Champagne in the Wilderness

 

Sermon text:  Mark 10:17-31

      I recently heard a very zealous group of Christians described as “people who do what God would do if God were in possession of the facts.”

    Today’s Gospel story is one of those occasions where we find ourselves actually sympathizing with that point of view. What Jesus says in these verses is absolutely unnerving, particularly to Christians in the United States. We claim to be followers of Jesus and yet he gives a very straightforward directive here that, let’s be honest, we have no intention of following. Sell what you have and give it to the poor?

     Hey, we respect Jesus and acknowledge him as our spiritual leader, but this is one position we just can’t buy into. It is so laughably naïve. It shows a very limited understanding of economics and of society. It displays unrealistic expectations.

    What’s more, Jesus demonstrates very poor evangelism skills in this story. The young man who approaches him is a prime candidate for church membership. He’s a good, upstanding citizen who loves the Lord and respects religious tradition. Here is a man who is honest and strives always to do what is right. As an added bonus, he has a lot of money. He is just the kind of member we’re looking for. With his support, Jesus and his disciples could accomplish so much more in the world. All Jesus has to do is welcome this him with loving arms and he will have won an important and enthusiastic backer.

    Instead, he manages to drive this fine fellow away. It seems so wrong that we half expect Jesus to call him back and say, “Just kidding! Just messing with your mind a little bit, getting’ you to think. Come and join us, we’ll get along fine.”

    But he doesn’t say that and it makes us wonder if Jesus really understood what he was doing, if he really knew all the facts. Thoughts like that make us really uncomfortable, because we’re not supposed to think them. Who are we to say we’re smarter than Jesus? That Jesus made a mistake. We can’t do that.

    So we look for other ways around the problem. Whenever we like what Jesus has to say, we boldly proclaim our interpretation of that statement as an unshakable truth. When we don’t like what Jesus has to say, we sugarcoat it, we spin it, we downplay it, we find alternative meanings, and sometimes even skip over it. At first we may feel a little guilty but eventually we learn to live with the ambiguity.

    Let’s try to walk through the story from Mark honestly, not as people who try to shape the message to our own advantage but as people who acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior and truly desire to follow him.

    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?’

    Here we have our first clue that while this guy is a highly regarded, respectable citizen, he is not exactly Mother Theresa’s twin brother. His form of address is suspicious. “Good teacher?” In all the Jewish literature that exists, there is no record of anyone ever addressing a rabbi, or teacher, as good. Teachers of that time would not allow it; they repeated like a mantra the words, “There is nothing that is good but the law.”

    So the conversation opens with a rather blatant attempt at flattery. Why do people flatter? To get someone to treat them more favorably than might otherwise be the case. To play upon a person’s vanity to get something from him that he might not otherwise be inclined to give. This guy wants something badly and he’s willing to go to unusual lengths to get it.

     Jesus’ reaction shows that he recognizes what’s going on and he’s not buying it. “What are you trying to do?” he asks, and he puts the man in his place by reciting the old adage, with a slight alteration. “No one is good but God.”

     Then he takes up the question the young man asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

     The question is a common one. Throughout the centuries people have tried to figure out what they need to do to earn God’s favor. What do we have to do to avoid the fires of hell, to get to our eternal reward in heaven?

     It’s the wrong question to ask. It was the wrong question to ask then, and it is the wrong question to ask today. It is a selfish question that misses the point of religion. The proper question is, what does God want me to do? How can I live in the way that God desires me to live?

     He doesn’t ask that. Instead, it’s all about him. He wants to know, what can I do to get myself the big prize?

     Jesus could have given him the simple, blunt answer: nothing. There is nothing you must do to inherit eternal life. We all know this, though we so often seem to forget it. Through the work of Jesus, God gives us eternal life, whether we deserve it or not. We don’t do anything to earn heaven; it’s a gift. All we have to do is believe that God has done that for us.

            But how would this guy react to that answer?

    Since he’s so focused on himself, he’d probably say something like, “Are you kidding? You mean I’ve been so wonderful all these years, so perfect, and it doesn’t matter a bit? You mean I could have been like the rest of this rabble of sinners that follows you around? How fair is that?”

    So Jesus takes this approach. You think it is possible to earn your way to heaven? Okay, let’s see you try. Here’s what you have to do. Follow the commandments. Do not murder or steal or commit adultery or lie. Honor your parents.

     At this point the man could have just nodded and said, “Okay. That’s what I thought. That’s good to know. I’ll keep at it and pray that I don’t stumble or slip up.”

     But instead, he swells with pride, because Jesus gave him the answer he was hoping to hear. “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

     “That’s it!” he thinks. “I did it! I just got the seal of approval from Jesus himself! I’m in! Through hard work and effort and perseverance and self-discipline, I have mastered the demands of God and won the reward.”

     We see that he didn’t come to Jesus to learn anything. He already knew the law and the commandments. He was pretty sure before he came that he was a good man who had earned his way into heaven. Did he come to Jesus on the off chance that there was something he had overlooked? Or did he come to Jesus seeking a pat on the back for his goodness? Either way, things worked out exactly as he had hoped.

     Having been affirmed, the answer he now expects to hear from Jesus is, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter now into the joy of your master.”

     And it sure looks like it’s coming. The next verse says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” I’m not sure why that verse in there or what it means. But it adds to the appearance that everything’s good: here comes the pat on the back.

     Instead, here comes the shock. “One more thing you need to do to earn your way to heaven. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor.” And then there’s more. “When you have done that, then come and follow me.”

    The young man is stunned. The story tells us he’s a rich man. He’s supposed to give up all his hard-earned, or hard-inherited wealth? That is way too much to ask. He walks away dejected, and that’s the end of his spiritual quest. Earning your way to heaven is a lot tougher than he expected; he can’t do it.

    But of course, he misses the point. God doesn’t expect you to earn your ticket to heaven. God isn’t so naïve as to expect that is going to work. God took care of it. All we need to do is come before God with a humble and contrite heart, and the gift is ours.

     So with this interpretation, all of the United States, the wealthiest bunch of Christians in the history of the world, breathes a collective sigh of relief. Phew! So it was just an object lesson! Jesus doesn’t really expect us to sell all that we have and give it to the poor. We don’t have to let our faith get in the way of our lifestyle.

    Well, not so fast. Look at what Jesus says following the incident. As the rich young man walks off, Jesus says, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” In case we missed it, he repeats it. And then he adds a vivid and crazy image to stick it in our minds, “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.”

    Jesus is talking about us. Yeah, even those of us who think we’re just scraping by. Union county is filled with people who don’t have nearly what we have. And the poorest folks in this county have great wealth compared to the majority of people who share this world with us. So yes, we are the rich. And Jesus says it’s virtually impossible for us to enter the kingdom of God.

     Why? Is it a sin to be rich? No. How many times have we been reminded that the Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil? It says the love of money is the root of all evil. And each time we hear that, we sigh with relief--dodged another bullet there. That gives us a free pass to keep our lifestyle, guilt-free.

     As if it were an easy matter for us to avoid loving money. It’s not. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for us to avoid loving wealth and that’s what concerns Jesus. 

     It is significant that this story follows so closely Jesus’ teaching about cutting off your hand if it causes you to sin. The implication is clear; if wealth causes you to sin, you would be better off without your wealth.      

     Now for most of us, that’s a chance we’re willing to take. We’re pretty sure we can handle wealth. We’ll keep our riches and try to be good, try to love God and our fellow humans at the same time. Jesus warns that it’s not as easy as it sounds. Because the wealth we surround ourselves with has a way of getting between us and God.

     Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne was a general in the British army during the American Revolution, who came up with a sound plan to defeat the rebels. The plan was to march down from Canada along the Hudson River in New York and join up with British forces in New York City, cutting America in half and isolating its armies.

    So confident was Burgoyne in his plan and his army that when he arrived in Canada in May of 1777, he bet a colleague that he would be back home in England by Christmas, having defeated the Revolution.

      Burgoyne liked to live the good life, even on a military campaign. He brought with him a mile-long train of carts, many of them filled with items of no military value. Included were 30 wagons of his personal belongings, such as a huge wardrobe, cases of champagne, fine crystal and china and silverware for dining, a mistress, and her belongings. The army also pulled along 138 pieces of heavy artillery.

     It was by far the finest equipped military force of the entire war. Except for one thing. The supply train was getting so long that they had to cut back somewhere. What they shorted themselves on was food for the soldiers. Burgoyne figured they would make such short work of the Americans that they wouldn’t need much. After winning an initial victory at Fort Ticonderoga, Burgoyne’s army set out over a dense, roadless wilderness filled with swamps and muddy terrain. To make matters worse, the American felled trees in their path. Bogged down by all their things, the army advanced at a snail’s pace. The summer passed and September arrived, and their campaign had barely begun.

     Before long, their food ran out. Horses died for lack of forage, making transportation even more impossible. Burgoyne had to send out a large detachment of troops into Vermont to find food. They were ambushed and demolished by the Americans. Stuck in the wilderness with his luxury items, surrounded by the enemy, Burgoyne’s starving army had no choice but to surrender. Historians cite that Saratoga campaign as the turning point of the war, the biggest factor in Britain’s losing the war.

    In the words of one historian, “Had he chosen to move without his heavy guns and burdensome baggage, there was no force in America that could have conquered him.”

     That is what Jesus is warning about. There is nothing wrong with wealth and even luxuries, by themselves. Used correctly, they can add to the enjoyment of the world. The problem is, they are of no use in our expedition to the kingdom of God. They slow us down and get in the way. Clinging to these things bogs us down to the point where we find ourselves trapped in the wilderness. If we cannot let go of them and travel more lightly, they destroy us. We starve spiritually while hauling champagne through the wilderness.

    The Crop walk today is a good place to start traveling light.

    God’s desire for creation is that not one person should be lost, that not one child should starve, not one person should have to pick through garbage dumps to stay alive, not one person should have no shelter to live in, no one should have to live in a world where no one cares about them.

     Those are objectives, the mission, that God has set before us.

    The rich young man failed at his mission, just as General Burgoyne failed at his. It turns out that it really is impossible for a rich person to do. Carrying all that baggage, we can’t get there on our own

    But remember the words Jesus spoke when his disciples despaired over Jesus’ warning about riches. “It may seem impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, but with God all things are possible.”

     As people living in the grace of God, we cling to that promise and we press on. And we find that the words said about Burgoyne are true of the fight against hunger and poverty and the establishment of God’s reign of love on earth. If we choose to move without our heavy guns and burdensome baggage, there is no force in the world that can stop us.