Respectable or Radical

Introduction

Verses (The Message)

17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”

18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”

20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”

21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”

22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.

Background

Main Points

Seeking

The Rich Man eagerly Sought Jesus

Jesus was on the move

The man ran to him and threw him at his feet

The man was rich but was at the feet of this penniless prophet

Teaching

Jesus Loved the Man

a. “looked at him with love”

b. Clarified that good is a godly trait

Jesus started with the basics and then went to the advanced

a. A list of what not to do (except parents)

b. A definition of radical commitment

Responding

The rich man had been committed and attentive

a. “all of these” - Aware and committed

b. “Since youth” - Raised in the faith and consistent

The rich man wanted comfortable discipleship but Jesus called him to radical discipleship

a. Jesus tempered his call with love

b. Jesus did not demand that the Rich man give up his wealth - only exchange his tangible wealth for meaningful wealth

c. Jesus identified this surrendering of all things as a prerequisite to following him

The Rich man was broken-hearted at his failure to take action

a. He had a true desire to follow Jesus

b. He understood the significance of the choice

Our Part

Where do we show up in this story? What stage is our faith in? Do we eagerly seek Jesus with good knowledge and good behavior? Do we think that is enough?

What does our faith look like? Following the rules? Doing no harm?

Jesus calls us to action

(Message)

Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

Jesus calls us to selflessness

(Message)

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom.

The issue that Jesus identifies as being the key is eradicating selfishness.

( Sharon van Rietschoten writing for Active Christianity)

All sin is actually selfishness; all sin is choosing to give into something that you want, that you feel serves you in that moment.

How does your selfishness show up? What are you choosing today that becomes a barrier to true discipleship?

Jesus calls us to awareness not knowledge

It is not enough to focus on our own behavior and knowledge. We have to be aware of true meaning and be fully committed. There is a difference between being truly aware of something and simply having the knowledge of it. We know that the holocaust happened, but when we read the Diary of Anne Frank, or Night by Elie Wiesel, or any of the works of Primo Levi we develop a better awareness. Better yet, if we walk through the gate at Auschwitz that bitterly proclaims “work makes you free” and see the vestiges of the machinery of death, we develop even more awareness. If we look closely at that sign, we see the ‘B’ is inverted - an intentional act of defiance by the prisoners who made the sign. Yet another level of awareness. It is not enough to have knowledge or information. We need to be truly aware.

Jesus calls us to be passionate

(Jack Deere  - formerly at Dallas Theological Seminary )

Some people minimize our need for passion for Jesus. They tell us that our feelings aren't really important as long as we walk in obedience. Obedience is wonderful, but the problem with this definition is that you can do the right thing without loving the Son of God very much at all. If you look at the heroes of our faith, you'll find that they are men and women who were not only full of good works but were consumed by passion for God.

Dr. Deere defines 3 things we need to do in order to develop passion for Christ.

1. Time to know Him

2. Remove barriers

3. Ask for passion

There is a price for faith

Jesus calls us to understand that true wealth is not counted in dollars or possessions. We focus on what the rich man refused to give up. But the truly significant thing is what he ended up giving up. We all lose something. If we truly seek and follow Christ, we pay a price in temporary comfort. If we reject discipleship then the price we pay is much higher.

Jesus paid a price for our faith. Jesus demonstrated commitment, selflessness and passion for us through his ministry and the cross. Today we celebrate the last supper he shared with his disciples. He told them to continue memorializing the meal and the symbolism it carried about his death and resurrection.