Sermon from 15th October 2006
The Rich Young Man
This week, one of our ordinands in training, Michael Brooks, speaks about Jesus' encounter with a rich man who found that his wealth was too big a barrier to him following Jesus. The reading is from Mark 10: 17-31
May I speak in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
I would like us to start by stretching our imagination to the full. I want us to pretend England had won the world cup in July, and for the pedants gathered here, I mean that England had won the FIFA world football championships of 2006. And not only did we win, David Beckham scored three goals in the final. More amazingly, and this may stretch credulity too far, imagine that he had scored them in open play! Who would like to swap places with David Beckham now?
But keep your imagination running: imagine that life for this modern day Rich Young Man was not to be so happy. Later, retiring from playing football, he has seen the size of his waist increase and he has seen his hairline recede. He understands that all his wealth will not make him happy for ever, and that he is not going to live forever either. He has been told there are no pockets in a shroud and he thinks he knows what this means. He phones his manager in the middle of the night who arranges a meeting with the football club counsellor.
So David asks the counsellor, ‘how can I live forever?’ The counsellor replies by starting with Christianity to describe the beliefs of the major world faiths. David replies that he is not interested in what Christians believe. He explains that he has friends who have gone through four different religions in the past year. He wants to know what he would have to do, in other words how his life might change. What would it cost him in terms of his money, his friends and his public image. The counsellor says he will get back to him.
At the next meeting the counsellor has good news for David. He has done some research and found out that Christians are totally convinced that they live forever. ‘But how will my life change now’, asks David, and, unusually, he can feel himself getting just a little irritated. ‘Well not much change actually’, says the counsellor. ‘it appears that for most Christians living their faith means that they go to church on Sundays, unless they have something important to do like visiting old friends. In addition they seem to have adopted what they believe to be a practice of Judaism by giving away 10% of their wealth and keeping 90% for themselves.’ ‘Give away 10%!’ exclaims David, ‘Oh do not worry’, replies the counsellor, ‘you pay 40% of your income in tax and many Christians feel that this largely covers it.’ ‘Anything else?’, asks David. ‘Not really’, replied the counsellor, ‘they mostly seem to live exactly the same as their fellow law-abiding citizens, although there are a few exceptions.’ David and the counsellor agree to meet again.
At this final meeting David astonishes his counsellor by saying that he has read a commentary on Mark’s Gospel. He had seen the likeness between himself and the Rich Young Man. He has been completely astonished by what Jesus had told the Rich Young Man. David could not understand why Christians do not appear any different. He decided that the cost of discipleship was too great. He had concluded that being a real Christian was far too difficult, and he did not like half-measures.
The story that I read in the Gospel reading, is called the Rich Young Man. Whilst it is about wealth, it is also, given the context of where the story comes in Mark’s Gospel, about the cost of discipleship. I have a problem now in that I will be talking about how we might use our wealth or money. There are perhaps two sorts of people in this congregation. Some of you know, or suspect, that I am richer than you are and you might soon see me as a hypocrite. Others know, or suspect that I have less than you have and so you might conclude that it is easier for me to take such advice, since I have less to lose. Please, kindly, leave me out of your thinking. This is because I am not proposing myself as an example to be followed. But I can assure you that I am listening to this teaching of Jesus as much as you are.
So lets re-run the episode, and now we are back in first century Palestine. Although part of the Roman empire, actual Roman soldiers and Roman persons of authority are largely absent as control had been given to Jewish rulers who are obedient to Rome. In some translations the Rich Young Man is referred to as the Rich Young Ruler. And so this Rich Young Ruler must have taken some risk as he talked to Jesus, since he would not have wanted to be seen to associate with a leader of a movement that might become rebellious.
The Rich Young Man was probably used to talking down to people. Despite this he ran to Jesus, fell on his knees and called Jesus ‘Good Teacher’. He asked Jesus, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life??’
Perhaps Jesus knew that the Rich Young Man had disguised himself with a poor attempt at showing subservience. Perhaps Jesus knew that the Rich Young Man was trying to disarm Jesus by flattering him so he could then debate with him on more equal terms. Jesus saw right through this and replied, ‘Why do you call me good?’ The Rich Young Man must have felt alarmed by this but Jesus enabled him to re-engage by reminding him of the commandments that were a central part of Jewish law. ‘You know the commandments’, Jesus says, and he recited the ones on murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, fraud and honouring parents.
The Rich Young Man says he has obeyed these commandments since he was a boy. The tone of the narrative changes at an instant, and this is characteristic of Mark’s writing. Mark writes, ‘Jesus looked at him and loved him’. Perhaps Jesus had some compassion for him because he knew what a lot he was going to ask of him. Jesus also invited the Rich Young Man to come and follow him. This was not always the case because although Jesus preached to many and healed many, he was selective about who he asked to become one of his disciples. Perhaps Jesus had sensed that the Rich Young Man wanted to become a disciple. Jesus was surrounded by those who had given up everything to follow him.
Jesus’ answer to the Rich Young Man’s question was devastating. ‘Just one thing you lack’, Jesus said, and perhaps the Rich Young Man was hoping he would be asked to make a special gift, but no, Jesus says ‘Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. The cost of discipleship was too much for the Rich Young Man.
Jesus then states how difficult it is for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God and compares this to the difficulty of a camel passing thorough the ‘eye of the needle’. This image is so difficult to imagine that in the fifth century it was decided that the eye of the needle was a narrow city gate through which a camel could only pass once the cargo it was carrying had been removed. So this meant that it was OK to be rich provided that you got rid of everything at the end, perhaps in your will, I suppose. How we invent things rather than square up to the truth! Jesus really was comparing the difficulty to that of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. In the account of Mark the disciples were astounded by this and asked ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus’ reply was puzzling; he said, ‘What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.’ I can not solve this puzzle but there is certainly a message in this teaching about the cost of discipleship in material terms.
And this is a stern commandment to us all. Jesus defined generosity not in terms of what is given away but in terms of what people keep for themselves. And before dismissing such passages as idealistic words that Jesus may not have actually said, the Gospels were certainly written to be used by the early church. It is most unlikely that the Gospel writers would have included a whole body of teaching that was not part of the understanding of that early church. We would be most arrogant to think that we know better than people who had either known Jesus or known those who had known him. We would be foolish to accept Jesus as our Saviour but not accept him as a master to be obeyed. Think of the times in the Gospels where Jesus says ‘I have never known you’.
Now I do recognise that it is impractical for us all to become so impoverished that we become dependent on others. Jesus and his disciples were dependent on the generosity of those who provided them with food and shelter. But there is a strong message in the Gospels about personal responsibility, and the consequences of our actions. Remember the context in which we are reading this passage. Jesus was giving his disciples instructions as he made his way to Jerusalem and his death.
I am not saying that Jesus was primarily a social, economic or political reformer. But I do think it is not plausible, indeed it is ridiculous, to think that God would have taken on human form to then enter this world with the sole intention of restoring our spiritual needs. Jesus was a physical person who understood physical needs, and probably understood them better than most of us gathered here now. Jesus starts his teaching in Mark with the phrase ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand’. The Greek word for repent is metanoia and this word means a complete change of heart and mind. God wants restoration in terms of our behaviour, morality and ethics. Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels creates and sustains this view. Jesus did not only tell his disciples what to believe, but he also told them how to behave. Being a disciple is about both belief and behaviour.
I am going to place some money here. [PLACES BAG OF MONEY ON LECTERN [ST S’S] OR STAGE [ST P’S] I have talked a lot about material wealth in this sermon, but we also own our time, our gifts and our talents. Let the bag represent what you own, let it represent the things and the money that you have, let it represent your time and your gifts and talents. As you come up to receive communion please think about all these things. Remember the cost of discipleship that the Rich Young Man was asked. What is the cost of your discipleship? Ask yourself, what is Jesus asking of you? Then look at the bread and wine and think about the cost of obedience that Jesus paid. Let us pray that God will help us all to be able to see clearly what is truly important. Amen
This week, one of our ordinands in training, Michael Brooks, speaks about Jesus' encounter with a rich man who found that his wealth was too big a barrier to him following Jesus. The reading is from Mark 10: 17-31
May I speak in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
I would like us to start by stretching our imagination to the full. I want us to pretend England had won the world cup in July, and for the pedants gathered here, I mean that England had won the FIFA world football championships of 2006. And not only did we win, David Beckham scored three goals in the final. More amazingly, and this may stretch credulity too far, imagine that he had scored them in open play! Who would like to swap places with David Beckham now?
But keep your imagination running: imagine that life for this modern day Rich Young Man was not to be so happy. Later, retiring from playing football, he has seen the size of his waist increase and he has seen his hairline recede. He understands that all his wealth will not make him happy for ever, and that he is not going to live forever either. He has been told there are no pockets in a shroud and he thinks he knows what this means. He phones his manager in the middle of the night who arranges a meeting with the football club counsellor.
So David asks the counsellor, ‘how can I live forever?’ The counsellor replies by starting with Christianity to describe the beliefs of the major world faiths. David replies that he is not interested in what Christians believe. He explains that he has friends who have gone through four different religions in the past year. He wants to know what he would have to do, in other words how his life might change. What would it cost him in terms of his money, his friends and his public image. The counsellor says he will get back to him.
At the next meeting the counsellor has good news for David. He has done some research and found out that Christians are totally convinced that they live forever. ‘But how will my life change now’, asks David, and, unusually, he can feel himself getting just a little irritated. ‘Well not much change actually’, says the counsellor. ‘it appears that for most Christians living their faith means that they go to church on Sundays, unless they have something important to do like visiting old friends. In addition they seem to have adopted what they believe to be a practice of Judaism by giving away 10% of their wealth and keeping 90% for themselves.’ ‘Give away 10%!’ exclaims David, ‘Oh do not worry’, replies the counsellor, ‘you pay 40% of your income in tax and many Christians feel that this largely covers it.’ ‘Anything else?’, asks David. ‘Not really’, replied the counsellor, ‘they mostly seem to live exactly the same as their fellow law-abiding citizens, although there are a few exceptions.’ David and the counsellor agree to meet again.
At this final meeting David astonishes his counsellor by saying that he has read a commentary on Mark’s Gospel. He had seen the likeness between himself and the Rich Young Man. He has been completely astonished by what Jesus had told the Rich Young Man. David could not understand why Christians do not appear any different. He decided that the cost of discipleship was too great. He had concluded that being a real Christian was far too difficult, and he did not like half-measures.
The story that I read in the Gospel reading, is called the Rich Young Man. Whilst it is about wealth, it is also, given the context of where the story comes in Mark’s Gospel, about the cost of discipleship. I have a problem now in that I will be talking about how we might use our wealth or money. There are perhaps two sorts of people in this congregation. Some of you know, or suspect, that I am richer than you are and you might soon see me as a hypocrite. Others know, or suspect that I have less than you have and so you might conclude that it is easier for me to take such advice, since I have less to lose. Please, kindly, leave me out of your thinking. This is because I am not proposing myself as an example to be followed. But I can assure you that I am listening to this teaching of Jesus as much as you are.
So lets re-run the episode, and now we are back in first century Palestine. Although part of the Roman empire, actual Roman soldiers and Roman persons of authority are largely absent as control had been given to Jewish rulers who are obedient to Rome. In some translations the Rich Young Man is referred to as the Rich Young Ruler. And so this Rich Young Ruler must have taken some risk as he talked to Jesus, since he would not have wanted to be seen to associate with a leader of a movement that might become rebellious.
The Rich Young Man was probably used to talking down to people. Despite this he ran to Jesus, fell on his knees and called Jesus ‘Good Teacher’. He asked Jesus, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life??’
Perhaps Jesus knew that the Rich Young Man had disguised himself with a poor attempt at showing subservience. Perhaps Jesus knew that the Rich Young Man was trying to disarm Jesus by flattering him so he could then debate with him on more equal terms. Jesus saw right through this and replied, ‘Why do you call me good?’ The Rich Young Man must have felt alarmed by this but Jesus enabled him to re-engage by reminding him of the commandments that were a central part of Jewish law. ‘You know the commandments’, Jesus says, and he recited the ones on murder, adultery, theft, false testimony, fraud and honouring parents.
The Rich Young Man says he has obeyed these commandments since he was a boy. The tone of the narrative changes at an instant, and this is characteristic of Mark’s writing. Mark writes, ‘Jesus looked at him and loved him’. Perhaps Jesus had some compassion for him because he knew what a lot he was going to ask of him. Jesus also invited the Rich Young Man to come and follow him. This was not always the case because although Jesus preached to many and healed many, he was selective about who he asked to become one of his disciples. Perhaps Jesus had sensed that the Rich Young Man wanted to become a disciple. Jesus was surrounded by those who had given up everything to follow him.
Jesus’ answer to the Rich Young Man’s question was devastating. ‘Just one thing you lack’, Jesus said, and perhaps the Rich Young Man was hoping he would be asked to make a special gift, but no, Jesus says ‘Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. The cost of discipleship was too much for the Rich Young Man.
Jesus then states how difficult it is for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God and compares this to the difficulty of a camel passing thorough the ‘eye of the needle’. This image is so difficult to imagine that in the fifth century it was decided that the eye of the needle was a narrow city gate through which a camel could only pass once the cargo it was carrying had been removed. So this meant that it was OK to be rich provided that you got rid of everything at the end, perhaps in your will, I suppose. How we invent things rather than square up to the truth! Jesus really was comparing the difficulty to that of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. In the account of Mark the disciples were astounded by this and asked ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus’ reply was puzzling; he said, ‘What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.’ I can not solve this puzzle but there is certainly a message in this teaching about the cost of discipleship in material terms.
And this is a stern commandment to us all. Jesus defined generosity not in terms of what is given away but in terms of what people keep for themselves. And before dismissing such passages as idealistic words that Jesus may not have actually said, the Gospels were certainly written to be used by the early church. It is most unlikely that the Gospel writers would have included a whole body of teaching that was not part of the understanding of that early church. We would be most arrogant to think that we know better than people who had either known Jesus or known those who had known him. We would be foolish to accept Jesus as our Saviour but not accept him as a master to be obeyed. Think of the times in the Gospels where Jesus says ‘I have never known you’.
Now I do recognise that it is impractical for us all to become so impoverished that we become dependent on others. Jesus and his disciples were dependent on the generosity of those who provided them with food and shelter. But there is a strong message in the Gospels about personal responsibility, and the consequences of our actions. Remember the context in which we are reading this passage. Jesus was giving his disciples instructions as he made his way to Jerusalem and his death.
I am not saying that Jesus was primarily a social, economic or political reformer. But I do think it is not plausible, indeed it is ridiculous, to think that God would have taken on human form to then enter this world with the sole intention of restoring our spiritual needs. Jesus was a physical person who understood physical needs, and probably understood them better than most of us gathered here now. Jesus starts his teaching in Mark with the phrase ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand’. The Greek word for repent is metanoia and this word means a complete change of heart and mind. God wants restoration in terms of our behaviour, morality and ethics. Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels creates and sustains this view. Jesus did not only tell his disciples what to believe, but he also told them how to behave. Being a disciple is about both belief and behaviour.
I am going to place some money here. [PLACES BAG OF MONEY ON LECTERN [ST S’S] OR STAGE [ST P’S] I have talked a lot about material wealth in this sermon, but we also own our time, our gifts and our talents. Let the bag represent what you own, let it represent the things and the money that you have, let it represent your time and your gifts and talents. As you come up to receive communion please think about all these things. Remember the cost of discipleship that the Rich Young Man was asked. What is the cost of your discipleship? Ask yourself, what is Jesus asking of you? Then look at the bread and wine and think about the cost of obedience that Jesus paid. Let us pray that God will help us all to be able to see clearly what is truly important. Amen
posted by Parish Administrator at 3:46 pm
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