Our Beliefs : Sermons : Sermon Archive - 2006 : October 29, 2006

Theme: Jesus Answers the Great Question

Church year occasion: Pentecost 21

Imagine that you're working at a 7-11 gas station in Milwaukee. It's about 11 P.M., and you're about ready to close up for the night. Suddenly two men in ski masks barge into the store with guns in their hands. They walk straight up to you and say, "Your money or your life?" What would you do? Hopefully you don't have to think about it too long -- you should give the men the money. Obviously your life is more important that any amount of money.

Jack Benny was a comedian who used that very serious situation and turned it into something funny. Jack Benny had a hit show in the 50s and 60s, and he was known for his stinginess. So when he was approached by a robber and was asked that same question, "Your money or your life?" Jack Benny said nothing for a long time. So the robber had to ask him again, "Your money or your life?" Jack Benny actually said, "I'm thinking...I'm thinking!" He was actually weighing his options because he was so stingy.

As ridiculous as that sounds, I wonder if there is an element of truth in what Jack Benny was getting at. Can we fall into the trap of thinking so much about our money or our earthly possessions that we give up our eternal life? Jesus thought so. That's why we need to look at how Jesus deals with a rich young man in Mark, chapter 10.

The man asked Jesus the greatest question anyone can ever ask -- basically, "How can I get to heaven?" Jesus Answers the Great Question by really asking the man a question of his own, "What's more important: your money or your life -- your eternal life?" Let's dig into the account more to see what Jesus is trying to teach us.

In Matthew's and Luke's Gospels we find out that the man who ran up to Jesus with the greatest question anyone can ever ask was a rich young ruler, probably with some standing in the Jewish synagogue or some other official council among the Jews. He "ran up to [Jesus] and fell on his knees before him" and addressed Jesus as "good teacher." So this was a very devout, religious and upstanding young man. But "he asked, 'What must I do to inherit eternal life?' " The man had the wrong idea about eternal life: he thought that it could be earned. But you can't earn an inheritance. An inheritance is given freely. And so is the inheritance of heaven. You can't earn heaven at all, even though many people think so. It has to be given. And God is the only one who can give it.

Jesus realized what this man's problem was right away. Jesus had to expose the man's sins. That's why Jesus said, "Why do you call me good? No one is good -- except God alone." Jesus wasn't denying his own divinity here, instead he was basically telling the man: "You think you're pretty good, don't you? Well God is the only one who is good and perfect enough to go to heaven." Then Jesus gave him an impossible demand -- that this man keep the law perfectly.

He listed off the second table of the law. This should have shown the man that he had sinned and wasn't good enough at all to earn heaven. But the man's response was typical of what many upstanding and outwardly "good" people might think. "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Was he kidding? Not in his mind, he wasn't. He had never actually murdered anyone. He may never have stolen something or actually committed adultery. He even may have been that kind of kid that siblings love to hate -- the kind that always make their beds, do the dishes, are always ready to help. But clearly, this man didn't understand God's law that says, "Surely I have been sinful from birth; sinful from the time my mother conceived me." God demands perfection, that we serve him with our all our heart, soul, strength and mind all the time. The man didn't see that keeping the law outwardly didn't cut it. But Jesus knew how he could get through to the man as he looked at his heart. "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." For the man, Jesus demanded the impossible. And we see this from the man's reaction: "At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth." Jesus was really saying to him, "Your money or your eternal life? Which is more important?" For this man, money came out on top.

Things haven't changed much in 2000 years. People still have that problem, and it reminds me of a story. A man once heard that you can't take your wealth with you when you die. So he took most of his money out of the bank and put it in two bags. He told his wife to help him put the two bags in the attic so that when he died he could grab the bags as he went up to heaven. After he died, his wife noticed that the two bags were still in the attic and untouched. She thought to herself, "What a fool! He should have put them in the basement instead." That might be a cute little story, but it shows a very big problem especially in our country today. Many people treat money as the most important thing on earth, not Jesus and his Word.

Christians aren't immune to that thinking. Does that characterize you -- that money is often more important than your Savior? It's easy to tell. Look at your check book. There you'll see how much you appreciate your Savior. Jesus gave his life for you! Instead of hell, you get heaven! Does it show in how you use your money? What if Jesus told you to do what he told the rich young man? "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Could you do it? Would you be able to give up all your wealth and possessions? If Jesus gave you the impossible demand that he gave to the rich young man, would you give it away, or would you walk away from Jesus?

The truth is, none of us could do what Jesus demands. It's impossible for us to love him above our worldly wealth and everything else in our lives every second of every day for our entire lives, because if we could we'd be perfect and we wouldn't need Jesus. But we can't obey even the most basic of commands -- to love God above all things. It is an impossible demand for us. And so we need Jesus. And in Jesus we find the only possible solution to the greatest question of, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

To show us this, Jesus said to his disciples, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Does this mean that a wealthy person cannot enter heaven? Not at all. Abraham and David were rich, and they are in heaven. So what do Jesus' words mean? Simply this: The camel was the largest animal around Palestine, and the eye of a needle was the smallest opening imaginable. If a person has a lot of riches, just think how easy it would be for that person to think, "I have everything I need in this life. I don't need one thing more." They would see no need for Jesus or faith or God. They would have so much wealth piled up around them, that they wouldn't be able to see Jesus as the only thing they really needed.

But the disciples didn't understand what Jesus was getting at. If that good, upstanding man could not enter heaven, then who can? Jesus showed them that it isn't how good a person acts that will get them into heaven. It is not on anything a person does at all. But it is only based on what God has done for all people. "Who then can be saved?" "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." How did God make it possible for this man to enter heaven? He lived perfectly for that rich man. Jesus kept all the commandments for the rich man, including loving God above all things. Jesus kept the commandments for you and me as well. But our entrance into heaven still would have been impossible because of our sins. So God gave us the only possible solution. His own Son, Jesus, died for all the world's sins on the cross. In that way, God flung open the gate of heaven to everyone. What a joy to be able to enter heaven solely by God's doing!

Rejoice in your salvation! Jesus has opened heaven to you, even though you and I don't deserve it, even though we often place money and other things in front of him in our daily lives. Then show it as you go and follow Jesus. What are you holding onto most in your life? Do you have one hand holding on to Jesus and the other around a bag of money? Be careful -- you can't hold on to both. Hold onto Jesus and his Word with both hands. In reality, it is Jesus who is holding on to you -- and when that is the case, he promises that nothing can pluck you out of his hand. And then another thing will happen. When God asks you to give generously from your check book to the furthering of his kingdom, it won't be like pulling teeth. When you see that your eternal salvation is assured, your money won't mean that much to you anymore, and you will cheerfully give to the Lord.

"Your money or your eternal life?" -- what is more important? Thankfully, you can answer by saying: "You can take all my money. Eternal life is already mine." Eternal life is yours? Does that sound impossible? What a joy to know that "all things are possible with God." Amen.