DAY 10 - What Must I Do?

Mark 10:17-27 17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 19You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" 20"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" 24The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" 27Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

A gentle Mediterranean breeze blew across the landscape. Jesus was holding class. He had just picked up a helpless, powerless child and said unless you become like a child you cannot enter the kingdom of God. He started to leave and a man ran up and knelt before him. He was a young man, a well to do man, and a leader among the people. He comes straight to the point. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Do you hear the quirk in his question? What must I “do” to inherit eternal life? He might be asking, “How can I be sure about eternal life so I can be happy now?” Among the Hebrews, keeping the commandments was the recipe for happiness. It was a fairly simple recipe. There was debate as to whether you should keep just the ten basic rules or the full six hundred thirteen that had developed over the centuries, but everyone assumed that if you kept the rules, you would be happy. It is as if Jesus is saying to the young man “Well you know the recipe for happiness.” And the young man replies, “I know the rules. I have carefully followed the recipe for happiness.”

And Jesus answers, “You lack one thing. There is one thing you need to do. Go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and come and follow me.” You are imprisoned by the security of stuff. You are captured by your comforts. And at that the young man’s countenance fell, the sparkle left his eye, and he went away sorrowful. The disciples were rocked back by His word. They asked in angry frustration, “Who then can be saved?” Who has any chance at joy and happiness if you have to take the vow of poverty to find it?

Do you blame them? Just how good would a teacher have to be to convince you to do that? The sad part of the story is that the young man and most people who hear the story do not hear the end of it. And Jesus answered, by human effort alone it is impossible, but with God all things are possible. What must I do misses the point. Eternal life, joy, happiness, fulfillment - it is all a gift. Life is a gift.

Go, sell, come, follow.


From a sermon preached by Henry Dobbs Pope
copyright Rhonda Hinkle Mitchell Broyles