The Questions That Drive Us

2022 yall! That means yesterday was the 22 Anniversary of the anticipated destruction of modern civilization and the predictions that Jesus was coming back. Y2K came and went, and Jesus continues to tarry. And so, we look ahead to another year. We look ahead to what is to come, and what is to come after… We’re going to be in the book of Mark, chapter 10 and specifically looking at verses 17-31. I encourage you to open your Bible, to that passage (Mark 10:17-31) as we will be looking at some conversations Jesus had concerning eternal life. As we go through these conversations, we will be looking at 3 questions that drive us. How can the worth of my life transcend my own limitations? How can I guarantee this transcendence when so many have failed? How do I know if I am still in God’s hands?

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Now before we get too deep into this there are a couple key presumptions effecting this man’s question we need to look at. The first is tied to the word “inherit” where the concept of possessing land is directly tied to God’s promises for his people. The Israelites were given the promise land as their inheritance. This man is asking about how to obtain this “new” promise of eternal life. And the second presumption is the idea behind “eternal life”, which it is not a concept fully vetted within the teaching of the OT, but began to evolve over time. To be given life in the OT is to have abundance and fulfilment, a bountiful existence. But see the wisdom of Ecclesiastes began to be reflected in Judaism through an understanding that even the bountiful life still comes to a close and the human heart yearns for more. Hence the debates referenced in the Synoptic Gospels concerning the "resurrection". The question was driving them as much as it drives us today…There must be more to life than this… Do I matter more than the sum of my parts…? Will anything of me last beyond what I know now. The naturalism of the modern age answered these questions with a resounding “no.” This gave way to Nihilism in that nothing matters, you do not matter, I do not matter, we don’t matter, you might as well inoculate yourself against pain and suffering and get through life the best you can. It also gave way to existentialism in that life is short, live it up. Experience as much ecstasy in life as it can give you. And yet, our souls are still restless for more. We, in the west have now moved beyond the modern age and have left the ideals of naturalism with it’s stilted boxed in existence and have firmly landed in what is called postmodernism. Whereby, “in this contemporary mood the individual becomes supreme, and the diversity of global society and culture becomes the determinative axiom of existence” (Milne 80). So, now people look for their existence and their meaning in how they make the world a better place. How, they contribute to the progress of society? How they use their personal wealth and influence to better the life of their neighbor.

Solomon had a phrase for this. Nothing new under the sun. In our text here we have this man falling to his knees before Jesus asking how he can be someone who will be able to participate in the lasting life of abundance. After an initial probing question, Jesus asks him about how well he has fulfilled the laws to love his neighbor as himself. Let’s look back at verse 19 where Jesus continues to address this man: “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.” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” Even way back then, this man is living out the post-modern life. He lives in and for community and has been blessed with abundance which was not gained by oppressing or diminishing anyone else. Yet, he still longed to know if what he has done, if what he has accomplished, if the life he has lived will have significance beyond death. He wants to know how the worth of his life can transcend his own limitations. This is one of the things where we can see a noticeable reaction difference between humans and animals. I had a dog when I was young, a basset hound. Its legs were too short and its belly too big, so that he wore a path heading to the neighbor’s yard where there was no grass because his belly dragged the ground and his he wore a path on his belly so there was no hair either. But he loved to wonder off and have his little adventures as his nose carried him on. It was not uncommon for him to be gone for a few days. And sometimes we would get a call from a close by town that they have our dog. One time he was gone for a couple weeks. And we figured he got lost, or someone found him and kept him, or he passed. Till we saw him waddling down the road heading back to our house. Unfortunately, he had been hit by a car, and had several wounds. Without going into too much detail, we knew he must have been laying off the side of the road somewhere just waiting to die. That is the case for many animals, when their time comes, they just accept it. They don’t start pacing and fretting about what is coming. They have lived out their purpose, their time. There is no fear or anxiety about the end. But that is not the case for us is it. We as humans consistently look for ways to extend our life and live beyond our time. This man was no different in that regard. To his question Jesus communicates to him the same as he had communicated to others, that “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

In other words, (Letting go of life is how we truly live.) You can write that down as our first answer this morning. Letting go of life is how we truly live. Look back at verse 21, after the man stated he had done all these since his youth we read, 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.” There are some interesting cultural realities present in this conversation that might not be as apparent to us when we first read this. I mentioned already some of the assumptions at play with the original question concerning Israel’s inheritance, but that is not the only OT reference. If you look at the commands Jesus asks, they are the later 5 commands of the Decalogue, that is the 10 Commandments. Jesus then tells this man that he lacks one thing, but then gives him 4 things to do. This is very reminiscent of when Jesus was asked what the one greatest commandment is, to which Jesus replied the first is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. What is going on is not that Jesus, could command the winds and the waves, give sight to the blind, enable the lame to walk, and give life back to the dead, but was not good at math. No, Jesus said that these two commandments sum up all of the law. We can say it today that we are to love God with all that we are and love each other with all that we have. Of these two things, Jesus said the man lacked one of them. He clearly loved others with all he had, but will he be able to love God with all that he is.

Jesus reveals in this man’s heart the main tension in our story, that is (What we hold on to can keep us from being held by God). In verse 22 we read that he was disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. I have wafted back and forth if I really want to go here, but I go a soap box I want to get on. It doesn’t really drive the story forward, but I just need to get it off my chest. I have read and listened to this story being told and so many people talk about how big of a tragedy this man’s story is in how he walked away from Jesus. I said a few moments ago that Jesus told him to do four things. Some of you might have looked and only counted 3, some of you might have noticed the 4. Jesus said, you lack one thing: go (1), sell all that you have (2), give to the poor (3), and come follow me (4). The first thing Jesus told him to do was to go. Him walking away from Jesus was an act of obedience. He’s doing what he said, he ain’t happy about it, but he is doing it. I get it, that if this was it, if all he did was walk off in obedience, end of story, end of sermon, thanks for coming…go pick up your kids. It is not the end Jesus takes the opportunity to teach his disciples more, pressing even further into this question of “what must I do to inherit eternal life”. He does so in response to the emotional reaction of the man. He’s disheartened and goes away full of sadness. He’s disheartened, his countenance is darkened, his demeanor changes from the exuberance of running up to Jesus jumping to his knees looking for the teacher’s wisdom and advice. I have lived my life to its fullest. I have been blessed and seek to bless others, I have lived by the statues of God Almighty and I want to know what do I need for this to be forever? Jesus tells him to lose his life. All you’ve known, get rid of it, let it go. The weight of this begins to crush him, and he feels a deep sorrow. Not wholly different than the deep sorrow Christ expressed in the garden of Gethsemane when he asked for the Father to let the cup of suffering pass by him. I think this is why this is such a soap box for me, is that feeling sorrow is not a dis-qualifier for faithfulness to God. Especially if our sorrow leads to repentance. Romanticizing persecution or suffering, even though we are called to be faithful through it, is not helpful. It’s not genuine. It also strips Jesus of the power and significance of what it meant to be Immanuel, God among us. If Jesus took pleasure in suffering, then it is no longer something he did for us. But the emotional pain it causes us when asked to let go of control, to let go of our self-directed purpose, let go of our own definition of significance, gives us a glimpse as to what we value, what we treasure. And it very well can be that what we hold on to can keep us from being held by God. However, when we let go of what possesses us in this life, when we let go of the things, we hold dear, that is to approach life with open hands and truly live out, not my will be done but yours Lord, then we will truly live. Not only in this life, but in the one after. This is how our worth transcends our own limitations, when we resolve to find our worth in Christ. Yet, there are more questions that drive us. Like How can I guarantee this transcendence when so many have failed? Do I need to be that special, do I need to be that exceptional, do I need to be that unique that where all others have failed, I will succeed?

No, (Faith in the power and provision of Jesus guarantees his possession). That is our second answer this morning; faith in the power and provision of Jesus guarantees his possession. Through the submission of all that we are to Christ which includes living out love towards others in following him is tantamount to fulfilling the Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Following Christ is the other command that sums up the first five commands of the Decalogue. That is a profound point Mark is making here with sharing this story. Jesus is looking to make another profound point when he springboards off of this circumstance to teach his disciples. Look back at verse 23. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult 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.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” As disheartened as this man was, the disciples were even more shocked. There were distinct social classes back then and one could not change his or her station in life very easily. A tax collector would be wealthy but would be loathed by many. This man was not a tax collector, he did not rob anyone. He did not covet another’s possession and subsequently defraud them of their own possessions. The disciples any many would consider him favored by God and primarily because of his righteous living. This guy is like the Keanu Reeves of Judaism. He has got everything going for him, and yet Jesus said he might not make the cut. He’s got an uphill battle in front of him. In fact, its going to be like trying to cook some eggs on ice cubes. But it wasn’t just Jesus words concerning this man that had them astonished, Jesus said, point blank its difficult for anyone to make the cut. “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! Like I said, cooking eggs on ice cubes, a camel going through the eye of a needle, painting with concrete on a canvas of air. To which you might reply, “that’s impossible” and I would say, your right! That is exactly what Jesus was driving at. It is difficult for someone like this man to enter the kingdom of God, because it is difficult for everyone to enter the kingdom of God. But even more so for those who hold on to things that keep them from being held on to by God. To their question of who can be saved, Jesus replies, glance back to verse 27, Jesus looked at them and said, with man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” This is why it is called good news, why it is called the Gospel, because what is impossible for us is in fact possible for God.

The Gospel is the good news about a new path, a new humanity, a new way that started with Jesus. It doesn't take long to realize that our world, that humanity, is forever flawed. We have amazing qualities, where we can shower another with love, we can express creative beauty, we can conceptualize and invent masterful designs, yet with each of these we can corrupt what was God's purpose for them in reflecting his goodness to reflect our own desire for autonomy and individuality. We corrupt love by making it something that is to fulfill our own interests. We corrupt beauty by determining some possess it while others do not. We corrupt our ingenuity when it marginalizes and destroys others who were made in the image of God. Jesus provided and showed us a better way. Even though we have diverged from God's design, he never did. Jesus calls us to leave our self-directed autonomous path to join him. But we are on different paths, different tracks and the destination of humanity’s track does not lead to communion with God. It does not lead to peace or a better world. Our proclivity as humans, to continually choose self-rule and self-sufficiency only leads to destruction. You think I’m being over dramatic? Have you ever gotten mad at someone because they cut you off in traffic? That is the pathway to murder. Have you ever wished you would have won a prize or the lottery instead of another? That is the pathway to theft. You might think you are better than that because you have not “actually” murdered anyone or “actually” stole from anyone. But don’t for one minute praise yourself because you happened to win the lottery of privileged birth in having parents and a community to mold your behavior to not act on those self-guided impulses. Your heart leads you to think of yourself first over and above others. Your behavior might “look” better than some, but your heart is still corrupted by the desire to choose your own way, your own fate, to choose your own truth. The truth is if no one told you murder was wrong and that there are legal consequences for it, you’d choose to destroy that person for cutting you off in traffic. It is a part of who we are as humans, it is a part of our nature. But how can we change our nature? We can’t. This is impossible for us, but not with God. Because all things are possible for God. This is the good news of Jesus. He came to change our nature. He, who never departed from God’s plan, took on our own consequences of doing so. The author and origin of life took on death, and destroyed it, rather than letting death be the final destroyer of us. Now through him, through Jesus, we can be a part of God’s design again. We can leave this path; the track humanity is on to get on a different train heading to a different destination. If you hear these words and your heart years for something better. If you long for a life and a world that transcends the survival of the fittest. If you’re spirit is heavy because of all the conflicting and contradictory morality causes prevalent in this world’s culture than you have a ticket awaiting you to get aboard the train heading towards true peace, true community, and true restoration. Hear the words of Christ in a new way as he is saying to you, “come follow me.”

My brothers and sisters gathered here today, here this, it is in following him with all that we are and all that we have. We leave what was our life behind and we live for a reality that is far greater than we could ever be. Far greater than anything we could ever obtain. Far greater than we can ever know in this life. We live out this gospel reality in every aspect of our marriages, work relations, friendships. Through them all we approach it as it is not our life, but Christ’s. How does Christ want me to treat my spouse today? How does Christ want me to communicate with my boss today? How does Christ want me to teach and train my children today? You see, the real problem with this wealthy man was not his wealth, Jesus doesn’t call us all to be poor. The problem was that he did not understand truly who Jesus was. When people who understand who Jesus is, they do what he asks. They follow in his way. They live like a new human. All because God has, through the death burial and resurrection of Christ made a way to change our nature. It is no longer our guarantee of transcendence, but his.

We still have one more question to answer. How do I know if I am still in God’s hands? Our answer is, (Continual cross bearing and confidence in Christ keeps us in his hands). Continual cross bearing and confidence in Christ keeps us in his hands. There is a lot of theology that can go into answering this question and much of it is good to think on and study, but we do not have the time to deal with a lot of it this morning and I do not really have the energy to delve into that right now. Instead, we’ll look at what remains in our story here in Mark and let the Spirit lead us into truth through the proclamation of his word. Amen? Here we are vs 28, Peter began to say to him… You ever notice how its always Peter who speaks up. If there is something to be said, Peter’s gonna say it. He speaks for the group, even when he doesn’t. Ya know here is a little side bar, this is a free-be too no charge, the disciples in the gospels are consistently portrayed as a little bit foolish, ignorant at times, almost like a bunch of goons. But the thing is, it was a literary style employed to elevate Christ. Not that Jesus needed a leg up, but it was more about presenting themselves as weak when they shared their experiences with others. They valued their own weakness in comparison to Christ. That is a good example to us for how to share our own faith story. Alright so, back to Peter… “See, we have left everything and followed you. Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” There is a lot there, so let’s unpack this one piece at a time. First, Peter is still concerned about this camel going through the eye of a needle. That really floored him. So, he’s checking in, you told him he might not make the cut because he needed to go sell everything. Well, we’ve left everything and followed you. Does that mean we make the cut? Have we done what it takes to inherit eternal life? Are we still in God’s hands? Jesus affirms their sacrifices, by assuring them that what feels like loss is recouped and rewarded in ways you would not imagine. But he does have some insight they need to consider. Many who are first will be last, and the last first. This is not the first time Jesus has said something like this to them and it was not the last either. In Mark 9:35 Jesus told them “if anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” In Mark 10:43-44 he said, “But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” The disciples continually struggled with the appropriation of authority and power. Jesus had to keep reminding them that true authority is expressed not by asserting yourself over others or insisting on your placement as first, but instead as one who lives to serve others. Jesus’ inclusion of that phrase here, and Mark’s use of it in telling Jesus’ story highlights that yes, they have Loved the Lord God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength through their continual confidence in Christ, but that they lack the continual cross bearing in loving their neighbor. The two cannot be separated. We must love God with all that we are and love others with all that we have. We must continually bear our own cross and continually keep our confidence in Christ. This is what it means to follow him. This is what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of God. This is what it means to possess eternal life, or rather have eternal life possess us. That is how we know we are in God’s hands.

Pragmatically, what’s that look like? I know some of you are out there thinking, that sounds good, but what does that mean. How does bearing our cross work out in the lives of Harvest Decatur. Open hands. If your anything like me, you want to hold on to our pastor. You don’t want to let him go. But I do find comfort in Jesus words here, that no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands will not receive a hundredfold. Just for clarity’s sake, this isn’t to mean that you leave your wife or husband to get a better one. This does not mean you shirk your responsibility to your children or your aging parents. It does not mean that if you’re struggling to pay your house payment, you simply walk away from the financial agreement and claim it’s for the gospel. It does mean you do not let these things you hold on to keep you from being held by God. You know we develop some pretty tight bonds in small groups, but we should never treat our small group the way Peter did on the mountain of transfiguration wanting to camp out there forever. We have a model of multiplication in small groups because we want to see more people grow in maturity. We want to see more people experience those tight bonds of genuine community. We want to expand our closeness with one another so that we all can participate through a diversity in unity. So, we invite new people into our groups. We train up other leaders so we can multiply one group to two groups, two groups to four. We multiply the opportunity for growth and discipleship. We multiply the opportunity for genuine community and mutual care. And really the same principle applies to church planting. As people grow in influence, leadership, biblical knowledge and as they learn to use their Spirit empowered gifts more, we don’t hold on to them with tight clenched fists, but we let the go. We send them on to multiply the Kingdom of God and start new churches. And even though it feels like a loss, what Jesus is saying here is that it is actually a gain. Because we gain more brothers and sisters in Christ. We gain more family to call our own. We also gain wealth, not wealth used to fulfill our own interests and entertainment but the wealth within the family of God. That when someone is in need or when someone needs a place to stay, in this community, in this family, we have a home for you. Right? Right Harvest Decatur, we believe that don’t we?

Works Cited

Milne, Bruce. Dynamic Diversity: The New Humanity Church for Today and Tomorrow. IVP, 2006.