Summer will soon be upon us. And for many of us, that’s when we plan time away with the family. Well, if we go on a vacation (a journey), we usually take time and plan, don’t we? And one of those very important things to take into consideration, when planning for a journey of any kind, is the cost… It costs to go on vacation (a journey), doesn’t it? And, here we find that ‘money matters’…
In the same way, money is a very important part of our life journey with Jesus, too. The fact is … everything costs. So, we need a good understanding of our currency, how it works, the dangers of it, and just how much this journey with Jesus is going to cost us! (Mark’s Gospel gives several examples: The Widow—Mark 12:41-44, Jesus’ anger toward those who profit from the faithful—Mark 11:15-19, and Jesus answers the ‘tax question’—Mark 13:15-17.)
Apparently, it’s very important to have a good understanding of this reality called ‘money’ in our lives. And in today’s scripture, we see an illustration of a person whose relationship with money creates a huge divide between him and God. Now, that’s what we don’t want to happen in our lives… So, let’s take a look (Mark 10:17-25, MSG):
As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” 18–19Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.” 20He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!” 21Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.” 22The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go. 23–25Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.” 26That set the disciples back on their heels. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked.
Today’s mile marker, again, is: Money—money for the journey… It’s a reality in this world we live in—this journey called ‘life.’ The journey requires it. However, we see some folks along the way who have very little who are eager to share, while some who have much fear losing what they have. We see both in scripture. Today’s focus is on putting a proper perspective on money, so it doesn’t get in the way of HOPE…
Sometimes called the ‘Rich Young Ruler,’ by the very description Mark gives, this man who approached Jesus is wealthy, young, and powerful. Today, he might be called a ‘high achiever.’ By his own efforts, he’s gained money and power. In Luke’s Gospel, he’s referred to as ‘a certain ruler’ (Luke 18:8), implying he might’ve been a synagogue leader or a respected member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Council)—impressive for one so young…
The fact he came running to Jesus tells us something about his general attitude toward life. Early on, he learned that in order to get what you want … you have to run toward your goal at the head of the pack. In other words, you have a ‘proactive’ attitude in all your relationships in life. This is the kind of person who, if he walked into a room full of people, most everyone would love his company—not just because of his wealth & power, but because he’s positive and forward-looking in his view of the world…
Rich, young, and powerful… Most of us would have trouble handling the temptations of having too much … too soon. But, not this young man! His wealth and power didn’t affect him in many ways. He can still kneel before the Master Teacher and claim obedience to the Law from the time of his youth…
Well, hearing about Jesus—whose teaching emphasized eternal life—the young man decides he’ll achieve this goal by the same tactics and assumptions by which he’s achieved everything else in his life! Running, bowing, flattering, and deferring, he asks Jesus the timeless question (v. 17): “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” And here we move into the heart of today’s message: This young man had the right question, but a few of his assumptions about how all this works with Jesus … were wrong. Let me say this: Many times, we’ll ask the right questions when we talk to Jesus, but our assumptions also can be wrong! So, we need to know Jesus’ take on all of this, don’t we? Let me begin here:
False Assumption #1: Goodness Can Be Achieved. That’s the American way isn’t it … if we want ANYTHING, all we have to do is work a little bit harder; but, is that true when it comes to the Kingdom of God? Verses 17-18 remind us, “As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?’ Jesus said, ‘Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God.’” So, where’s the false assumption here?
First, with Jesus, know this: flattery will get you nowhere; when the young man calls Jesus ‘Good Teacher,’ he’s really commending his achievements … instead of his character; Jesus wants this man to know WHO he’s talking to, not just WHAT he’s done… Here Jesus is really saying, “Do you really know the One to whom you are speaking?” because only God is truly good; the man was calling Jesus “God,” whether he knew it or not; but, it’s because of WHO he is, not just WHAT he’s done…
So, here I believe Jesus wants all of us to know that GOODNESS can never be achieved by human effort! It’s always because of the presence of God in our lives! ‘Human effort’ (a part of this young man’s ‘currency’) doesn’t work when it comes to gaining eternal life, which leads to the next false assumption…
False Assumption #2: Eternal Life Can Be Earned. If Jesus’ reaction to this young man’s attempt at flattery shakes him up just a bit … he gets his wind back when Jesus refers to the foundation for GOODNESS in the scriptures… In verses 19-20, Jesus says, “You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.” 20He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!” So, puffing up with justifiable pride, the young man must now feel he’s on the threshold of eternal life when he gives Jesus this answer: “I have—from my youth—kept them all!” What more could Jesus ask … right?
I can see Jesus locking eyes with this young man, admiring the rare quality of his character, and seeing the potential of this young man’s leadership for the Kingdom of God! One could speculate that this young man might have been God’s FIRST CHOICE for the role that Saul of Tarsus (Paul) would eventually play. Why does this come to mind? Because in both cases, Jesus is prompted to speak the TRUTH to them in LOVE … and let them know what stands between them and eternal life (and Jesus will do the same for us):
To Saul, Jesus says, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5)…
To the Rich Young Ruler, Jesus says, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor”; promises the reward, “All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth,” and puts out the challenge, “And come follow me” (v. 21).
Eternal life cannot be earned by any ‘currency’ of this world; regarding eternal life with God, it cannot be earned or bought, which leads me to this…
False Assumption #3: Everything Can Be Bought For a Price. Verses 21-22 explain, “Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, ‘There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.’ 22The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.”
Folks, here Jesus teaches a basic lesson in economics: price and cost are not the same thing!
Price, folks, is written in dollars (for us)…
Cost, is always spelled out in values…
In other words, no price tag—as we know it—can be put on eternal life! However, it does have what economists call ‘opportunity cost.’ Here’s how it works: Every time we buy something, we have to ask ourselves, “What opportunity am I willing to sacrifice in order to make this purchase?”
For the poor, a pair of shoes may be the ‘opportunity cost’ of a loaf of bread…
For the wealthy, investment in a new enterprise may be the ‘opportunity cost’ of the expansion of an old business…
You get the idea. When Jesus applies the principle of ‘opportunity cost’ to the value of eternal life, he absolutely pierces the heart of this young man! Everything is to be sacrificed, including the fruits of human achievement. In other words, eternal life is a value that cannot be bought, but costs our all…
You can just imagine how this wealthy and powerful young man felt. His wealth and power represent a cost he’s not willing to pay … and his HOPE for eternal life disappears in pain as he turns his back on Jesus. He’s made his choice!
And, folks, we have to make ours, too … as we travel on this Journey with our Lord and Savior. There’s no doubt that Jesus came to turn our world upside down. And this story certainly shows us that. Let me remind you: As the young man turns away, having made his decision, Jesus turns to his disciples teaches them these Kingdom values, unlike the values of wealth which’ve unfortunately been confused with spirituality amongst the Jews…
Jesus reduces the expectations attached to wealth. According to the Jewish elite, poverty-stricken people could pray … but only the rich had the food to fast and the money to give. In their economics, wealth had become the stuff out of which spirituality was made. But, Jesus turns this false expectation upside down when he teaches (vv. 23-25)—“Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” Then he went on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.” Wealth was not an automatic ticket to heaven, as the Jews taught…
Jesus also reverses the rewards attached to wealth. Peter says with pride (v. 28): “We left everything and followed you.” But Jesus quickly reminds him that in the Kingdom of God, the rewards are different—homes, family, children, and lands by the hundreds … endless resources if you think of the whole Body of Christ…
Finally, Jesus reverses the position attached to wealth—contrary to what folks were being taught by the religious leaders (v. 31), “This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.”
Thinking about some of the false assumptions of this wealthy young man who came to Jesus on his Journey to Jerusalem…
Do you have money … or does money have you? Are you in possession of all that God has given you—a good steward of your ‘stuff’ … or are you so afraid of losing what you have that it has become an obsession?
Or, let’s bring it a little closer to home: If Jesus asked … could you give up your house? Your car? Your level of income? Your position in life?
Your reaction to these questions may reveal your current understanding of ‘money for the journey’—whether it’s your servant or your master. The GOOD NEWS today is this—exactly what that Rich Young Ruler found out, too: The greatest possession of all, eternal life, can’t be bought with money. It’s only purchased by FAITH … and that’s something available to us all. Let’s stay on the journey with him, shall we?