Sermon on Mark 10:17-31
Pastor Jennifer Garcia
It’s been said that the job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The same might be said about our Gospel reading today.
To people neglected by society, Jesus’ promise that the first will be last and the last will be first is good news. His promise of a hundredfold of everything sacrificed for the sake of following him is a relief.
To people with a lot of possessions and power, “the first will be last and the last will be first” sounds more like a threat. And the promise of a hundredfoldseems like sorry compensation for having to give up everything first.
I find this story more afflicting than comforting, and probably a lot of you feel the same.
Most of us don’t consider ourselves rich, but when 700 million people around the world live on less than $2.15 a day, it puts things in perspective. We don’t have to be billionaires to identify with the man who approached Jesus and went away grieving.
His story startedpromisingly. Instead of the religious leaders who were always trying to trap Jesus, this man approached him and knelt down—like the stories throughout the Gospel of Mark when people ask Jesus for healing.He came to Jesus with humility and hope.
His question seems earnest—“what must I do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus answered in his trademark indirect way: you know the commandments.
The man’s claim that he had kept all the commandments might sound pompous to us, but Jesus didn’t seem to disagree with him. It even says that Jesus looked at him and loved him. He just gave him one final task: sell everything you have, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow him.
The man “was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” He came to Jesus for healing but wasn’t willing to go through with the treatment.
Then, the disciples seemed anxious about the implications of Jesus’ words. In their culture, riches were indications of God’s favor and blessing (which is not so different from our own culture), so if this rich man couldn’t enter the kingdom of God, how could someone with presumably less of God’s favor enter it?
So, the disciples started to remind Jesus that they had given up everything to follow him, and that makes them okay in God’s eyes, right? Right?!
Jesus reassured them that anyone who sacrificed relationships, status, property, possessions, etc. for the sake of following Jesus would receive a hundredfold “in this age” and eternal life to come.
That’s not super reassuring today, when I have a garage in need of organizing and a retirement account and have never had to wonder where my next meal will come from.
Preachers often try to soften this text, doing theological gymnastics to try to let us off the hook.
Someone in the 9th century made up a story that there was a small gate in Jerusalem called “the eye of the needle” that a camel couldn’t go through unless it was unburdened.[1]
Other people say Jesus knew this man had a particular vice of greed that needed to be addressed in this way, but that the same prescription doesn’t apply to us.
I think that’s letting us off too easily.
Why would Jesus declare that it’s so hard for people with wealth to enter the kingdom of God if he were just talking about that one person?
Why wouldn’t that apply to those of us who live at least relatively comfortably in one of the wealthiest countries in the world?
If we don’t need healing in the same way this man did, why does this story bother us so much?
In various places around the world, people use simple traps to catch monkeys. They get a jar or a gourd with a small opening big enough for a monkey’s paw to get through. Then they put some food inside. When the monkey reaches in and grabs the food, the opening is too small to let the paw and the food through. The monkey would have to let go of the food to get free, but it’s unwilling to let go.
The monkey seems silly for not letting go, but then I read this Gospel story, look around at my many possessions, and realize I’m not so different.
My stuff weighs me down. It can be a burden. I am in need of healing.
I’ve been fascinated by minimalism for many years. I crave the simplicity and the peace that seems to come with having less stuff.
From Marie Kondo to tiny homes to capsule wardrobes, minimalism has been having a moment in US culture.
But minimalism for its own sake is not what Jesus is talking about in our Gospel reading.
Getting rid of things so that you can brag about how little you have can make minimalism an idol.
Striving for less so that you can feel like you’re enough is still trying to earn salvation by works.
As much as Jesus gives tangible instructions in this week’s story, works are not what saves us. Jesus saved us in his death and resurrection. It’s already done. Salvation is about God’s work, not ours. We rely purely on God’s grace, and that is enough. As Jesus said, “for God, all things are possible.”
So, when Jesus talks about entering the kingdom of God, he’s not talking about getting in the gates of heaven. Christianity has focused so much on heaven that we forget the kingdom of God is here now, too.
Jesus came to usher in the Reign of God on Earth. He collected disciples to form a community in the present that would carry God’s love and care into the world.
Jesus wasn’t talking about how hard it is for rich people to get through the pearly gates; he was talking about how hard it is for people with a lot of possessions to be willing to give all that up to be part of the Beloved Community here and now, even though they would get so much more out of it than they put in.
When we cling to our possessions, we’re like the monkey with its paw in the trap. If we let go, we are free. But it’s so hard to let go.
But Jesus was inviting the man to sell what he had and give the money to the poor. It wasn’t just about letting go of what he had. It was for the sake of his neighbors’ flourishing. It was about becoming part of a community of mutual support and love.
That is the “hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields.” Jesus also mentions persecutions, because this community is not how the world works. Indeed, early Jesus followers were persecuted by the Roman Empire. They were willing to die for the community Jesus instituted. Jesus took care of salvation, but their sacrifice was to live fully now. That is what Jesus’ invitation is about.
It's Jesus’ invitation to us, too. As much as we want to be let off the hook for this costly instruction, it’s not about our salvation but about our freedom to love our neighbor and live an abundant life in community now.
Every big change starts with a small step. Today, let’s remember the values we share as a community. This congregation has a rich and lengthy history.
It’s a generous community dedicated to service. Some of you have lived your whole life in this congregation. Some of us have spent much less time here. Regardless, you are each an important part of this community, and your stories are important.
Our stewardship team is inviting all of us to share our memories of this congregation. You can share them on these slips of paper or email them to Terri Robertson, and we will be collecting them and sharing them in November.
You can share any memories you like and as many as you like. In honor of today’s Gospel story, though, perhaps think of a memory of this congregation’s generosity.
How have you experienced the generosity of this congregation?
How has generosity formed this congregation’s identity?
When we remember our history together, it’s easier to live out our values.
As hard as Jesus’ instructions are, they lead to community. We’re not alone. We have each other, brought together by the Holy Spirit in this place and time with many decades of history in and care for the community.
As we remember that history and this congregation’s values, let’s let the Holy Spirit work in us to help us let go of what is keeping us trapped.
There is freedom in God and abundance in the Beloved Community for all of us.
[1]https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-28-2/commentary-on-mark-1017-31-4