Sermon 90
Sermon by Ian Scott Thompson at Wonersh 10th June 2007
Seekers in the Bible
The Rich Young Man
This is our series on “Seekers”, no 3: we’ve had my wonderful wife Jane on Peter & Cornelius (the Gentile Pentecost) on May 20th, then last Sunday evening Philip Vogel on the woman who touched Jesus’ garment. The idea of the series was really sparked off by the Alpha Course, and the prospect of seekers coming to us, wanting to find out more about faith in God. I thought it might be good to look at some Seekers in the Bible: why did they seek God, what were they looking for, how did they come seeking, what did they find, how should we respond, and so on.
This story is in Matthew, Mark and Luke: all three. Which must mean the gospel writers thought it was significant. Who was this chap? Luke tells us he’s a ruler; but then, wealth has that effect! Despite his eminence, he also showed deference to Jesus: Mark says he ran up and knelt before Jesus, and called him “Good Teacher”. Clearly he’s an example of a real seeker – motivated, urgent, clearly wanting to find out more.
He also brings a top question: “What good deed must I do to get eternal life?” He’s got his eye on the main prize, nothing less. He’s not bothered with a good life today or tomorrow – he’s seen that eternity’s the big one.
He’s got it right, spot on! Our decision to turn to God and pray a prayer of commitment (or alternatively to say “No” to God and turn away), which may seem in human terms like a minor choice of spare-time hobby, in God’s perspective is the most important decision we will ever make in our whole lives. Indeed, this decision is actually what we have been put on this earth for, our very purpose and reason for existence: to choose or refuse a relationship with our Creator, to choose or refuse eternal life.
Jesus’ quick reply "Why do you ask me about what is good?" seems like a rebuke, as if the man was wrong to use the word ‘good’; but I think Jesus had a twinkle in his eye, just playing with the question a little, a little theological skirmish. Then Jesus gives him the standard Jewish answer, “obey the commandments.” The man presses him as to which commandments (after all, there were shed-loads of minor ones to do with commerce etc), and Jesus reels off a short practical list: the ones to do with other people more than with worshipping God, interestingly.
But the man still presses Jesus further. “Yes, yes, I know. Been there, done that. What’s next?” It’s as if the Ten Commandments were no problem for him; whereas I’m sure you’ll agree, very few people today could confidently tick all the boxes like that. But the well-brought-up Jew was very careful to keep his nose clean, and clearly this man had tried his utmost to obey the specific commands of the Law. That doesn’t mean he was without sin – they all knew that – but he had kept the commandments, he was a good boy.
Jesus recognises this achievement: Mark tells us that Jesus looked at him and loved him for it. God loves someone whose heart is in the right place: he’s proving that he’s a true seeker after God, through and through. Here in Matthew Jesus goes on, “Well, if you wanna be perfect…” or in Mark and Luke, “There’s just one thing you lack…”
Then comes the big one: Jesus seems to see right through him, knows him through and through; and picks the big issue in his life, hits the nail on the head. Possessions.
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
I can remember once, visiting a Baptism family, and challenging the father why he couldn’t turn to Christ and make the promises together with his family. His answer was that he thought God might ask him to give up the things he loved most, like his MG sports car. He asked me if I thought that was true, whether he would indeed have to give them up. I told him about this story of the rich young man, and how Jesus asked him to sell everything and give to the poor. I pointed out how Jesus didn’t ask everyone to do this, it wasn’t a general condition of being a disciple; however, Jesus clearly knew it was the big problem for this man – the request was tailored to him. So I said to the Dad, Brian: Jesus didn’t ask everybody to do this; but if this is the big thing for you, the thing that keeps you from God, then He might indeed ask you.
I think the key to this is Old Testament Law. Much of it was designed to create a just society, where people relate well and treat one another fairly: the laws summed up in loving my neighbour. But there is a whole second group of laws to do with loving God, worshipping Him and being faithful to Him. Among those are laws against idolatry, against anything that might take God’s place in your life, or get in the way of worshipping God. It might be a false ‘god’ made of metal or stone or wood, or it might be something you value so much it takes first place in your life. It might be a thing, and cause, or even a person; it might be good in itself, but the place it takes in your life makes it a problem. Anything that replaces God, or hinders worship. Can you think of some examples? Let’s name some now:- shout them out.
“The young man went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Perhaps we assume that he refused to turn to Christ, and clung to his possessions instead, but we don’t know for sure. He might have been sad because of all that he was about to give away to the poor; or he might have gone home and re-considered; we just don’t know. All that we do know is that this was a big issue for him, one that saddened him greatly.
Jesus uses this incident, as he does so often, as a teaching opportunity. Another instance is the widow’s mite, for example. He turns to his disciples, and reflects on what they’ve just seen. Of course, it’s about riches and eternal life.
Jesus says very simply, how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. A camel, going through the eye of a needle? On the face of it, a ludicrous cartoon image: most of us can’t even get a tiny thread through the eye of a needle, much less a big hairy lumpy camel! Some have claimed the needle was very big, perhaps even a narrow gate into the city; but probably Jesus is just having a laugh, like Jeremy Clarkson claiming this car has the aerodynamics of the average suburban house. At least, his image tells them it’s almost impossible, because of the reaction of the disciples. Then he tells them the secret answer: man can’t achieve it, but God can. So, it is possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom, but only with God. Man’s efforts to keep the Commandments are ultimately futile, and salvation by man’s own efforts impossible. We have to cast ourselves on the mercy of God.
Peter asks about himself and his
fellow-disciples, who have left everything, and Jesus reassures him. The twelve will judge the tribes of
Jesus finishes with this enigmatic saying, that many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. He loved to do this, to put a sting in the tail to excite interest, to leave people thinking – not a bad model for preachers! He doesn’t mean that everything will be reversed in some mechanical way, like people entering a tube train with only one door; nor does he mean that black will be white and white black in some irrational way; but that kingdom hierarchies are radically different to worldly hierarchies, because God’s values are so different. The emperor, the governor and the rich man will be last, but the prostitute, the tax-collector and the beggar will be first. Why? Not because God is perverse, but because he judges the heart not the wallet.
By his mid-thirties James Nelson
Rockefeller had become, through drilling and selling oil, one of the richest
men on earth. But he was utterly miserable,
plagued by all kinds of physical and emotional illnesses. Every newspaper in
So, why are riches such a
hindrance to entering the kingdom? Not
because they are themselves evil (after all, it is the love of
money which is a root of all kinds of evil), but because they bring temptations
with them, and they become a distraction from God. Abraham was wealthy, Job was wealthy, Solomon
was wealthy, Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy,
In a sense, Jesus gave the rich young ruler the impossible option, to obey the commandments, to do it man’s way. He replied that he had obeyed them: he was good, very good. But then Jesus raised the bar to include sacrificial giving, and that wiped the smirk off his face. From time to time I guess we all try to do it man’s way, to live good lives and to justify ourselves before God. But when our attachment to wealth is tested, then we find it much harder.
John Henry Jowett said: The measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money.
It happened to the famous rich man called Job: everything was taken in one horrific day. He displayed anger and other natural human responses, but he stayed faithful to God. He illustrates Jesus’ saying that with God, all things are possible. And just as Jesus promises his disciples, Job’s wealth was restored to him many times over: he is an Old Testament parable of the kingdom.