Proper 23 :: Amos 5: 6–7, 10-15; Psalm 90: 12-17; Hebrews 4: 12–16; Mark 10: 17-31
This is a homily by Fr. Gene Tucker that was given at St. John’s Church, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 11, 2015.
“GETTING US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES”
(Homily text: Mark 10: 17-31)
Oftentimes, preachers will say that they actually only have about four basic sermons. That is, their sermons tend to fall into four major categories, dealing with four subjects. In this way, each sermon then becomes merely a variation on a basic theme.
In my preaching career, I’ve often wondered if I, too, have four basic sermons, and – if so – then are my sermons basically variations on some basic themes. I’m beginning to think that, in fact, I do have only four basic sermons.
So if that’s true for me, then this sermon would fall into the “getting out of our comfort zones” category.
Let’s look at Jesus’ encounter with the rich man[1] who approaches Him, asking, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
We might be safe in coming to some conclusions about this individual. Specifically, we might say that he:
This is a homily by Fr. Gene Tucker that was given at St. John’s Church, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 11, 2015.
“GETTING US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES”
(Homily text: Mark 10: 17-31)
Oftentimes, preachers will say that they actually only have about four basic sermons. That is, their sermons tend to fall into four major categories, dealing with four subjects. In this way, each sermon then becomes merely a variation on a basic theme.
In my preaching career, I’ve often wondered if I, too, have four basic sermons, and – if so – then are my sermons basically variations on some basic themes. I’m beginning to think that, in fact, I do have only four basic sermons.
So if that’s true for me, then this sermon would fall into the “getting out of our comfort zones” category.
Let’s look at Jesus’ encounter with the rich man[1] who approaches Him, asking, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
We might be safe in coming to some conclusions about this individual. Specifically, we might say that he:
- Was a devoted follower of God, living by the law of Moses. When Jesus summarizes many of the commandments in the Mosaic law, the man says that he has kept “all these since my youth.”
- Was held in favor by the people, for he was wealthy. This aspect of the man’s regard within society might need some explanation: In Jesus’ day, if a person was wealthy, the thought was that they were living an upright and holy life, earning God’s blessings.
But we should give this man some credit, for he comes to Jesus asking (in essence): “Is there anything I’m missing in my life? Is there something I ought to be doing that I haven’t been doing?”
Too often people who seem to “have it all”, who seem to be quite content with themselves, their achievements and their position within society don’t bother to ask such questions.
Perhaps this individual has a searching and inquiring heart. At least that seems to be the motivation for his question.
But whatever the motivation for asking was, it’s clear that the man wasn’t ready for Jesus’ answer: “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.”
Mark tells us that, upon hearing these words, the man was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Jesus tells the man to “get out of his comfort zone”, to give up those things that represent control over his life. Jesus tells the man that he has to “risk it all” in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
The discourse which follows Jesus’ encounter with the man explains the mystery of how one can enter the kingdom: A person has to be willing to set aside wealth (or anything else, for that matter) in order to gain entrance into the kingdom. Why is this so? Perhaps the answer is that a person who has wealth will often rely on that wealth as a guarantee of a comfortable life in the future. But wealth can disappear, and along with that disappearance, the guarantees that may have seem assured evaporate with the wealth’s departure. As has been said, “There are no U Hauls in heaven.” The only assurance one can have for the future is the assurance that comes from being accepted into the kingdom. Sometimes, the things we possess wind up possessing us, and that improper relationship with the things we own has the power to block a proper and healthy relationship with God.
Before we look at the implications of Jesus’ instructions to the man for our lives, we ought to notice that Jesus tells His disciples about the guarantees that await them as they go out into the world after the Lord’s resurrection to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, giving up everything worldly in order to do so. What Jesus has to say to them has a forward-looking aspect to it. The Lord says this: “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age – houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecution – and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Now, what are the implications for us as we attempt to live a faithful Christian life?
Each of us will be asked to get out of our comfort zones, and to be willing to give up anything and everything that we might cling to that would take God’s central place in our lives. The exact answer to what we will be asked to surrender to God will vary, depending on our circumstances.
Getting out of our comfort zones is an indispensible part of our walk with God. Each one of us must encounter this stop on that pathway. It is a living-out of the process of baptism, by which we enter the waters of baptism in which we die to our old selves, in order to rise out of those waters to a new way of life. Baptism involves getting out of our comfort zones.
So, as God asks us to leave our comfortable and assured notions of what the future holds for us behind, the things He will ask us to be willing to give up will vary according to our circumstances. For the wealthy man who came before the Lord that day, the exact thing he was asked to be willing to give away was exactly the thing that was hindering his walk with God.
When the time comes, and the Lord asks us to enter into a closer and more enduring relationship with Him, may we set aside any and every thing that would get in the way of that closer and more enduring relationship.
AMEN.
[1] Matthew describes this man as being “young” (Matthew 19:20), while Luke tells us that he was a “ruler” (see Luke 18: 18). For this reason, the individual is sometimes known as the “rich young ruler”.
