Proverbs (NIV)  

1:19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.

3:9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10:4 Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

11:4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

11:28 Whoever trust in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

16:8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.

16:16 How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!

18:11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.

22:16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

Today’s scripture is more like a lollipop than a candy bar.  They are both sweet, but the lollipop will take time to consume and savor the delight.  Today’s scripture is like that, take it in, listen, focus, and meditate on it.

Mark 10:17-27 (NIV)

¹⁷ As 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 asked.  “No one is good but God alone.  ¹⁹ You 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.”

²¹ Jesus 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.”

²² At this, the man’s face fell.  He went away sad because he had great wealth.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!”  ²⁵ 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.” 

²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.

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.  The context here is actually a good question from what seems like a decent guy.  What must I do to inherit eternal life?  The answer that comes is Jesus addressing the question, and within the middle, a comment about wealth.

Today, think about the truth of this comment, the reasons for this peril, and how to deal with the danger money presents to our eternal life.

Easier for a camel… there is balance in Jesus’ comment that can be missed.  Jesus gives the man an answer He cannot abide by, and because of that, it looks like the man has walked away from the possibility of eternal life.  This shocks the disciples, they are astounded.

If the man can’t get into heaven, following all the rules since childhood, and his only issue is too much money, how can anyone get eternal life?

The disciples can see this is a man of proper morals, good character, this is why the disciples are so confused when Jesus says that the man isn’t worthy of the kingdom of God.  Well, then, who would be?

Money is not bad in and of itself, it can be a temptation, but not evil.

Money has the power to blind us spiritually to the things that really matter.  Money has the power to completely blind us unless God intervenes.

Money will keep people away from the kingdom unless God involves Himself directly into the lives of wealthy people.

Why has the center of Christianity has changed over time?  And the other religions have not changed?

At the heart of the gospel is the cross, and the cross is about giving up power, pouring out resources, serving, not accumulating wealth or power.  When Christianity is in a place of power or wealth for a long time, the radical message of the Christianity; the sin, grace, love, the cross and its amazing implications become muted over time.

Christianity over time becomes harder to understand and meta morphs into a nice religion that tells people to be nice, where people try to be good, and it is only for nice and respectable people, and eventually faith dies out.  The center of Christianity is always moving to the edges of society, away from power and wealth and toward people who can grasp the radical-ness of the fact that God died for us in order to reorder our lives around forgiveness and grace that is for all people who want it.

Money and power, Jesus says, have an ability to blind people to the heart of the gospel unless there is an intervention from God.

The kid is asking what he himself can do to earn eternal life.  This will always be the question for anyone trying to earn salvation.  Is there anything else?  Have I missed something?  There will always be doubt, insecurity, the feeling something is missing.

Los Altos is a place where people can cover up flaws using money; they still need God, but they’d rather explore all other options first.  I’ve noticed that people with minimal resources are often quicker to be real with God.

The kid is using his money to define himself, to deal with the inner alienation from God.  The problem is God is not this kid’s savior.  His savior is money, and Jesus proves it. 

Imagine your life without money.  All you have is God.  Would that be sufficient for you?  In the story, the kid gets sad and leaves.

If you want God to be your Savior, you have to replace what you already think is your Savior.  Everyone has something, it has to be dropped; money can easily be a substitute for God in our lives.

This man doesn’t see his need for grace.  The only people who are Christians are those who know them becoming a follower of Jesus is impossible, totally undeserved. 

He might be missing one thing?  Salvation is a complete miracle for everyone who is saved.

Our moral confidence in our actions can get in the way of being saved.

Jesus needs to be who we are: His friend, His follower, the one who loves Jesus, that is who we are.

Why did Jesus love this young man?  I think Jesus saw something of Himself in the man.  Jesus was also rich, not in the ways of the world.

We’ll use the example of a tree to better explain this relationship with man and God.  The roots of the tree represent trust, the trunk as the attitude, and the leaves as action.  Give your money away, the root of the problem.  The trunk is the attitude about money, jealousy, envy, worry.  Remember God always provides.  Lastly, the leaves take action, care for the poor, give till it hurts, don’t worry.

God wants your heart, not your money.  You will grow as you work through your beliefs, attitudes, worry, envy around money.  Give your heart to Christ, ask for help.  God bless, have a good week.