by step.

The first important thing about this exchange between Jesus and the man searching for eternal life is that he seems to be someone who is making a genuine attempt to be a good person. You know very well that our Lord had little patience for the self-righteousness of the Pharisees. This man, though, was honestly seeking righteousness. He was genuinely seeking to be a good person. Jesus did not pull any punches, so to speak, with the Pharisees. “33 You serpents, you brood of vipers,” He said to them, “how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” (Matthew 23:33). But this man He looked at with sincere love. He is genuinely seeking to be a person who is worthy of eternal life.

The second important thing is Jesus’ response. Jesus skillfully polished the mirror of the Law and showed the man what ‘good’ really means. The man had not stolen from anyone, he had not defrauded anyone. But he loved his money and possessions more than he loved God. That failure becomes painfully clear to the man when Jesus shows him that he would rather not follow Jesus if it meant having to give up his money and possessions. With a single statement, Jesus shattered the man’s self-image of being worthy of eternal life.

Let’s apply that same test to you and me today. What is it that you lack? Is there anything that leaves you unworthy of eternal life?

There is no question: you are good people. You have not murdered anyone. In fact, you care if someone is in need. You have not cheated on your spouse. In fact, you genuinely try to be a good husband or wife. You’re not running around lying about other people or gossiping about them; you have not cheated anyone; you’re good to your parents. Does that really mean that you are worthy of eternal life? If you take a close look at what the commandments require of you— what it really means to not murder, to not commit adultery, to not steal, to not bear false witness, to honor your father and mother— if you really take a close look at what the commandments require of you, would you still be so confident that you are worthy of eternal life?

No, you have not murdered anyone. But hate makes you guilty of the 5th commandment. How many people have you hated? In fact, you often feel justified in hating them? Do you really believe that you are worthy of eternal life?

You have not stolen from or defrauded anyone, but the income that God provides you with is never enough because you have to have that new pickup truck or that new camper or the new cabin. To paraphrase the book of James, “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly,, to spend it on that new streaming service” (James 4:2-3).

And have you not stolen from God? He has called you to give your offerings back to Him first; He has called you to give in response to what He has given to you. Instead, you choose to give your “fair share” of the congregation’s budget— and, even then, you hold back some if you don’t like what it’s going to. I would suggest to you that, if you are simply giving your “fair share” of a congregation’s budget, then you are robbing God (Malachi 3:8).

Entire congregations often fall into this temptation. When they have no debt and they have money in the bank, things are good— regardless of anything else that is or is not going on. That is often our standard. The question of how well the congregation as a whole and the members in particular are following Jesus is rarely even on the radar, so to speak.

Does that sound like a person— or a congregation— who is worthy of eternal life?

Do we need to go on? Do we need to take a closer look at what you say about people? Do we need to take another look at how you treated your parents or what you did and did not do for your children? Can you or I really maintain this self-image of being worthy of eternal life?

Jesus told the man to sell everything he owned, give it to the poor, and follow Him. He went away disheartened and sorrowful because he loved his money and possessions too much to give them up to follow Jesus.

What would Jesus say to you? What is it that stands between you and eternal life? What is it that would keep you from following Jesus if He forced you to choose between it and eternal life?

Who would dare to consider himself worthy to follow Jesus? It’s no wonder the man went away disheartened and sorrowful.

Here’s the thing: Jesus’ invitation to the man to follow Him was not predicated on the man’s worthiness— on his willingness to sell all he had and give it to the poor— but on the man abandoning his fruitless (burdensome) quest to be good enough to be worthy of eternal life and following Jesus, the true source of eternal life. The point is not whether you have given enough money or put in enough volunteer hours to be worthy of eternal life. The point is that Jesus, alone, is truly ‘good’ (Mark 10:18). He possessed all the treasures of heaven. And He was willing to give it all up. That’s why Jesus’ ascension is such a cause for joy. They angels did not simply rejoice because an old friend had returned. They rejoiced because Jesus had earned a place there in paradise. He was not just ‘slumming it’ when He came down to earth. He “7 emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). He gave up any claim to that power, majesty, glory, and authority and became human. Fully human. “8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:6–9).

Jesus sold all that He had, if you will, in order to lay up for Himself treasure in heaven. That treasure is you. He alone is worthy of eternal life on account of His perfect life, death and resurrection, and He gladly gives that gift to you here today through His word, through the absolution He sent me to proclaim to you, through His body and blood that He invites you to take and eat, to take and drink (Mark 10:21). Eternal life is poured out for you here again today.

Follow Jesus. Take up your cross and follow Him (Matthew 10:38). Don’t turn away from Him disheartened and sorrowful, go to Him in sorrow and deep repentance. All the reasons you can try to give to defend the idea that you are a good person do not change the fact that your wealth or your hate or your lust— or a thousand other things— stand between you and eternal life. Whatever it is put them behind you by turning back to Jesus in repentance, and follow Him.

“12 Take care… lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). Do not harden your hearts like the people of Israel who were led out of Egypt through the Red Sea, who were sustained in the wilderness by manna from heaven, but rebelled and were left outside the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:15-17).

You are seeking eternal life in the right place by coming here. Jesus genuinely offers you eternal life. Turn away from your sin; turn away from your love of anything that would take precedence over God; turn away also from the burden of having to prove that you are a good and moral person. Receive the riches of Christ— His perfect life, death, and resurrection for you.

Follow Jesus. Whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). Jesus promises that the Father will honor anyone who follows Him.

Following Jesus does not necessarily require literally selling everything you have and giving it to the poor, but it does change how you see your money and possessions. I realize that LWML Sunday was last week, but I think the LWML is one of the greatest examples of the difference it makes.

Ladies, I’m sorry, but I have to embarrass you a little bit. I still remember one of our LWML meetings when the treasurer finished up her report on the mites and the other money that they had received over the past few months and what had gone out. The bottom line of her report was that, after a few hundred dollars had come in, all but like $12 had already gone out. That was all they had in their checking account. And there was a moment of quiet. Everyone looked around the table at each other with smiles and satisfaction. Because they knew that that money was going to Orphan Grain Train to help provide clothing and other tangible help for people who needed it; it was going to the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to provide a healing space for at-risk children; it was going to Lutheran Braille Workers to provide resources to fortify the faith of those with vision impairment— you can check out the whole list in the narthex after the service. But it’s not about how much money was given— we’re talking about a few hundred dollars in nickels and dimes and quarters and pennies— but they understand what it means to follow Jesus; they understand the impact that even a little bit can have when it’s used in service to Him. And they didn’t do it in order to prove how good they are. It was done “In fervent gratitude for the Savior's dying love and His blood-bought gift of redemption…” (LWML Pledge).

That is what it means to follow Jesus.

Yes, realize the full extent of your sin— don’t shrink away from allowing the carefully crafted image of our own goodness being shattered— but do not go away sorrowful or disheartened. Receive that gift of eternal life that He has given everything to earn for you. And go, follow Him.