Dear e-votees-
I’ve always been struck by churches with names like “First Lutheran Church” or “Third Baptist Church” . Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things when in the pecking order the church got established? It seems to me like the better measures of a church would be: Are the people growing in their faith? Is the gospel preached well and in a compelling fashion to those who hear? Are lives within and without the congregation being positively affected? Are disciples being challenged and shaped? Are the lonely and grieving and cutoff being brought into community?
For years I have been tempted to start a mission plant congregation somewhere and call it Last Lutheran church. It would provoke conversation. It would be easy to find as there are probably much fewer “Last Lutheran”s as compared to “First Lutheran”s. More importantly it would in a playful way keep our eyes fixed on the assigned gospel text for this weekend: Mark 10:17-31.
A word to RLC members who have been receiving e-vos: As I complete this call at Resurrection on October 14 I will be culling RLC members from the distribution list. This is the last Wednesday that I will be sending an e-vo to you. It is important to make the cleanest and healthiest break possible when a pastor leaves so that all can move on to the next season to which God is leading them. It has been a joy to serve as one of your pastors. Godspeed as you press into the next steps of your long, storied and faithful journey.
Peace,
Karl
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17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Mark 10:17-31, NRSV
We fall prey to the desire to justify ourselves and our ways. The man in our gospel runs up and asks what is required of him to enter eternal life. Jesus reminds him of the need to live by the commandments. It is interesting to note that Jesus only makes mention of commandments from the second table of the law—the commandments that pertain to relationships between people. The man asserts that he has kept all of these commandments since his youth. Jesus looks at him, loves him and challenges him—one more thing is required: sell your possessions and give the money to the poor. This was enough to turn back the zeal of the wealthy man.
Jesus then says to those who might hear how hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God. This ought to catch our ears. From what I know of who reads these e-vos we are a pretty wealthy lot. We have possessions and comforts that were unimaginable to many just a few decades ago. Many of us carry around devices of remarkable ability and convenience with us throughout the day. While much of the world subsists on $1-$2 / day some of us spend large multiples of that on our existence, our comfort and our entertainment. Jesus could easily look at us, love us and give us the same challenge—to sell all we have and give it away to free us up to follow after Jesus.
Or perhaps Jesus would call something else out of our lives. I don’t believe the point was that Jesus doesn’t want anyone to have anything ever. The point was that for this person there was a stumbling block found in his wealth and possessions. What is our wealth? What is our possessions? What is our stumbling block? What is the one thing in our lives that Jesus might ask for that would cause us to shrink back saying “No, Jesus, anything but that. I couldn’t possibly give that up—not even for you.” The thing is that Jesus wants our whole hearts. Anything that gets between us and Jesus is fair game to be called out.
Rather than falling prey we should fall and pray—“Jesus, what do you want from me? Please help me give that to you.”
The truth is that even when you do give up all to follow after Jesus there are still challenges and struggles and persecutions. Jesus calls us to take up a cross. That can be a lonely, hard and painful place sometimes.
What we know is that what the world puts as first and foremost importance—wealth, popularity, influence, appearance, fame, respect, power, safety, comfort, etc., etc.—can be diametrically opposed to the things of the kingdom of God. In truth we can often find Jesus more clearly in the things the world puts as last and leastmost importance—poor, disenfranchised, cutoff, imprisoned, hungry, maimed, weak, hurting, etc., etc.
We don’t earn salvation. We don’t earn eternal life. As Jesus said, “For mortals it is impossible,…” We cannot do what is required. But Jesus did what we could not—“for God all things are possible.” Jesus took up the cross, Jesus looked down at all of creation (including us) and loved all of creation (including us) and said with his very life “I love you.” This is the deep and abiding truth of John 3:16. We have been granted eternal life. It is our joy and privilege to take up our cross and follow after Jesus not even caring where we are in the world—first, last or anywhere in between.
God, we have been blessed with so much. Help us loosen our grip so that you can use those things, which are yours anyway, in whatever way you should choose. God we cower behind things afraid of the truth that you want our whole selves—take whatever you want, it is yours anyway. We shy away from the call to take up our cross. Give us strength and courage to love like you did no matter the cost. Amen.
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