Proper 23, Yr B (2024) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Proper 23, Yr B (2024 STA) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Mark 10:17-31 St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
In the name of the one, holy, and living God:
in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Amen.
The question of the day is:
What must I do to inherit eternal life?
The man who asks Jesus this question is very earnest.
He runs up to Jesus and kneels before him…
something a student or servant would do.
“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus rattles off the 10 commandments…or at least most of them…
the bits that have to do with how one relates to other people.
“I’ve done all these things since I was young,” the man says.
So Jesus looks at him the way that Jesus looks at people…
seeing straight through the exterior and deep into his soul,
and with deep love Jesus responds, “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.”
Upon hearing this the man was shocked and went away grieving,
for he had many possessions.
When Jesus told the man to sell what he had and give the money to the poor,
he looked at the man with Love
because he knew how difficult that would be for this particular man,
and indeed, the man went away grieving.
Jesus continues to teach the disciples,
telling them that the wealthy will have a difficult time entering the kingdom of God.
They didn’t understand this because during Jesus’ day,
people understood that wealth was a sign that you had gained favor with God.
So, the disciples say, “Then who can be saved?”
If not the wealthy, then who?
Peter begins to say to Jesus, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”
as if to say…
look, we have not only let go of our possessions, but we have left everything…
seems to me we have done enough to earn entry into the kingdom!
This man may not be able to leave his wealth,
but we have not only left our wealth but everything else, too!
But Jesus interrupts Peter in his tracks.
Peter, stop!
The Kingdom is not about our doing enough or having enough…that’s the point.
The Kingdom is a gift that we step into and trust.
In the Kingdom of God there is no “enough.”
There is no “deserving.”
There is no “earning through work.”
There is no “buying.”
There is only God:
God’s love and goodness…
God’s abundant mercy for all.
Jesus is saying, “Dear Peter, you are going down the path of insecurity…
a path where we measure what we do.
“Dear Peter, shift your focus to the life in front of you…
the gift, the abundance, of what is in front of you.
You see, you have left everything behind,
and you have everything you need!
Along with the young man and Peter we ask,
What must we do to inherit eternal life?
How is it that we find this abundant life which Jesus preaches?
How is it that we step into God’s love and goodness
as we love our family, our friends, our co-workers…
our fellow church members, our neighbors…
those in need we come across…
even those who differ from us?
How do we live into God’s love and goodness,
not calculating the cost,
but living into God’s spirit of abundance?
Jesus says that those who embody God’s goodness and mercy by expanding our boundaries…
by expanding who we consider to be brother or sister or father or mother
will receive a hundredfold…
an abundance,
right now…today!
We will also receive an abundance of persecution
because the world just doesn’t operate this way.
The world’s operational system is often one of calculation and scarcity.
The secular world says that there’s not enough to go around,
but God tells us differently.
Scripture tells us differently.
Jesus shows us another way.
We will find eternal life,
here and now, Jesus says,
when we live within God’s framework of abundance!
A parishioner texted me this week with this story:
“We held a fundraiser at Boojum last night for a friend who lost her business as a result of the hurricane. All the proceeds from the bar went to her recovery efforts. [During those few hours], we raised enough money to completely save her business.”
That’s an example of stepping into God’s abundance and sharing with someone in need!
There are many such stories circulating about neighbors helping neighbors these days.
Folks are taking what they have,
even if it seems meager,
and offering it up.
This week I invite you to consider this question:
How might God be interrupting your life (as he interrupted Peter)
to show you a way of generosity?
Jesus looked at the wealthy man with love…with love.
Jesus knew what he would say would be difficult.
Maybe he even knew that telling this man to sell all he had
and give the money to the poor was not possible for this man,
yet Jesus continued to love him anyway.
What I love about Jesus is that in each of the people he healed
he sees with crystal clarity the very thing
that keeps them from union with God and neighbor…
the very thing that closes their hearts to generosity and surrender to God’s goodness.
For this man,
it was his wealth.
What is that “thing” for each of us?
Maybe it’s our money or our stuff…
maybe it’s our pride or fear or anxiety…
maybe it’s harboring a resentment or pain we have endured.
What is it that keeps us from eternal life?
From completely accepting and sharing God’s goodness and mercy?
Sometimes it is difficult, or even terrifying, to step out in faith.
But, whether we do or don’t,
God continues to love us and to offer us the invitation to eternal life.
And, please note: I’m not saying that any of the good things in our lives are bad
but that ultimately they won’t save us (or offer us eternal life).
Only God can do that.
All good comes from God.
Even Jesus says, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.”
In God’s goodness,
we are called to participate with all that we are,
and all that we have,
to share God’s abundance with everyone we meet.
When we do that, we will enter eternal life here and now…
living in a Kingdom where love and grace reign,
where vulnerability is cherished,
and peace is born of justice.
Because we have nothing to lose
and everything to give. Amen.
