Readings: Hebrews 4:12-16 ; Mark 10:17-31
I’m guessing that for most of us, at least initially, we can’t even begin to imagine ourselves in the role of the rich young ruler, who runs up to Jesus, kneels down before him and
asks, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" We’re also probably a little reluctant to look at this passage with its reference to wealth and riches – perhaps even a little embarrassed that this is the reading set down for this Sunday, on which we have our annual meeting where we will be reminded yet again of financial difficulties, which surprisingly, we never seem to be freed from in this congregation. And, we of Knox Church might also feel rather uncomfortable in hearing this particular Gospel in the company of our guests from the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar, who by their very presence remind us of our common humanity and the embarrassing riches and freedoms we experience in this country of Aotearoa-New Zealand.
But then again, perhaps this juxtaposition of discomforts might be fruitful, in helping us hear the gospel anew – fresh for this day – at this time in our lives.
There’s an urgency in this well-known story – an urgency to get an answer to a question – a question which probably doesn’t feature highly in the thinking of many Christian people today. Eternal life? Many of us would be quick to discount this concept. I doubt it would fire us at the heart of our being, making us put on our running shoes to catch up with a charismatic preacher at whose feet we would embarrassingly throw ourselves as we implore him to provide us with an answer to the burning question of how we might achieve eternal life. What possible relevance is there for us today in this story?
But let’s not get caught out by the language here. When Mark writes about Eternal Life, he’s not talking about some life-state after we die. Eternal life, for Mark, is another way of describing the ‘already-and-not-yet’ Kin-dom of God. What must I do to inherit Eternal Life – what must I do to live life today within God’s eternal reign – what I must do to inherit full flourishing life – aah, when we use that kind of language, perhaps we can get inside the skin and the running shoes of the rich young ruler – perhaps we can now understand his distress, his haste and his urgency.
So, let’s take ourselves into the story, rephrasing his question just a little, being (like him) the one who recognises that in spite of trying to do everything right in our lives, we are still driven to despair. Despite the many riches in our lives, despite trying to be good people, despite giving money time and commitment to many and various mission projects, like the rich young ruler, we still find within the depths of our being, a lack of meaning, a hopelessness, an emptiness. With the rich young ruler, we throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus, this Wisdom teacher asking – what must I do to make this world a better place? What must I do to bring about peace and justice in this world? What must I do to make this life full and flourishing for the whole cosmos?
It may well be that what prevents us from participating in the kin-dom’s fullness of life is our possessions, our wealth and our attitude towards them. It would be surprising if it wasn’t that, in this Western world where personal greed dominates our thinking and everything is measured in monetary terms. As we approach our AGM, we might like to think about how our possessions and our wealth get in the way - preventing full and flourishing life for the world. The answer to the question “What must I do to participate in the kin-dom of God” may well lie in a very careful consideration of personal attitudes to money and possessions.
But let us not limit our reading of this gospel passage. At the beginning of this week of prayer for world peace, we might extend our consideration to ask also about the feelings, thoughts and mindsets we refuse to let go, which prevent the blossoming of peace in this world. Is the ‘one thing we lack’ our inability to let go of resentment, our refusal to see a different point of view, our desperate need to nurse our anger?
A story from the Buddhist tradition
Jato, was the instructor to the Emperor’s sons. He noticed that the oldest boy was given to outbursts of anger, which could prove dangerous in later life - especially when his turn came to be Emperor. One day in the midst of the boy’s tantrum, Jato dragged the youth to a flowering bush and thrust the prince’s hand against a cluster of feeding bees until one bee stung the boy.
The prince was so surprised that anyone would treat him so roughly that he stopped his raging. Cradling his stinging hand he yelled at Jato, “I am going to tell my father.”
“When you tell your father, tell him this …”
“What”
“Look at the bee.”
Together they studied the bee writhing on a leaf with its entrails torn out with the stinger. They watched the agonized insect until it died.
“That’s the outcome of anger,” said Jato.
That night the boy told his father, who rewarded the teacher. The boy, learnt his lesson well, and when he became emperor, reigning for a long time during a very turbulent period, was known for his quiet judgment and his unwillingness to be provoked.[1]
Whether it be our rage or our riches that we are holding onto, wise teachers like Jato – and like Jesus – expose the gaps in our self-knowledge – taking us to places we might never have considered for ourselves. The ‘one thing we lack’ comes as a surprise; it is the attachment we hadn’t even thought about. When we throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus, begging to know what we can do to make this world more like God’s realm, we too might be caught unawares. Under the microscope of Jesus’ teaching, we learn what it is in our way of living that prevents this world from being a place of love, justice and peace.
The amazing good news of the Gospel is that when we are ready to ask that question ‘what must I do?’ – we find not judgment, not guilt, not shame but a wise teacher who looks on us – as he looks on the rich young ruler – with deep love. (It’s interesting to note that this man is the only person in the Gospel of Mark, that Jesus is said to love). And from a place of compassionate love, Jesus offers a challenge which penetrates the safety barriers we have erected around ourselves.
Jesus looked at him, loved him and said… “you lack one thing…”
The end of the gospel story is a sad one – the young man wasn’t ready – wasn’t able to give up that which tied him to his protections and precautions. Although inspired enough to ask the question, he found its answer too perceptive, too shocking…. And, deeply grieved, he turned away – unable to follow …
How hard it is for those of us who have wealth … how hard it is for those of us attached to our anger and our many securities …. How hard it is to enter the kin-dom of God….
Perhaps this is a day to end the sermon abruptly … and to invite each of us into ongoing reflection and response ….
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