What’s it worth?

 

Our gospel reading today (Mark 10:17-31) is a little uncomfortable for any of us with any money or possessions. Jesus is approached by this man who asks him what he must do to get eternal life... It seems that the man is looking for a checklist he can complete, but Jesus of course doesn’t give him a simple answer.

 Instead, he says about keeping the commandments, and the man says he’s done that, but then Jesus adds, ‘... go, sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me.’

This isn’t the answer the man wanted, but perhaps Jesus was pointing out the very thing that was stopping the man from really being willing to follow Jesus. This reading is often used in stewardship talks, when we’re asked to consider what we are giving to God.

It is really important that we consider our giving, whether that be in money or time or anything else, in relation to what God has done and does for us, in relation to the love that was displayed so clearly on the cross as Jesus died, in relation to the life we have.., but there’s something more going on here as well.

One day, a little boy was shouting for his mother because he’d got his hand stuck in a small jar from which he was trying to pull out some money. As his mother arrived to help him he asked her, ‘Would it be easier if I unclenched my fist and let go of the money I’m holding ?’

Of course, a clenched hand was needed to hold on to the money, but it was also the very thing that was stopping the boy from getting his hand out of the jar – releasing the money would mean his hand was free.

When we think of Jesus’ words to this man, they seem clearly about possessions and money, and they are, but I think they lead to a greater challenge and a bigger question. Some people quote the phrase, ‘money is the root of all evil’, but in the bible the phrase is actually, ‘the love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6: 10). This actually changes the meaning a lot because it reminds us that money isn’t just something practical, but the love of money is something that becomes a bit more related to the heart.

When we love something we want to get more of it, we want to spend time immersed in whatever it is, or with the person we love, and in that way, a love of money is dangerous, because in that way there is a real danger that we’ll put a lot of things in place to try and get more of it... Jesus is saying that to properly enjoy a relationship with Him, possessions and money can’t get in the way.

And that I think is the real challenge we have. It is about what we put in the way, or allow to get in the way, of our relationship with Jesus. What is stopping us from getting a closer relationship with him?

It’s been said that the opposite of rich is not poor but free, and it is to that freedom that Jesus is calling this young man. For centuries different people have strived to find freedom – revolutions have happened, people have argued and fought, but so many people have failed to find real freedom in their lives.

And that is simply because we often don’t look for freedom in the right place – we assume that freedom is something we can buy, something that can be sorted out for ourselves, just as the man in this reading thought, but true freedom comes only when we have a perfect relationship with God...

There are many accounts of people with lots of money who fail to find happiness – money is nice, it helps quite often, but it is never the key to being happy. There are lots of examples though of people who are rich but still searching for something more... 


The reading we’ve heard today is a call to let go of the love of things that we are holding that are preventing us from enjoying real freedom, in other words preventing that closer relationship with God.

The man in the reading was not being told to give away his money and his possessions just to buy a ticket into eternal life – he was being told to change his lifestyle completely, and that is our challenge as well – as individuals and as a church.

Jesus talks about it being harder for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than to enter the kingdom of God – and this phrase is often explained by describing a gate into Jerusalem which was so small that a camel had to be stripped of the various packages it was carrying, and then crouch down just to squeeze through the gate.

Actually we’re not even sure there was such a gate – but whether there was or not, it’s clear that what Jesus is asking us to do is not just to throw away possessions, but actually to undertake a radical transformation in our lives, a transformation so great that we can’t even complete it by ourselves – we will need God’s help.


So the question and the challenge for us today is, “What are the things we’re clenching in the jar of our lives which can stop us from breaking free, and enjoying the real glory and power and wonder of God, and feeling his love covering us every moment of every day?” Because that’s what he want for us...

Perhaps one thing would be money and possessions – Money and possessions can make us want more ! If money or our possessions are holding us back, we need to let go – Jesus didn’t really say it was wrong to be rich, but he did challenge us to use our money wisely and for the good of others as well as ourselves. 


And there are other things that can also make us clench that fist in the jar – perhaps a dislike of someone, someone we believe it impossible that we could ever like – Jesus says that with God all things are possible ! And that includes even caring about those we really find it hard to like.

Or what about thinking we’re always right, or craving power or position – our society sometimes encourages such a lust, and yet people who seek power and maintain it at all costs, are not just hurting others, they are hurting themselves as well !

Perhaps there are other things – practical things like being too busy, or indifferent to the invitation God offers, or maybe always looking for every answer from and about God, when really we need to start trusting more....




There are so many things that stop us from enjoying real freedom in our lives, and so many things which stop us from moving closer to God, and only we can choose to do anything about them – and our first step is to seek God’s help because we will probably need it !!

Jesus gave two very basic commandments – love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself. Basic, but radical life changing words!

Love means to offer to a person everything we have, not for the person to take those things away from us, but for that person to help show us how we can best use them.


Our devotion to God is almost certainly directly proportional to what we give him, not just financially but in every aspect of our lives – May we be willing to turn everything over to him trusting that in him we will be radically transformed to enjoy the everlasting peace which he offers us and wants for us. AMEN