Twenty-first Sunday After Pentecost

“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’”

+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  
 
“Follow the money” is a famous line from the movie “All the President’s Men” about the Watergate scandal from the early 1970s. It was by following the money that the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were able to discover who was involved in the Watergate scandal and why. In politics, the expression means that if you want to know who is corrupt, look and see who is getting money and from whom.
           
The expression “follow the money” is also very helpful when reflecting the state of our personal life. If you want to understand what your priorities are, look at your monthly expenses.
           
In today’s Gospel lesson from St. Mark, we read about Jesus’ famous encounter with the rich young man. It’s a lesson in not simply the seductive effect of wealth on our soul and spirit, it is really a lesson on how idolatry can prevent us from growing in our life in God.
           
The encounter begins when the rich young man approaches Jesus and asks Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s a big and important question! And Jesus takes it seriously. But Jesus’ response to the man’s question is to go deeper. Jesus doesn’t settle for the standard answer to the man’s question. Throughout the encounter, Jesus is examining the man’s heart and mind, inviting him to go deeper in his understanding and commitment.
           
Initially, Jesus seems to be put off by the man’s question. He refuses to accept being addressed “Good teacher” as if he was rejecting any attempt at flattery. Jesus emphasizes that all earthly teachers a flawed and sinful, and that only God Himself is the truly good and holy teacher. Nevertheless, as the readers we know that since Jesus is the Son of God, then He is, in fact, good, and worthy to instruct the man on this subject or anything else pertaining to the spiritual life.
           
Then Jesus takes the man through the Commandments. It’s a set up by Jesus. He knows that this is what the young man is expecting. And the young man eagerly replies that he has kept all of these from his youth. He’s proud of himself, as if to say, “look how good I’m doing!”
           
Then Jesus takes the man where Jesus wants him to go. “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Once again, we see that Jesus is not interested in mere external obedience. The young man had become very diligent in keeping the set of rules and commandments that God had laid out. Yet, something is still missing. The rich young man has not given all of himself to God. Rather, he prides himself on the progress he has made so far. And he has come to Jesus looking for affirmation and support. But Jesus tells him that while he’s doing pretty good, if he’s serious about going all the way with God he must take the next step. For the rich young man, that means selling all of his possessions. You see, he’s rich. And his wealth is a source of security and pride. He doesn’t need to depend on anyone. Not even God. And if the man has his wealth and possessions, he’s still in control. Or at least the illusion of it. He’s not ready to give that up. But if he’s serious about following God, he needs to.
           
What is idolatry? Is it simply worshipping a man-made object? Or is it something deeper? What Jesus is telling us this morning is that idolatry is anything that we put in place of God. It is anything that we depend on for our safety and security outside of God. In an affluent society such as ours, money and possession are an idol for many. We put our security in that. We say, if I have my resources, then I’m okay, I can make it. On the other hand, it may not be money. It may be our looks, or our reputation. It may be our health. Or it may be our professional talents.
           
And Jesus’ invitation to the rich young man is simply, “let go of that which you put your security and well-being. And live completely dependent upon Me.” That was the point where the rich young man needed to let go and really put his faith and trust in God. For you and me, it may be something else. Whatever you find to be the most difficult thing to let go of and give to God, it is on that point which you must yield, if you are going to reach that place of Christian maturity and joy that God wants you to have. Otherwise, you are trying to follow God in your own strength.
           
For many of us, we know that there are certain parts of our life that we’re not ready to yield over to God. So we try to bargain with God: “I will do this and this for you, God, if you will just let me do this or keep this.” But He keeps bringing us back to that one place. And He says to us, “if you’re serious about following Me, you need to let go.”
           
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew those jobs needed doing and so you’re not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
           
​God isn’t interested in turning us into good people. Rather, He is looking to kill the old self, and resurrect us into new people who are like Him, so that we may share in His work and in His life.
           
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.