Taking a step into the unknown can be challenging for most of us. And yet,
all of us at some time or the other have taken that step into the unknown. Perhaps
it was that literal first step as a small child when we had to let go of the sofa which had steadied us, and trust that we could walk—or perhaps it was our first day at school when we had to leave the security
of our home to go off to school—perhaps it was going out on the first date and feeling awkward and not knowing what
to do or say—perhaps it was getting one’s first job and wanting to make a good impression—perhaps it was
attending that first AA meeting—perhaps it was calling a counselor in order to get help—perhaps it was talking
with our children when their actions have disappointed us—perhaps it was having to face having a crippling or deadly
disease.
There seem to be significant
moments in our lives—moments when we have had to make choices about whether to stay where we were, or whether we were
going to step out into the unknown. These choices have had their challenges for
us. Perhaps this meeting between Jesus and this young man was one of those significant
moments in his life.
This story is found in all
three of the synoptic gospels, with each gospel writer shaping the story for his own audience.
Matthew calls the man “young,” and Luke calls him a “ruler.” Mark however simply calls him
a “man.” Perhaps that is all the description that we need. For this
“man” is descriptive of you and of me. Like him, each one of us has
those times in our lives in which we make decisions about what we believe, and where we will cast our lot in life.
We first meet this “man”
as Jesus is setting out on a journey. Jesus’ journey would end at the cross
in Jerusalem. Jesus had just finished telling the crowd that
“whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” But it seems
as if this “man” had not heard what Jesus had just said.
We are told that this “man”
ran up to Jesus, fell down before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This “man” had tried to live a righteous life—he had followed all
the commandments to the letter of the Law. Yet, he wanted more out of life. And his question betrayed his primary issue, for he asked, “What must I do...”
The man wanted to know what he could “DO” to inherit eternal life. That is a strange question, for one rarely can “do” anything to receive
an inheritance. An inheritance is something that one must receive as a beneficiary.
The man was expecting Jesus
to give him a prescription telling him something he could do so that he might find meaning for his life. Wanting to know if
this man really wanted meaning for his life, Jesus told him that he should follow the Ten Commandments: “You shall not
murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor
your father and mother.” The man replied that he had followed all these
commandments since he was a boy.
Mark then tells us that Jesus
knew that this man was unique in his devotion. Mark says that Jesus looked the
man in the eye, and that Jesus loved the man’s desire to be righteous. Jesus
might even have seen in this man the potential to be one of Jesus’ disciples. But
potential is never enough. Potential must be transformed into action. Jesus therefore
gave him a challenge, “You lack one thing: Go sell what you own, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven; then come, follow me.”
That which Jesus asked of
this man was no different than Jesus had asked of his other disciples. For all
of Jesus’ disciples had to let go of whatever was holding them back from following Jesus. Matthew left his occupation as a tax collector. Simon Peter
and his brother Andrew, as well as James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, they all had left their profitable fishing
businesses behind. Therefore, this “man” too had to let go of that
which was holding him back. He too had to let it go, that he might invest his
life into an investment that would give him meaning and purpose for his life. A
“windfall investment!”
Yet we are told that, “When
he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.”
A while back the dead body
of an 18 year old man was found in NY’s Central Park. His shiny BMW was parked nearby. Having grown up in
a wealthy Connecticut family he had been given every opportunity. But his fatal flaw was that
he could not commit himself to something greater than himself. His whole life
was centered on making himself happy, but to no avail. The police investigator
listed the cause of death as “Affluenza.”
Likewise, in the story in
Mark’s gospel, the man that came to Jesus looking for some purpose for his life, sadly left because he too had “Affluenza.”
As the man was leaving, Jesus
said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were perplexed. Wanting to
stress once again “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” Jesus addressed his disciples as “Children,”
saying to them, “Children, how hard it is 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.” The disciples were shocked and said to one another
“Then who can be saved?” Jesus then looked at them and said, “For mortals this is impossible, but not for
God; for God all things are possible.”
There was a tension that
exists within the framework of this story. That tension lay within the extreme
demands that Jesus presented. There was the extreme demand to sell everything,
give to the poor, and then to follow Jesus. But there also was the extreme promise
of a rewarding life. That is a tension which most of us spend our whole lives
trying to resolve.
Frankly, I don’t think
that this story means that we should sell everything that we have and give it away. For
I don’t think doing that approach would be a good stewardship of our resources.
Instead, today we are able to do “estate planning” through the use of a “Trust”—or remembering
meaningful causes when one is writing one’s “Will.” Those are
means through which one can give a witness to one’s ultimate values even beyond the grave.
Further, regular giving as
a percentage of one’s monthly income is a means of good stewardship. All
those approaches seem to be a better stewardship of our financial resources than giving it all away in one swoop. The life in the kingdom of God is about caring for other’s needs, and the sharing of our resources in meeting those needs.
In our stewardship of our financial resources we can witness to those values.
Faced with the challenge
of financial stewardship, Jesus’ disciples exclaimed, “Then who can be saved?” And, Jesus responded to them,
“For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Perhaps the disciples then began
to understand how hard it is to change, so as to shape our financial resources about the ethics of the kingdom of God.
For those disciples, as well
as for us, Jesus gives us a promise. He said that with God’s help, like
earthly children we can begin taking “baby-steps” in our financial stewardship. And taking those “baby-steps” is just
like all those other challenging first steps that we need to take in life.
I witnessed such faithful
stewardship several years ago in Rachel Bell McClintic. Prior to her death in 1991, Rachel Bell McClintic had been a 91 year
old secondary school teacher in Greenbrier County, WV. She had lived her life frugally on that school teacher’s salary.
She handled her business affairs well, and made a good return on her financial
investments. Throughout her life, as a Christian she wanted to invest her life
in being a blessing to others. She further wanted to see that investment continue
following her death. Therefore, at the time of her death her estate granted the
Presbytery of WV some $500,000 for the training of young ministers, and for the Christian education of young people. Through her faithful stewardship of her meager resources, Rachel Bell McClintic has
been able to fulfill her intention that her life be a blessing to others. And
we are the heirs of her faithful investment.
Jesus calls to you and to
me. He calls to us, “Follow
me.” He calls us to leave behind whatever is hindering us from that journey. He
calls us to journey with him, and to invest our lives in the kingdom of God. That is the greatest “windfall investment”
we ever can make.
