As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the 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.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘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.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ Mark 10:17-31
Our story from the Gospel begins with Jesus telling a wealthy young man to sell his possessions and commenting how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God. Their response was a very natural one. "Who then can be saved?" As they worry and are afraid for their salvation, Jesus comforts them and honors them for their sacrifices. Which often makes me wonder, "have I given up enough, have I suffered enough...?" We can make ourselves upset when we test our worthiness and fall into giving up and abandoning all. Yet, there words remain with me on my worst days. "For God all things are possible." We are broken people in a very broken world and yet first and foremost God loves us and forgives us over and over.
Wondrous Creator, who fixed the stars in the heavens
and who put breath and life within each one of us
you make possible the impossible with your love.
We rest on our money, our smarts, and our power
until those fail and we panic and cry out to you
help us to learn from our deep need of your love.
Lift us Lord from the despairs of these times
help us see your design for new possibilities
so we might carry your love and justice here. Amen.
