A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker, given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois; Sunday, October 11, 2009
Proper 23 -- Amos 5:6–7,10–15; Psalm 90:1–8,12; Hebrews 3:1–6; Mark 10:17–31
“This is a test….this is only a test. This is a test of the Emergency Broadcasting Service…” Of course, this message, which is always preceded by three very annoying beeps (which are designed to get our attention), is frequently heard on our radios and TVs, especially when there’s threatening weather. We’re all familiar with this announcement.
In today’s gospel, Jesus says, essentially, to the man , “This is a test.”
But, instead of Jesus’ challenge to the man being only a test, it is an actual test, a test of the man’s loyalties.
In essence, Jesus is asking the him, “What’s most important in your life?”
The obvious answer is, as he walks away, that his possessions are the most important thing in his life, so important, in fact, that the man is unwilling to give them all up in order to be a disciple of the Lord.
Now, you and I face this sort of a test regularly. We face it not only once, but time and again. Perhaps we even face it daily as we are forced to make choices that are indications of our priorities and our values. These are choices that often indicate the place of God in our lives.
But, I am getting ahead of myself.
Returning to the text, we see that the man’s face “fell” (that’s what the Greek says, and the Revised Standard Version translates the Greek well in this case), as he heard Jesus’ instruction, “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
What is the essence of Jesus’ test? Simply this: in the ancient world, a rich person was believed to be especially blessed by God. Their riches and their possessions were proof positive to the society of that day that they enjoyed a special relationship with God. (That is why the disciples were amazed at Jesus’ words as they say, “Then who can be saved?” At its root, the disciples’ comment affirms this common belief.)
Moreover, a rich person was highly regarded in the ancient society of the first century. They were benefactors to others who were less fortunate, giving of their resources to aid those who were less well-off, being well regarded for doing so.
So, at its root, Jesus’ instruction indicates two things:
Become a “nobody”: Jesus’ requirement that the rich man give up everything in order to become a disciple. Giving up, in this case, meant laying aside wealth, possessions, and status. Here, in this last point, we see an echo of Jesus’ earlier comments about becoming a child in order to enter the kingdom (see Mark 9: 35 – 37). Recall with me that children in the ancient world were “nobodies”, legally and socially. Here, Jesus again reiterates this important requirement, that everyone who would become a disciple must become a “nobody” in order to enter the kingdom.
Recognize the realities that ministry imposes: At this point in Jesus’ ministry, we can best describe that ministry as being itinerant and mendicant. Let’s parse these two words out in order to understand the circumstances under which Jesus ministered:
Itinerant: This is the more familiar of the two words, and Webster’s defines it as “moving from place-to-place.” That’s exactly what Jesus did as He moved from Galilee to the region of Tyre and Sidon (to the north), to the region of the Decapolis (south and east) and then on to Jerusalem (to the south). Moveover, He lays out instructions that affirm that His disciples (soon to become Apostles) will also do the same. We read these instructions in Matthew 10: 1 – 15. So, Jesus is essentially saying to the young man that, in order to become a disciple and enter the kingdom, he must divest himself of all of those things that would tie him down, and which would make it impossible to move about the countryside, spreading the Good News.
Mendicant: Here, we encounter a seldom-used word, which comes to us from the Latin (where its root means “to beg”). Jesus’ ministry depended on the support of others. We know that there was support, for Judas carried the collective purse (see John 13: 29). So, Jesus is asking this young man to throw his future welfare, spiritually and physically, upon God. No longer would the man’s status as a wealthy person be the guarantor of physical well-being.
Jesus’ demand seems to hit at the very heart of the issue that was blocking full participation in the kingdom. Often, this is exactly the case. Jesus has a way of cutting right to the heart of a matter, doesn’t He?
Here, we see it plainly.
This man was secure in his social position, his favored status with God (at least in the eyes of those among whom he lived) and his many possessions and great wealth. Perhaps he also sought security in his rigorous observance of the requirements of the Law of Moses, the Torah. “All these (the requirements of the Law) I have observed from my youth,” he says. If material possessions, wealth, and social status all conferred security, then observance of the Law might make his case all the more secure. Perhaps, for this man, rigorous adherence to the Mosaic code simply reinforced God’s favor that was thought to be manifest in the wealth this man enjoyed.
But, the man’s quest for security leads him to see if there’s anything he’s been missing. And here, we can give the man credit for asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In essence, the man is asking, “Is there anything I’m missing?”
But, the old adage, “Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it,” applies here. Jesus tells the man exactly what he’s still lacking….”Go, sell what you have….”
But Jesus’ requirement in this case – that all wealth and our place of residence be given up - wasn’t universal among the earliest disciples. Nor was it universal in the early Church, for there were wealthy persons who were in both groups. Why did they not receive the same mandate from the Lord?
It’s worth looking at both situations, and at the response that wealthy persons who were among the first disciples and those who were members of the early Church made with regard to their wealth. We look at the instance of Joseph of Arimathea and persons of the noble class who were members of some of the early Churches that were founded by St. Paul:
Joseph of Arimathea: We read in Matthew 27: 57 that Joseph was a “rich man”. Apparently, he was also a highly respected member of Jewish society, for he was also a member of the ruling council, the Sanhedrin (see Mark 15: 43). But, Joseph was apparently willing to “step out of his comfort zone” to go to seek the body of Jesus. Mark tells us that Joseph “took courage” (Mark 15: 43) and went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Moreover, Joseph readily shares his wealth (in the form of a brand new tomb) to allow the burial of Jesus. Underscoring this last point, John seems to indicate that Joseph shared with Nicodemus the task of anointing Jesus for burial (see John 19: 39 – 40).
Early members of the Church from the noble class: St. Paul, writing to the Corinthian church, indicates that some members of that church were of the noble class. He does so by way of reflecting on its membership in general, saying, “For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” (I Corinthians 1: 26). But, though “not many” were these things, some were wise, powerful and of noble birth. But these persons were called to set aside their position and status to share in the community of faith, the Church. In so doing, in other Churches, noble persons sat right next to slaves, calling these slaves “brother” and “sister”. (It’s worth noting that the early Church’s destruction of class distinction would eventually prove to be a source of trouble for the early Church, as Roman ideas about class distinction were threatened by such an overt egalitarianism.) Moreover, like Joseph of Arimathea, some of these more wealthy persons aided the Church in its ministry, and used their positions, status, and wealth for the furtherance of the spread of the Gospel. A case in point would be Phoebe, who was a deacon in the Church at Cenchreae, (see Romans 16: 1 – 2), who probably took St. Paul’s letter to the Roman churches to Rome, but also seems to have aided Paul in his work financially, as well.
So, what’s the difference between the man we read about in today’s gospel text, and the wealthy and powerful who were among the earliest disciples of Jesus Christ?
The difference is: their relationship to their wealth, possessions and status.
The man Jesus meets in Mark, chapter ten, is unwilling to give up what he has for the sake of following the Lord. Joseph of Arimathea, Phoebe, and the other early followers of Jesus made available what they had in order to further the gospel’s advance. Along the way, they affirmed that they are willing to suffer loss of status in the world’s eyes in order, as well, as part of their walk with the Lord.
Essentially, what they possess doesn’t make them unable to move to meet the demands of God. They are willing to move into a new place physically, financially, and socially in order to make available to God everything that they possess. That’s the difference.
Now, we began with the notion of a “test”. And we said at the beginning of this sermon that we are faced with a test of just the sort that the man we read about today faced.
In my view, such tests don’t come once in our lifetimes, but again and again. These tests might even come daily, as we are asked, “What’s most important in your life?”
Put another way, the test asks us, “What are you willing to make available to God, in order to advance the cause of the Gospel in your life, and in the life of others?”
I would be remiss in my duty as a priest if I didn’t suggest some concrete ways that such tests confront us daily. Allow then, this brief list, which is designed to get your own process of reflection going. Here are some ways we might be tested, to see what our relationship to God is, versus our relationship to the things (wealth, possessions and status) that we possess:
- Allocation of time: Do we make it a high priority to be in church every Sunday, to attend some regular regimen of study (Sunday School, Bible Study, Informal Discussion Group, Third Tuesday Study Group), and to engage in regular Bible reading and devotions (Forward, Day-by-Day is an excellent devotional aid, e.g.)?“This is a test, this is really a test.” May God, by His gracious help, assist us to recognize the ways that God is asking us to give all that we have: wealth, possessions, time and status, to Him for the advancement of the Gospel in this and every age.
- Financial: Are we committed to the biblical tithe as the standard of giving for the advancement of the kingdom of God in this place? Or, is our allocation of money an afterthought? Do we figure out what we need in order to survive and thrive, then give God what’s left over? (If you are thinking that today’s gospel text would form the basis for an excellent stewardship sermon, you are right!)
- Social position and status: This one might be a little more difficult to figure out. One way we might understand the importance of our willingness to set this part of our place within the Church and society is by our willingness to become a servant of all (as we read a few Sundays ago in Mark 9:35, which says, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”) The test would come – especially for clergy in a church like ours - by the willingness that bishops, priests and deacons exhibit in their willingness to recognize that they are servants, in addition to being leaders. This test could come for any one of us in our willingness to sign clients up for the annual Christmas for the Needy food baskets in November, as many persons of the poorer and lower classes of our society enter our Parish Hall to interact with us.
AMEN.
