COME, FOLLOW ME Sermon for October 15, 2006
Scripture: Job 23:1-9, 16-17; Mark 10:17-31
Last week for my Stewardship Kickoff sermon, I would have loved to preach from today’s lectionary for the Gospel, about the rich young ruler. By the way the Mark story says nothing about this man being young or a ruler. A similar story is told in the other gospels: Luke adding ruler and Matthew adding young. This passage has been one of my most difficult scriptures for many decades, yet rather than repeating many of the same ideas as last week, I want to focus on the broader topic of what it means to follow Jesus. I would guess that most of you hear today at some point in your life made a decision to follow Jesus. I wonder what made you do so. How are you feeling today compared to the first time you decided you wanted to follow Jesus? Is your life any different today because of that decision? Is Jesus calling you to anything different at this point in your life? How strong is your faith in those times when you are being tested? Probably not many of you have been tested in such a horrible way as Job was tested, yet I imagine we have all been tested, if not by something personal at least by the suffering in the world. How many times have you cried out with the Psalmist those same words that Jesus cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me? “ Ps 22:1.
It’s so hard to follow our faith, to believe the things Jesus assures us about, when we are feeling alone. Isolation, loneliness are two biggies that challenge me. Maybe some of you have had times when you felt utterly alone. Not only do you lack a good conversation partner to share this sadness and hopelessness with, but neither do you feel the presence of God. Job says in v. 3 of our lesson, "I wish I knew where to find God so I could go to where He lives." He says in v. 8, 8: "If I go to the east, God is not there; if I go to the west, I do not see Him." - Job is searching God in every direction and through every means. The feeling of isolation from God is causing Job more pain than any of the other calamities he has suffered. It’s a double whammy! I have shared from this pulpit before, the time when I returned to California after a very meaningful and spiritually charged life in Washington, DC, and how much I suffered. I definitely felt isolated and lonely. For many months I went into what I now call a dark night of the soul. Obviously God had not left me; God had not left Job; however, in my case the pain was so great that it blocked my ability to feel the presence of God. In spite of all this pain, I still had faith or maybe the better word is trust that God was there even though I could not feel God’s presence. My commitment so long ago to “Come and follow Jesus” was not forgotten. I continued to go through the motions of attending church, talking to spiritual friends, praying, lots of lamenting, complaining to God, asking what was going on. Eventually I came out of the darkness.
I tell you this story of grieving that came about because of a spiritual loss. Many of you have had a much more emotional or physical loss. Our joys and concerns are filled with personal examples of suffering, many struggles with cancer and other illnesses. The newspapers always are there with the accounts of terrible suffering. I would like to highlight the situation of the random shooting last week of the Amish schoolgirls in Georgetown, PA. The families in their quickness to forgive the killer give us a real life example of Christians who are determined to follow Jesus even when one of life’s worst traumas—violent death of your children—happens. Let me quote from news reports of this event, "A family spokesman said that a neighbor, just hours after the shooting, comforted the Roberts family and extended their forgiveness. A relative of some of the boys who were inside the schoolhouse when the gunman stormed in said of the family, "I hope they stay around here, and they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of support."
It was also reported that a grandfather of one of the victims was instructing the children to forgive, as they prepared the body of one of the girls for burial. He told the young boys, "We must not think evil of this man."
What a display of grace! If humans are able to extend such forgiveness so quickly to someone who has been so destructive, can you imagine what God’s grace is like!
We are familiar with the rich man who comes to Jesus asking about eternal life. He is a good man by all the Hebrew standards. The question of his being rich does not take away from his goodness. In fact in this culture those that were rich were considered favored by God—they were rich because God was rewarding them for their devotion and keeping the Law. Many of God’s favorite people in the Hebrew Bible were very rich: Abraham, Jacob, Job, David. Jesus, remember, is one who sees much deeper than we can ever see. Jesus knows what is in our hearts and minds. Jesus knew that for this particular person, his attachment to his possessions was keeping him from being healed, saved, finding eternal life. Mark says Jesus looked at the man with love. When you love someone you want him to be whole. Jesus said, “You’re almost there. In fact you only lack one thing. Stop worrying about all the rules and regulations. Do something really radical with your life. Get rid of all that stuff that makes you feel important and successful, and come, follow me.” Wow, Jesus really laid it on the line with this man. Holding on to stuff, both material and non-material can really do us in. Last week I talked about the foolish farmer that had such abundant crops that he tore down his old barns and built bigger ones and then that very night he died with Jesus reminding us that the important thing is to be rich towards God and not to store up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and for where your treasure is your heart will be also. These comments are taken from the Sermon on the Mount and are followed by the admonition that no one can serve two masters, not both God and wealth (mammon).
So my friends, what are you holding on to that is keeping you from following Jesus? One’s possessions, one’s stuff, is only one of many possibilities. Power, position, high salary, comfort of a nice comfortable home could add to the list. Then there are things like fear, insecurity, lack of faith or trust that we really would be able to make it if we lived more simply and stood up for the poor and oppressed individuals and countries in this world. What is it that is distracting us from loving God and loving and sharing with our neighbors? Wealth by itself can actually be very helpful in following Jesus. On this topic even John Wesley use to say, “Get all you can; save all you can; give all you can.” There are many things that Jesus wants us to do that we can do more effectively if we have some wealth to share. So if you are not making money your idol or obtaining the money through situations that hurt others, where others are exploited, money is probably not standing in the way of your following Jesus. Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to go to enter the kingdom of God. This statement so perplexed his disciples that they said to each other, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus replied that for mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. Do you believe that? Can you trust in God so much that you will say yes to whatever God and Jesus are calling you to? If so you can sit lightly on your possessions, share what you have with others, love and praise God, and give thanks for all you have received. So often we believe what we have is ours and we close our hand tightly in grasping it to ourselves. If you truly want to follow Jesus, live by the Law of the Open Hand, knowing that our abundance is not to be hoarded, but shared. What we have we can redistribute so that we all have enough. As Gandhi said, there is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed. I’m so thankful for God’s grace. Join with me in helping each other know what we need to do to be open to this grace and to come, follow Jesus. Amen and Amen.
Last week for my Stewardship Kickoff sermon, I would have loved to preach from today’s lectionary for the Gospel, about the rich young ruler. By the way the Mark story says nothing about this man being young or a ruler. A similar story is told in the other gospels: Luke adding ruler and Matthew adding young. This passage has been one of my most difficult scriptures for many decades, yet rather than repeating many of the same ideas as last week, I want to focus on the broader topic of what it means to follow Jesus. I would guess that most of you hear today at some point in your life made a decision to follow Jesus. I wonder what made you do so. How are you feeling today compared to the first time you decided you wanted to follow Jesus? Is your life any different today because of that decision? Is Jesus calling you to anything different at this point in your life? How strong is your faith in those times when you are being tested? Probably not many of you have been tested in such a horrible way as Job was tested, yet I imagine we have all been tested, if not by something personal at least by the suffering in the world. How many times have you cried out with the Psalmist those same words that Jesus cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me? “ Ps 22:1.
It’s so hard to follow our faith, to believe the things Jesus assures us about, when we are feeling alone. Isolation, loneliness are two biggies that challenge me. Maybe some of you have had times when you felt utterly alone. Not only do you lack a good conversation partner to share this sadness and hopelessness with, but neither do you feel the presence of God. Job says in v. 3 of our lesson, "I wish I knew where to find God so I could go to where He lives." He says in v. 8, 8: "If I go to the east, God is not there; if I go to the west, I do not see Him." - Job is searching God in every direction and through every means. The feeling of isolation from God is causing Job more pain than any of the other calamities he has suffered. It’s a double whammy! I have shared from this pulpit before, the time when I returned to California after a very meaningful and spiritually charged life in Washington, DC, and how much I suffered. I definitely felt isolated and lonely. For many months I went into what I now call a dark night of the soul. Obviously God had not left me; God had not left Job; however, in my case the pain was so great that it blocked my ability to feel the presence of God. In spite of all this pain, I still had faith or maybe the better word is trust that God was there even though I could not feel God’s presence. My commitment so long ago to “Come and follow Jesus” was not forgotten. I continued to go through the motions of attending church, talking to spiritual friends, praying, lots of lamenting, complaining to God, asking what was going on. Eventually I came out of the darkness.
I tell you this story of grieving that came about because of a spiritual loss. Many of you have had a much more emotional or physical loss. Our joys and concerns are filled with personal examples of suffering, many struggles with cancer and other illnesses. The newspapers always are there with the accounts of terrible suffering. I would like to highlight the situation of the random shooting last week of the Amish schoolgirls in Georgetown, PA. The families in their quickness to forgive the killer give us a real life example of Christians who are determined to follow Jesus even when one of life’s worst traumas—violent death of your children—happens. Let me quote from news reports of this event, "A family spokesman said that a neighbor, just hours after the shooting, comforted the Roberts family and extended their forgiveness. A relative of some of the boys who were inside the schoolhouse when the gunman stormed in said of the family, "I hope they stay around here, and they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of support."
It was also reported that a grandfather of one of the victims was instructing the children to forgive, as they prepared the body of one of the girls for burial. He told the young boys, "We must not think evil of this man."
What a display of grace! If humans are able to extend such forgiveness so quickly to someone who has been so destructive, can you imagine what God’s grace is like!
We are familiar with the rich man who comes to Jesus asking about eternal life. He is a good man by all the Hebrew standards. The question of his being rich does not take away from his goodness. In fact in this culture those that were rich were considered favored by God—they were rich because God was rewarding them for their devotion and keeping the Law. Many of God’s favorite people in the Hebrew Bible were very rich: Abraham, Jacob, Job, David. Jesus, remember, is one who sees much deeper than we can ever see. Jesus knows what is in our hearts and minds. Jesus knew that for this particular person, his attachment to his possessions was keeping him from being healed, saved, finding eternal life. Mark says Jesus looked at the man with love. When you love someone you want him to be whole. Jesus said, “You’re almost there. In fact you only lack one thing. Stop worrying about all the rules and regulations. Do something really radical with your life. Get rid of all that stuff that makes you feel important and successful, and come, follow me.” Wow, Jesus really laid it on the line with this man. Holding on to stuff, both material and non-material can really do us in. Last week I talked about the foolish farmer that had such abundant crops that he tore down his old barns and built bigger ones and then that very night he died with Jesus reminding us that the important thing is to be rich towards God and not to store up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy, and for where your treasure is your heart will be also. These comments are taken from the Sermon on the Mount and are followed by the admonition that no one can serve two masters, not both God and wealth (mammon).
So my friends, what are you holding on to that is keeping you from following Jesus? One’s possessions, one’s stuff, is only one of many possibilities. Power, position, high salary, comfort of a nice comfortable home could add to the list. Then there are things like fear, insecurity, lack of faith or trust that we really would be able to make it if we lived more simply and stood up for the poor and oppressed individuals and countries in this world. What is it that is distracting us from loving God and loving and sharing with our neighbors? Wealth by itself can actually be very helpful in following Jesus. On this topic even John Wesley use to say, “Get all you can; save all you can; give all you can.” There are many things that Jesus wants us to do that we can do more effectively if we have some wealth to share. So if you are not making money your idol or obtaining the money through situations that hurt others, where others are exploited, money is probably not standing in the way of your following Jesus. Jesus said that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to go to enter the kingdom of God. This statement so perplexed his disciples that they said to each other, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus replied that for mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. Do you believe that? Can you trust in God so much that you will say yes to whatever God and Jesus are calling you to? If so you can sit lightly on your possessions, share what you have with others, love and praise God, and give thanks for all you have received. So often we believe what we have is ours and we close our hand tightly in grasping it to ourselves. If you truly want to follow Jesus, live by the Law of the Open Hand, knowing that our abundance is not to be hoarded, but shared. What we have we can redistribute so that we all have enough. As Gandhi said, there is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed. I’m so thankful for God’s grace. Join with me in helping each other know what we need to do to be open to this grace and to come, follow Jesus. Amen and Amen.
posted by Sermons given at Deering Community Church @ 11:25 AM
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