A Sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Johanna S. Morrigan
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Psalm 90
Hebrews 3:1-6
Mark 10:17-31
"Give up all that you have, distribute it to the poor, and come follow me. " Are you kidding?
Who in their right mind is going to just give up everything that they have worked for and follow some itinerant preacher who doesn't have the good sense to get a job and act like other respectable folks? Who would do that? Who has done that?
It takes a saint to do that - someone like St. Francis who gave up everything - all of his possessions, his title, his standing in society, even the clothes on his back - everything to follow the call of his God. But I am no saint - just ask my family!
And yet in the Gospels, Jesus seems to be forever telling folks to just give it all up, and follow him. And Peter points out to Jesus that he and the other disciples have done just that - they gave up everything and followed Jesus. But after Jesus talks about the earthly rewards for doing that, he rebukes Peter and reminds him that those who are first here on earth are destined to be last in the Kingdom of God - can't you almost hear him saying it? "Oh, Peter, beware of pride. Beware of boasting of your sacrifice."
For years I have read this Gospel and come away from it shaking my head and thinking that God is just plain unreasonable. No matter what you do, it isn't right. You can't win. You give up everything – you're supposed to just let your family fend for themselves, you aren't to mind that you'll look like a total and irresponsible fool – just give it all up. BUT.. Beware of boasting. Beware of taking pride in such a sacrifice.
Come on, God - get real! We're human, not God. You're God - we're just human.
A man named Michael Quoist wrote: "We are not God. We are simply the image of God, and our task is gradually to discover that image and set it free." Ever since I read that remark several years ago, it has continued to hang around the edges of my mind .
No I'm not God; I get that part. But I'm the image of God, and God is calling me to set that image free? What in the world does that mean, and how am I supposed to do it? Do you suppose that is what the rich, young man is asking Jesus?
You know, I've always felt sorry for this guy. He seems like a good sort. Oh, I know, I know - I ‘ve heard him blasted as a self-centered, egotistical, self-righteous clod who is just trying to butter up to Jesus. But I don't think so.
Maybe I want to be compassionate about this nameless fellow because he reminds me so much of me. In so many ways he really does seem like us. We want to do what is right. We want to please God, and to be assured of a place in God's Kingdom in Heaven. We seek to honor and glorify God by following the commandments, and praying to God, asking God to show us what to do - how to come closer to God. Isn't that what this guy is doing?
He runs to Jesus. He doesn't just wander up one day when he has nothing better to do. He's spent time and money and considerable effort to track down Jesus. And when he finds him, the young man runs to Jesus and kneels at his feet. Now this doesn't strike me as the behavior of an egotist. It seems more like the behavior of a devout and sincere person to me. He calls Jesus "Good" - recognizing that Jesus somehow has a relationship to God that is close and intimate. For God alone is "good."
When Jesus reminds him of the commandments, the young man seems almost impatient, "yes, yes - I know about the commandments. I've been doing those things as best I can since I was little. But I know there's something more. Something I'm be missing. You're of God, you must have the answer - so please tell me what it is."
And Jesus looks at him and loves him. Jesus loves him for all his efforts - for his desire to glorify God and to come closer to God.
And then Jesus drops the bomb - Jesus tells him to do the one thing that he has never even contemplated - that he can't even conceive of doing - the one thing that he believes is truly impossible for him to do.
Why is it impossible? Because he is greedy? Selfish? Because he loves his possessions more than he loves God? I don't think so. His earlier behavior is not that of an arrogant and self-satisfied hypocrite. So why can't he do as Jesus asks? Why is he unable to let go of the one last thing that keeps him from discovering the image of God within himself and setting it free?
What is it that keeps us from discovering the image of God within ourselves and setting it free?
Perhaps it's our belief that - in the last analysis - we really know best. Perhaps the rich young man believed with all his heart that to give money and goods to the poor with no expectation of payment would be to encourage them in their slothfulness – that it would encourage them to be irresponsible and a drain on society. Maybe he truly believed that it would be wrong to do as Jesus asked.
Is this what gets in our way? Do we believe that we know what's best? Perhaps we believe there really is only one way to glorify and honor God - which would , of course, be our way. The way of our ancestors - with one priest for each parish - a quiet and sensible approach which is neat and respectable.
Maybe this Total Ministry thing is not such a good idea. After all it's not part of our tradition. It's not neat and organized and respectable. In fact it can be rather messy. Not everyone is going to know what is going on all the time. We won't be able to count on just one person - the priest - to do our mother's funeral sermon, or to visit our loved one in the hospital, or to bring Eucharist to us when we are sick.
It will be a team minister who will come to our aid when we are bereaved and grieving the loss of our mate, or our child. It will be a team minister who will hold our grandchild, and perform the sacrament of baptism. It will be parish ministers who will bring the Eucharist to us when we are ill. Our Christian Education programs will be developed by another team minister, and parish ministers will be leading them. Another team minister will develop programs to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to our communities, and we'll need parish ministers to implement these programs.
It sounds like everyone in the whole dang church is going to have to DO SOMETHING! And not just something, but very likely more than we've already been doing. There aren't enough of us to go around! If this is going to work, we're going to have to find new members. That means that we are going to have to talk about Jesus Christ, and maybe even invite our neighbors to church. It means that each and every one of us will be directly responsible to Jesus - for spreading the good news and keeping his church alive and well. How can we do all that? Isn't that the priest's job?
But isn't that the whole point? Isn't that what Jesus is telling the rich young man? That we need to give up our old ways, our old beliefs about what God is telling us? After all, when he told the young man to give up all of his possessions and money, he was turning the world of his day upside down. In the first century, prosperity and wealth were believed to be a sign of good character and of God's favor.
But Jesus is saying, "no, you don't get it. That's not it. I need you to cast aside EVERYTHING that gets in your way of listening to me and following my call." Jesus is saying that he is calling each one of us - he's not just talking to the priests - he's not just calling the priestly tribe of Levi. He is calling everyone to answer directly to him. He's saying, "listen up - I have a job for you to do. So get rid of whatever is in your way of hearing that call."
No, we aren't God. But we are the image of God. And Jesus is telling us to find that image – and to set it free.
AMEN.