Pastor Christa von Zychlin

Our Savior’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Hartland, WI  53029

October 12^th, 2003

Pentecost 18B

Mark 10:17-31

How Do You Help a Camel?

17    As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him.  He knelt down, and asked, “Good teacher, what can I do to inherit eternal life?”

Last week it was the Pharisees who came scuttling up to Jesus, slyly trying to get him into trouble with emotionally charged questions about marriage & divorce. This week, in the very same chapter of the gospel of Mark, it’s a very different sort of person who comes RUNNING up to Jesus, kneels down in front of him (something the Pharisees would never have done) and asks him what may be the most important question of his life: “Good teacher, what can I do to get eternal life?”

 You know, there’s the old story about the young philosophy student who was bringing Dr. Martin Buber, a famous visiting theology professor to the airport.  On the way, the student said, So, Dr. Buber, is there a God?

And Dr. Buber said, is that an academic question or a question of ultimate concern?

The student thought a minute and said, “It’s an academic question”

And Dr. Buber said, “how bourgeois.”  And refused to answer the student.

 The Pharisees liked to ask Jesus academic questions, meant to test Jesus.

Not this man, running up & kneeling before Jesus – we know from the other Gospels that he was a young guy, maybe a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin. Milwaukee, he’s got the world at his fingertips, but something, something has made eternal life NOT an academic question but one of ultimate importance.

 Maybe his Dad just died, and that old gray guy who always loved him and cheered him on and went to his games, and gave him advice on market timing, he’s gone.  When someone close to us dies, then whether there is or is not a God, whether there is or is not an eternal life becomes really important.  It’s not a mind game any more.

 Maybe this young guy’s friend was just diagnosed with something bad, something life threatening.  It was just a few weeks ago that I called my friend Lynn, out in Ohio.  how’re ya doing, how’re the kids, oh the kids are fine, & Lynn’s great except that she’s got stage 3 endometrial uterine cancer.  I’m hoping she pulls through, I’m praying she pulls through, she’s a single mom with two beautiful adopted school age children, she’s got to pull through, we’re all optimistic, but I’m also saying, God, we’re really depending on this eternal life thing right about now.  We want it and we want to make sure we’re hooked into it.

 So maybe it’s the young man’s friend who just got diagnosed with something or maybe it’s the young man himself… he’s seeing blood where he ought not be seeing it.  He’s got a lump or a spot that suddenly appeared on his body and it’s growing fast.  He’s got an appointment with the doctor tomorrow but man, he just heard that Jesus the Teacher is in town so he sprints away from his new, polished wood sales rep desk and he’s off to kneel in front of a traveling teacher, walking down the dusty Palestinian road, and the young man tries not to let the panic show in his voice

“Good Teacher,. What do I do to inherit  eternal life?” 

18    Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good?  Only God is good.

 Watch your language, smart guy.  Watch your diarrhea of the mouth, an occupational hazard for the university trained, well to do, wheeler & dealer, trader of  expensive market goods or knowledge, watch your words, watch what you call good.  Listen sometime how many times a day you hear someone use the words “fabulous! Great! Awesome!”  Words, adjectives, are not to be used lightly when you’re kneeling in front of the Son of God.

 19    You know the commandments. “Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage.  Do not steal.  Do not tell lies about others. Do not cheat.  Respect your father and mother.’”

 20    The man answered, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man.”

 Jesus knew the answer he was going to get, before he got it.  I think Jesus could tell immediately that the guy in front of him is the kind of guy who plays by the rules.  He works hard.  He got mostly A’s in school.  He was a solid player on the football team, always on time for practices.  Respectful.  Well liked by fellow students, coaches, teachers, and now bosses.  The kind of guy it’s easy to write a letter of recommendation for.  The kinda guy you can count on. Of course he would follow the 10 commandments… or at least 9 out of the ten.

 21    Jesus looked closely at the man.  He loved him and said, “There’s one thing you’re still missing.”     

Go sell everything, give it to the poor,  and you will have riches in heaven.  Then come follow me.”

Jesus loves this rich man.  Now there’s something for you & me to work on, if we really want to be followers of Jesus.  Try loving, really loving, the guy who’s richer than you are. 

I think this is a direct appeal to us at Our Savior’s.

We’re making some inroads on learning to love the poor.  We’re collecting sweaters for those in need.  We make regular contributions to the Food Pantry & to Loaves & Fishes in Waukesha.  We’re working on our relationship with Christo Rey Lutheran Church’s Spanish speaking immigrants.  We send work teams out to Appalachia and Alaska and have learned to love people there, and to be loved in return.

But what about the rich & arrogant in our own home town?  How about developing Jesus’ heart for that young upstart boss at work?  The new know-it-all Mom at Swallow school?  The diamond decked client who knows EXACTLY what he or she deserves from your business, thank you very much.  The sophomore at Arrowhead driving the 2004 car his daddy just bought him for his sweet 16^th birthday.  The person building the 13 room mansion just up the road from your own humbler 11 room estate.  Jesus takes a good look at this guy and he loves him.  And he loves him enough to say.   “Sell all you have, give the proceeds to the poor, and come & follow me.”

Can we at Our Savior’s love our rich neighbors with Jesus’ own love, a love that is strong enough to say, “Come and join us as we rich, almost rich, and really not rich people learn together at Our Savior’s how to follow Jesus?”

22    When the man heard Jesus say this, he went away gloomy and sad …

 Robert Ingersoll says, “Few rich men own their own property.  Their property owns them.”

… so the man goes away gloomy and sad because, says the Bible, he was very rich.

 23    Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “It’s hard for rich people to get into God’s kingdom!”

 24    The disciples were shocked to hear this.   Like us we sometimes think that being rich means you’ve actually made it into God’s kingdom.  You’ve planned things well.  You’ve made your investments wisely.  You’re a solid money manager. You give thousands of dollars to the church every year.  It’s not hard, it’s easy to get into heaven, for rich people.  Isn’t it?

 So Jesus told them again, “It’s terribly hard to get into God’s kingdom! 

25    In fact, it’s easier for a camel to go through the ye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God’s kingdom.”

 26    Jesus disciples were even more amazed.  They asked each other, “How can anyone ever be saved?”

 27    Jesus looked at them and said, “There are some things that people cannot do, but with God all things are possible.”

 My friend tells the story of the Amish guy who watched a new family move in, watched as they carried lots of appliances, home theatre equipment, a big whirlpool, into the big house on the 5 acre country estate.  The next day the Amish man and his wife come over to greet their new neighbors with muffins and jam and after the usual greeting and conversation the Amish man says, “If anything should go wrong with your appliances or electronic equipment, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“That’s very generous of you, the newcomers said, somewhat puzzled…

“No problem,” the Amish man replied, “I’ll just tell you how to live without them.”

xxx

Jesus, here,  is telling a 1^st century Palestinian joke.  How do you get a camel through the eye of the needle?  Easy, just get rid of the humps.  God says to the rich man, Need help to take care of your worldly goods?  Easy, give it all away.

 28    Peter replied, “Remember , we left everything to be your followers!”

 29    Jesus told him:  “You can be sure than anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news 30 will be rewarded.  In this world they will be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated.  And in the world to come, they will have eternal life.  31  But many who are not first will be last, and many who are now last will be first.”

 In the last century, a tourist visited the famous Polish rabbi Hafez Hayyim. He was astonished to see that the rabbi's home was only a simple room filled with books. The only furniture was a table and a bench.

 "Rabbi, where is your furniture?" asked the tourist.

 "Where is yours?" replied Hafez.

"Mine? But I'm only a visitor here."

"So am I," said the rabbi.

As you come to stand before the Lord at the communion altar this evening/morning

As you write your checks or plan your giving to God’s church and to the poor of God’s world this upcoming holiday & stewardship season,

As you go over and get to know your rich neighbor down the hall or down the street, and invite them to your church

As you bring sweaters in for those who will be facing the cold this winter  and canned goods & grocery gift certificates for those who are facing hunger, and make plans to go on or support a global mission service trip next summer

 Remember  this good news  from the Bible tonight, that Jesus has the power to heal that rich man, and that rich man who’s in you.  Jesus by his blood on the cross has given us the one thing necessary to inherit eternal life, and that one thing which has been missing, which is the power to give ourselves up to the Good Teacher who stands before us tonight, in the Scripture and in the Sacrament. 

 “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all;”  says Martin Luther. but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess. 

 May Jesus, the Son of God, accept the full riches of our lives into His hands this night. And he will return them 100 times over in this life, and give us eternal life in the world to come.    This is the Word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God AMEN.

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