WEALTH & GOD’S KINGDOM
Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31
21st Sunday after Pentecost, October 13, 2024
Rev. Dr. Ritva H. Williams
It always warms my heart when our scripture readings from the Revised Common Lectionary work together in unexpected ways. This morning’s readings are a great example.
Our first reading from Hebrews begins with the declaration
the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account (4:12-13).
When we hear the phrase “word of God” most often we think “Bible.” But in our reading, the Word of God is not a book, but a person! The Word of God is Christ Jesus who was, is, and always will be alive and active, like a two-edged sword able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, and to whom we must render account.
These two verses function like a content warning — one of those notices that appear on the screen before a movie starts alerting the viewer to be prepared for potentially disturbing images, speech or ideas. Our reading from Hebrews is a content warning, crying out: Heads up! This gospel lesson might make you cringe and squirm, and do mental contortions trying to convince yourself Jesus doesn’t really mean what he says.
The gospel reading begins with the rich young man running up to Jesus and falling to his knees. In the ancient world this was a sign of respect and honor, as well as a request for help. In Mark’s gospel every time someone kneels before Jesus they beg for healing. I wonder what ails this man?
He asks Jesus, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Now that is an odd question. We normally inherit things like money or property when their owner dies. But this young man wants to inherit eternal life. Maybe the problem is with our translation. The original Greek word for inherit (kleronomeo) also means: to acquire, obtain, or come into possession of.
Aha! The man’s heart and intention are coming into view. He has already inherited vast estates and acquired many possessions. What else can he add to his impressive portfolio? The most valuable thing he can imagine is eternal life. The rich young man thinks of eternal life as an object to acquire. But how?
Jesus reminds him of God’s commandments: you shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or defraud; and you shall honor your parents. Five of these are part of the “big ten” given to Moses at Mount Sinai(see Exodus 20:12-25; Deuteronomy 5:16-20). The command not to defraud appears in Leviticus 19:13 where it refers to withholding wages from one’s laborers. More broadly, to defraud means to take advantage or exploit someone; to use deception or trickery to take something from someone.
The rich young man answers, “I have kept all these since my youth.” I have not killed anyone, or committed adultery, or stolen, or told lies, or defrauded anyone. I have honored my parents to the best of my abilities. Many, if not most, of us probably can and would say the same — presuming that “white lies,” “spinning” the truth, and tricking one’s sibling out his money, don’t really count.
All of the commandments Jesus lifts up are about how to relate to other humans. They are all manifest how well we love our neighbor.
Jesus looks at the young man — and sees him clearly or perhaps sees clearly through him — noting his unconscious egotism and self-serving biases. Yet Jesus loves him, as he loves all of us messed up people. Jesus’ love for this rich young man compels him to speak the truth,“You lack one thing. If you want to be healed, to mature and grow into the person God created you to be, here’s what you do: go, sell your possessions, give to the poor, and follow me.”
Shocked and appalled, the rich young man went away saddened and grieving. Was he hoping Jesus would say he had already achieved eternal life? After all, he had kept all the commandments from childhood, at the same time inheriting vast estates and acquiring many possessions. Surely his wealth was a reward for his pious obedience to the commandments! Like many ancient people, he believed that wealth was a sign of God’s favor. Elites traded in on that belief to prop up their claims to honor, status, privilege and power. Why not use that belief to claim possession of eternal life too? Prosperity theology is not a modern invention.
Jesus looks around at his disciples, and says, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples are confused, so Jesus continues:
“How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus teaches that God’s kingdom is at hand, is right here within and among us. It’s kind of like gravity. We can ignore it, but not escape it. Eternal life is God’s life: an unending source of life-giving energy flowing in, around, and through us. We all belong to it, but we have to choose to actively participate in it. Jesus’ invitation to “follow me” is an invitation to enter into the flow of God’s eternal life here and now to be energized for loving relationships with God, our fellow human beings, and all of creation.
Jesus identifies wealth as a major obstacle to participating in God’s kingdom. Our consumer culture urges us to acquire lots of stuff, and pushes us to measure our self-worth by our accomplishments and achievements, by being winners at school, at work, in life. Competition for wealth, power, and privilege produces a sickness of the soul in the winners that manifests itself in self-centered boasting, arrogance, contempt, and disregard for the welfare of their neighbors. The losers and those who can’t compete are shamed, and lose hope to the extent they buy into prosperity theology.
The good news is that although Christ clearly sees right through us — to the sickness in our souls — Christ continues to love us. Why? As the writer of Hebrews explains, during his life on earth Jesus was tested in every way just as we are. Therefore, Christ sympathizes us in with our weakness. Standing in solidarity with us Christ delivers a message of tough love sharper than any two-edged sword: Let go of your greedy desire for wealth, power, and privilege. Follow me, and grow into the image of God you have inherited from your Creator whose essential nature is love, grace, mercy and abundant generosity. Christ’s message is counter-cultural urging us to become extravagantly generous givers, sharing our time and energy, our skills and talents, our resources and possessions until every human, without exception, has enough to thrive, and the least, the last and the lost are treated like the firsts.
Our stewardship reflections for this coming week which focus on generosity make the same point. David Dorn II writes,
You were made in the image of God. therefore, be like God. When God called the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, God needed to be reintroduced to these formerly enslaved people. God starts off by saying, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). In this formal introduction, God leads with “I am compassionate and gracious.” This compassionate and gracious God goes on to show these people lavish generosity from manna falling from the sky, to leading them into a land flowing with milk and honey. God is making a point. God’s nature is compassionate, gracious and generous. Therefore, we were created to be compassionate, gracious and generous too.
Let’s make it so!
