The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, October 11^th
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Ps 90:12-17
Heb 4:12-16
Mk 10:17-31

The Shepherd’s Voice – Sermon Audio

Jesus was setting out on a journey in our gospel text this week. Our goal will be to encounter God as we journey together through the text. And as with most journeys or trips there is some excitement, some apprehension, and some intrigue. I’m sure there will also be some disappointment, some frustration, but hopefully some delight will be found, like the sun breaking through the storm clouds.

Last week we talked about the exact imprint of God’s very being, Jesus. We talked about what God has preordained for this world from creation. We talked about marriage, divorce and little children. This week our journey will take us through the land of money, perhaps an easier topic for some, but for others, not so much. We will talk about the rich, about keeping God’s commandments, about how easy it is to get into heaven, and something about the first being last and the last being first.

That’s right, you’ve just gotten to the front of the line and Jesus comes along and says “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

That ain’t fair! Life is not fair, get used to it. We used to tell our kids that all the time.

Let’s begin. Jesus is on this journey, just starting as it seems. Someone, Luke’s version (Lk 18:18-30) says a ruler with lots of possessions, who we can assume was rich, came up to Jesus with a burning question. “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

First off, we must inquire, why is this ruler calling Jesus good? Did he believe that Jesus was God? A Jewish leader would not call someone “good teacher” unless they thought he was something very, very special, in this case God, it’s a subtle but important point.

Second, what else is wrong with this picture? Say you have a friend that’s going on a trip, he/she is just beginning that trip and you flag them down, maybe go over to their house and as they are carrying the suitcases out to the car you say “I’m concerned about being saved – what do I need to do to go to heaven, to inherit eternal life.”

Is this a good time to ask this question? Why didn’t you ask it last Sunday or Monday at the Bible study or why not last week when we went out to eat together? Why now? Why is it all of a sudden so important?

When is the right time for this question to be asked? Is there ever a wrong time? Perhaps that’s one thing that God is showing us this morning, there is never a wrong time to be concerned about eternity, to be concerned about new life in God’s kingdom. It’s always important! Is it important to you? Have you ever asked this question even of yourself? If you are concerned about being part of God’s kingdom or if you are concerned about questions concerning the after-life, don’t wait, seek out the answer now.

Jesus responds to this young ruler by asking him about commandments where the answers would be obvious. The question is really a red herring, a diversion, a distraction. Jesus knew the rich young ruler’s problem was really with his heart, with his allegiance.

Now before we talk about the problem with the heart we ought to be asking ourselves, what does some rich young ruler have to do with me. His rich and he’s young and I’m not either.

In our most recent national election there was a question being asked, I think Pastor Rick Warren asked it of both candidates he wanted them to “define rich in America.” In our affluent country ideas were kicked around like you have to make over $250,000 per year to be rich and there were other benchmarks thrown around.

Gallup did a survey of Americans in 2003 where it found the public’s median definition of “rich” was an income of $120,000 — or assets of $1 million. Perhaps most of us are feeling pretty safe, we aren’t rich so why should we care about this lesson.

In that same Gallup poll those who earned less than $30,000/yr thought that a household income of $74,000 would qualify someone as being rich. To be among the richest 10% of adults in the world, one just needs $61,000 in assets.

Research indicates that assets of just $2,200 per adult places you as a household in the top half of the world’s wealthiest. Half the world, nearly 3 billion people, live on less than $2 a day. Do you spend more than two dollars a day? If you do you’re better off than over half of the world’s population.

Back to our story, someone from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Buena Park went to Jesus to ask him how to become part of God’s kingdom?

Jesus said, sell all you have and give it to the poor and follow me. I can’t do that, that’s my reaction. The young man went away grieved. The sense of the Greek word here for grieved, στυγνάζω (stygnazō) is cloudy, stormy weather. A storm was gathering in this person’s life, trouble lies ahead. He went away grieved, for he had many possessions.

This church has many possessions. What are we willing to give up for the sake of God’s mission in the world? “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Jesus said that to his disciples. God is saying that to us the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd.

Then Jesus, not wanting to waste a good teaching moment said to the disciples who were perplexed, “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.” This was a famous saying from the ancient world, but it speaks to me, to us, even today.

This takes all the wind out of my sail. How about you? I thought I could follow God and drive a Honda Pilot. I thought I could follow God and live in a house in Buena Park or Anaheim, or La Palma or Irvine. I thought I could follow God and just spend my money to keep up this building; I don’t need to share it with others. God expects more from us.

The disciples were feeling the same way, greatly astounded, amazed, they say to one another, “Then who can be saved?” What on earth does it take to please God?

Jesus senses the anxiety, Jesus looks at them and says, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Sure it’s easy for God, but what about us mere mortals. It seems like we keep digging this hole deeper and deeper. Even in the last paragraph, Peter tries to make his buddies feel better by saying, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Look, we are good people here at Good Shepherd in Buena Park.

Jesus has answered this same question before in (Mark 8:35). For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. God’s mission is NOT about dynasties, amenities, or facilities.

We see here the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12) Have you ever carved a turkey, separated the meat from the bone, it takes a sharp knife? What is God trying to carve from our bony and hard hearts this morning?

If you’re not stressed here, maybe you ought to be. There is a battle in this world for each of us, it’s intense, it’s stressful, and at times it requires that we put on the armor of God. (Eph 6:11-20)

God’s word to us has been full of law today, full of requirement, full of expectation, but Jesus always seems to have the last word on the law. Look at the last paragraph of our gospel text today.

Jesus, if I might paraphrase it here said, don’t worry Peter those who have been faithful will receive “a hundredfold now in this age….. and in the age to come eternal life.” The Law can bring the sinner to Christ, but the Law cannot make the sinner like Christ. Only grace can do that. It is by grace we are saved through faith, not of our own works.

The promises of God, the grace of God always breaks through just when you thought it was hopeless. We know we can’t keep the whole law, we know we are mortals but “for God, all things are possible.” It’s not about wealth, it’s about will. It’s not about having possessions; it’s about having peace with God.

By our math, life doesn’t seem fair. By God’s math all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee. So will you come and follow me (Jesus is asking) even when life seems unfair, that’s the question for today?

Amen.

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