One Way to Heaven

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

I want to try something a little different. Something to help us understand the context of our Gospel lesson a little better.

Dramatic reading of (outside of pulpit) (Mix it up a bit!)

You see I did this because it is important to understand the urgency from the man, the sincerity from Jesus and the overall seriousness of this conversation.

For this conversation deals with something we deal with all the time in our lives.

Trust.

Trust

Trust is a fundamental part of life and there are many examples of it.

Examples: Money, cell phones, people, family, life (Waking up in the morning), etc...

We trust

Trust is not inherently a bad thing, in fact trust is a good thing, but it comes a bad thing when the thing we are placing our trust in becomes more important to us than our trust in God.

Old story about a wealthy man who tells his story in church. (tell story)

Trust is not inherently a bad thing, in fact trust is a good thing, but it comes a bad thing when the thing we are placing our trust in becomes more important to us than our trust in God.

Which is what we see in our Gospel lesson.

This young man runs up to Jesus to ask him how he can earn eternal life. Note the use of the word inherit.

This man wanted to earn his own salvation. For you see this man has trusted in his works his whole life, or at least since his youth and so far it has gotten him great wealth and many possessions. Which in those days were seen as being blessed by God.

However, he realizes he is lacking something, so he goes to Jesus to find out what he is lacking.

After posing the question to Jesus. Jesus responds by informing the man that God alone is good, that is God alone is perfect.

setting up and anticipating what the man is going to say after Jesus gives his answer.

Which at this time is nothing more than the second table of the law. That is how we relate with others.

Easy enough right? I mean just keep these commandments and you will have eternal life. The man thinks so, in fact his response to Jesus is that he has kept all of these commandments since his youth.

which brings us to our first problem.

Jesus is right. If you keep the commandments perfectly you will inherit eternal life. For the commandments weren’t given to us to be a burden for us. We may think they are, but they’re not.

In fact the commandments weren’t even given to us to only convict us of our sin. No the commandments are righteous, holy and good and if kept perfectly you will have a relationship with God and inherit eternal life.

But that’s the problem. You see we can’t keep God’s commands. Sure, we may keep them on the outside and think that we do, like the man, but one look at our heart and we would see how much of a filthy, commandment breaking sinner we really are.

But Jesus doesn’t correct the man’s reply to him. Instead, Jesus looks at the man with sincerity and love and goes straight for the man’s heart.

He tells the man that there is one thing he lacks. That is, (read verse 21).

I can see the man’s the man face when Jesus is about to tell him what he lacks. The anxiousness and excitement in finding out what it is. Hope that it isn’t too difficult. Only to have the rug ripped out from under him and left is shock and sadness as he walks away from Jesus.

Here we have our second problem.

The thing the man lacked wasn’t being poor or a final good work. No, what the man lacked was trust in God.

This man trusted in everything he had done, his works and his possessions, but not in God.

and the problem with that is that our works can’t save us.

Imagery (Chronicles of Narnia Story (Voyage of the Dawn Treader)

Eustace trying to become human again.

Made human again at the well by Aslan (Jesus figure)

A great image of why God alone is our savior.

Our sin is deeper than can ever imagine. It lies in the depths of our heart. At the very core of our being.

God knew this and knew that only He could save us from our sin and eternal punishment.

So He sent us His Son. To take on this flesh and live the life we never could live. A life that perfectly kept all of God’s commands. And what did Jesus receive for His perfect life.

He received death on a cross.

But that death was followed by a resurrection. His resurrection, as God raised Jesus from the dead.

For the sinless died for the sinful and rose again, so that one day all may have eternal life in heaven with Him.

And this is a promise that you were given on the day you were baptized.

For just as eustace was washed clean in the well, made human again and clothed by Aslan.

You were washed clean through the waters of Holy Baptism and made a child of God and were clothed with Christ’s righteousness (and made perfect in the eyes of God.)

But if Gods already won our salvation then whats left for us to do?

Well for that we must go back to the beginning of Mark and the beginning of Jesus ministry where he tells us two things that are necessary to receive the kingdom of God.

“Repent and believe”

We must repent of whatever it is that is preventing us from placing our full trust in Jesus and we must believe in Him and trust in His promises.

For the one who believes is also one who will follow.

But you see as long as we are alive in this world, sin will afflict us from all sides and the devil will pursue us.

That is why we come church. To receive God’s Word and to receive His sacraments which strengthen our faith and remind us that God is a loving and forgiving God and that no matter how many times we may fall, He still loves us and forgives us.

For He is our rock and He is our foundation. Your salvation has already been won by Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior and nothing is more trustworthy than that. Amen.

Now may the peace that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.