Mark 10:17-31
October 12, 2003
18 Pentecost B
Mark 10:17-31
October 12, 2003
“The Rich Young Man”
Today’s Gospel story is about a Rich Young Man, and I’m sure glad that it is. I’ll tell you why in a minute.
First, let’s re-cap what happened; A Rich Young Man comes up to Jesus and asks him earnestly, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers, “Start by keeping the commandments—don’t cheat on your wife, don’t steal, don’t spread malicious gossip, be good to your parents.” “I’ve done those things all my life,” replies the Rich Young Man. “Good,” says Jesus, “Now do just one more thing—go and sell everything that you own, give the money to the poor, then come and follow me.”
When the Rich Young Man heard this, he hung his head and went away grieving, because he had many possessions. He had missed his chance at eternal life, because he let money get in the way.
I am glad that this story is about a Rich Young Man. Why you ask? I am glad that this story is about a Rich Young Man because I am not a Rich Young Man. I’m definitely not rich. Unfortunately, I don’t qualify as young any more. And I’m certainly not a man. So it can’t be a story about me. Or about any one of you who aren’t Rich Young Men. Isn’t that a relief!
Too bad it isn’t so easy to get off the hook with Jesus. His stories are always about us—or at least, about those of us who wish to follow him, and be his disciples. And this is a story about discipleship. That’s right. It is not, first of all a story about money, but a story about discipleship. Jesus is calling this Rich Young Man to come and be his disciple.
The story of Jesus’ ministry begins with him calling people to be his disciples. Peter and Andrew and James and John leave their fishing business behind and follow Jesus. Matthew the tax-collector abandons the tax booth and follows Jesus. He calls, and they follow. Nobody says “No.” But when the Rich Young Man is asked to come and be a disciple, he walks away sorrowful and grieving. He refuses to be a disciple, and the reason is money.
Right about now we might be feeling a bit sorrowful ourselves—for Jesus has also called us to be disciples. And like the Rich Young Man, we too have many possessions. We don’t think of ourselves as rich, but compared with the vast majority of people now living—or who have ever lived—we are indeed rich. We have a warm place to sleep, enough clothes to wear, and more than enough food to eat. We have lots of things. So where would we be in this story?
Speaking of the things we have, it might be more accurate to say not that we have many things, but that our things have us. Most of us spend a good part of the day concerned with material things. We go to work. We have to manage our savings and our money. The things we accumulate are always breaking down and are in need of attention. So yes—there are times when it seems not so much that we have many things, but that our many things have us.
And here is where we come to the heart of this story. The Rich Young Man had it made. He had his youth and his good looks. His money gave him power and influence. He seemed to have it all. But his grip on his possessions kept him from grasping the one thing he asked for; “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus invited the young man to strip down, to let go of those things which he claimed so tightly, to come and follow him as his disciple. But the young man refused. He walked away sorrowful because he had many things. He simply could not let go of his things long enough to grab hold of what Jesus was offering him. He thought he had his possessions, but they had him.
I have to wonder what would have happened if the story had ended differently. What if the young man had said “Yes”? What if the young man had heard this invitation to discipleship as an invigorating possibility, rather than a depressing impossibility? What if at that moment he had stood up straight, breathed deeply, and realized that his life was about to have a bold, fresh, new beginning?
We like to think that our possessions and wealth give us a measure of independence and freedom. And to some degree that is true. But it is also true that many of us are sacrificing our health, our families, and even our souls to maintain the possessions that we have accumulated. We claim to be free and independent when in fact we are enslaved.
When you look at it from this perspective, Jesus’ words to the Rich Young Man take on new meaning; “Go, sell everything that you own, and give the money to the poor; then come, follow me.”
This was not meant to be a burdensome, impossible commandment, but rather an invitation, and a gracious promise. He was showing the young man a new and different path to walk in life, one in which he could stand up straight, and not be stooped over with the heavy burden of the mortgage, the car payments, the great desires and selfish ambitions. He was offering him a chance to be free.
What would it take for us to be free? What would it take for us to hear the story of the Rich Young Man not as a burdensome commandment, but as a gracious invitation?
I hope that there is someone here today that hears this story not as bad news, but a Good News. I hope that someone is hearing Jesus say, “Come on, you can do it! You are destined for more than what you have achieved for yourself. You can break free. You can come, and grasp what I have to offer, if you’ll just let go of the things that you cling to so tightly. Come, and be free. Come, and be my disciple.” AMEN