One of those little aphorisms they taught us at seminary was
something like this, “ministry happens in the interruptions.” In other words, don’t be surprised when the
most important things you do to serve people as a pastor are unplanned, and not
part of the “normal” routines, not something that you think is important or
necessary, but something that happens when some need arises or some question
needs an answer. It’s part of the reason
I like to keep my office door open as much as possible – I’ve actually learned
to appreciate the “interruptions.”
Well, today, as Jesus is setting out on a journey, he is
interrupted. A rich young man comes
running up and kneels before Jesus in what appears to be quite a show. He has, also, quite a question, and really an
important one for him and for all people who would be saved. “What must I do to inherit eternal
life?”
From the outset we can see something is amiss with this
young man. He calls Jesus, “Good
teacher” and Jesus pushes back on that.
“Why do you call me good? No one
is good except God alone.” Now, of
course, Jesus isn’t denying that he is good, OR that he is God. But with his question he begins to unravel
this man’s self-righteousness. The rich young man will go on to show that he
doesn’t recognize true goodness, nor does he see in Jesus anything more than a
“good teacher.” If only he would see him
as the Son of God, the Savior.
Nonetheless, he engages the question. What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus points him to the commandments.
We might notice that Jesus begins here with the second table
of the law, those commandments that have to do with our love for our
neighbor. And we will get to those in a
minute. But what about the first table
of the law? Why not address that? It seems Jesus has already done so, at least
in part, by challenging the man’s understanding of who God is – no one is good
but God alone. No one is deserving of
our fear, love and trust, but God alone.
No one’s name is to be holy, but God alone. No one’s word is worth gathering around, week
in and week out, but God alone. There is
no other source of good for us in life, but every good and perfect gift comes
down from above, that is to say, from God.
And no one comes to the Father, except through the Son.
But to the point, Jesus says, “you know the commandments…”
and then he summarizes the second table in loose fashion:
Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not
bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.
And now we see just how twisted up this young man is, for he
claims, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
We know better, don’t we?
You may not have murdered someone, but you’ve hurt and harmed your
neighbor, even if only in thoughts, but likely also in words and deeds.
You might not have outwardly committed adultery, but what
goes on in the darkness of your heart would be shameful even to mention.
You can say you haven’t borne false witness, but that would
be a false witness itself, as each of us drags our neighbor’s good name through
the mud when it suits us.
Honor your father and mother. Yes, you probably love your parents, but that
doesn’t mean you have always honored them, nor does it mean you always respect
and honor the other authorities God places over you.
In short, you, and I, and all people must admit, “all these
I have broken from my youth.” We must
stand before Jesus and confess our sins, rather than rationalize our own
goodness. And he, who is faithful and
just, will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
How frustrated our Lord must have been when the man failed
to see his sin in light of the commandments.
He doesn’t know what good is, and he doesn’t know God rightly. He thinks he loves his neighbor, but he doesn’t. And he worships another god, his wealth. And so Jesus gives it one last shot. He zeroes in on this man’s great idol, and
aims for the very foundations. “You lack
one thing. Sell all your stuff and give
to the poor, then come follow me.”
Whatever you won’t give up to follow Jesus, that’s your
idol. That’s your god. For many people it’s wealth, for others its
power or pleasure or social standing. But
there’s only room enough for one God in the human heart, and no man can serve
two masters – it’s God or money. And
this man went away sad, for he had great wealth. It seems, at least at that moment, he
couldn’t forsake his false god and follow the true God.
And though some might say it’s cruel to trouble people about
their sins, notice that Mark says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” He doesn’t rub his nose in the commandments
out of hatred. He doesn’t call him to
repent of his idolatry out of malice.
The call to repent is a loving call to turn from the self-destruction of
sin, and the deceit of self-righteousness, to turn to Christ and live. For Jesus loved him. And Jesus loves you, too.
Greater love has no one than this: that he would lay down
his life for his friends. Greater good
has no one done than this: that he gave
up his life for us all. The cross is the
only answer the debt of sin that we’ve incurred, but Jesus spends everything he
has to pay it – even his holy, precious blood.
Jesus preaches some strong law today, to the rich young man
and to all men and women, even to us. But
he’s also the bringer of the best good news, the salvations that comes through
him and him alone. He looks at us, and loves us, too.
Christ, for his part, kept all these laws from his
youth. He always helped and supported
his neighbor in bodily need. He never
committed adultery. He never took what
wasn’t his. He always honored his father
and mother. He kept and fulfilled every
law to every detail, like us in every way yet without sin. He lived a life of perfect righteousness from
conception to birth to adulthood. In his
work in his rest, on his own and with so many others. He always, always, did right, did good, and
never sinned.
And the one who alone is good, and who is himself God, gives
that righteousness to us, as a gift, a blessing, yes, an inheritance. Not to be earned, not to be won by great
effort or willpower. Only by pure grace.
What must I do to inherit eternal life? Answer:
Nothing. Believe in Jesus Christ,
and you will be saved. Trust him who has
done it all for you. It’s an
inheritance, after all, something you get when someone dies. And the Good Teacher did just that. He died for your inheritance, and he rose to
pave the way for your eternal life.
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