First Reading: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
First Reading (Semi-cont.): Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Psalm: Psalm 90:12-17
Psalm (Semi-cont.): Psalm 22:1-15
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:12-16
Gospel: Mark 10:17-31
Today's Gospel is not one that you'll find in most stewardship campaigns. I've been part of church council discussions that revolved around whether or not it was reasonable to expect people to give away 10% of their income. And along comes Jesus with this message about selling everything and giving it to the poor, and then we'll be ready to follow Jesus.
We've spent centuries rationalizing our way around the demands of this text. We talk about how the needle's eye is really a gate in Jerusalem (something that scholars doubt), so that we can convince ourselves that one could be both rich and righteous, even if that might be rare. We return to our stewardship messages, reminding each other that Jesus calls us to be generous.
Many a believer and non-believer alike might ask, "You can't really believe that Jesus means that literally."
But what if Jesus was serious? One of the main themes of Mark is the cost of discipleship. Here is a very real cost.
So far, this century has taught us much about the danger of counting on our possessions for security. We've seen how quickly wealth can be liquidated--and for what? I remember getting an account statement after a particularly volatile quarter. As I considered the drop in value, I thought of how much happier I might be had I given that money to the poor instead of hoarding it for my future. Now it's vanished, gone, like steam. No one has benefited--except, perhaps, for the people who made a profit off my money before it vanished. And I'm fairly certain the poor didn't see the benefit of that.
Jesus returns to this message again and again: our attachment to money is spiritually dangerous, the biggest spiritual danger that most of us face. Comparatively speaking, he doesn't spend much time at all on other sins. He never talks directly about homosexuality, the issue that's splitting so many churches. But he returns again and again to the message that the rich must share with the poor.
Jesus calls us to radical generosity. We are to do more than just follow a set of laws, like the young man was so capable of doing. We are to jettison our stuff, so that we're more able to follow Christ. Jesus calls us to give away our wealth, so that our grasping hands can be open for the blessings that God wants to give us. We are to unclench our hands, release our money (and fear), and trust in God.
Most of us aren't very good at trusting in God. We'll trust the Wall Street investors who control our retirement accounts much more deeply than we'll trust God. But we can learn to trust God. What would happen if we increased our giving by 1% each year? What would happen if we took all the stuff we no longer use to people who could use it? What would happen if we adopted a meatless day of the week? What other types of activities could we do to decrease our reliance on our own wealth?
Like every other spiritual trait, we grow stronger as we practice. Unclench those greedy, grasping hands. Open your hands and your heart to the gifts that God wants to give you.
But what if Jesus was serious? One of the main themes of Mark is the cost of discipleship. Here is a very real cost.
So far, this century has taught us much about the danger of counting on our possessions for security. We've seen how quickly wealth can be liquidated--and for what? I remember getting an account statement after a particularly volatile quarter. As I considered the drop in value, I thought of how much happier I might be had I given that money to the poor instead of hoarding it for my future. Now it's vanished, gone, like steam. No one has benefited--except, perhaps, for the people who made a profit off my money before it vanished. And I'm fairly certain the poor didn't see the benefit of that.
Jesus returns to this message again and again: our attachment to money is spiritually dangerous, the biggest spiritual danger that most of us face. Comparatively speaking, he doesn't spend much time at all on other sins. He never talks directly about homosexuality, the issue that's splitting so many churches. But he returns again and again to the message that the rich must share with the poor.
Jesus calls us to radical generosity. We are to do more than just follow a set of laws, like the young man was so capable of doing. We are to jettison our stuff, so that we're more able to follow Christ. Jesus calls us to give away our wealth, so that our grasping hands can be open for the blessings that God wants to give us. We are to unclench our hands, release our money (and fear), and trust in God.
Most of us aren't very good at trusting in God. We'll trust the Wall Street investors who control our retirement accounts much more deeply than we'll trust God. But we can learn to trust God. What would happen if we increased our giving by 1% each year? What would happen if we took all the stuff we no longer use to people who could use it? What would happen if we adopted a meatless day of the week? What other types of activities could we do to decrease our reliance on our own wealth?
Like every other spiritual trait, we grow stronger as we practice. Unclench those greedy, grasping hands. Open your hands and your heart to the gifts that God wants to give you.
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