TrinityEvangelicalLutheranChurch October 22nd and 25th, 2009
Brillion, Wisconsin Pentecost 21
Mark 10:17-27
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?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 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.’ ”“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 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.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of 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 disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Admit it. Large item pick up is the best thing around here since sliced bread. Come on! I know you appreciate the event. There are the trucks. They motor around the city with rickety old cribs in the back and lawnmowers long past their prime. There are couches with holes in them and mattresses that remember the potty training of the little boy living inside. There are carpet remnants from the 1970s, bags of concrete, and unending tables and chairs.
But the best part of large item pick up is what it does to your garage. Finally, you can breathe, live, and work in there again. Finally there is room. The worn out couch and the old wood posts have found their final resting place. The lawn mower sits where it belongs, the bikes are neatly stacked by the wall, and when parking the car there is oodles and oodles of space. If you ask me, large item pick up is down right liberating.
If you think that’s good, that’s nothing compared to what Jesus intends to do today. Clutter piles up inside our hearts that chokes out Jesus’ light, stifles spiritual thoughts, and kills off faith. No more! Today,
Jesus Cleans Out the Clutter!
Clutter is killing a young man although he ignorant of the silent slayer inside. He’s thought about it for a long time. He concludes, “I’ve wracked my brain and I’m pretty sure that God and me are good to go.” He keeps thinking, “But that’s the trouble right there. I’m only pretty sure.” Then, in front of him he sees his chance to find the missing piece to his jig saw puzzle.
He sprints to Jesus, flings himself down on his knees, and between breaths manages to gasp out a question to the great teacher. “Good teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life. (v. 17)”It’s the question that had been bothering him for years. He needed to know. He waits. It feels like forever before he could see Jesus’ lips begin to move and the answer begin to come.
And when it does, it sure wasn’t what he expected. In fact, he notices that it is not an answer at all. Instead, it’s a stinging zinger from the teacher. “‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.’ (v. 18)”Clutter has to go from the heart of that young man, but apparently this clutter is a favorite of his. Jesus begins the hard process of cleaning it out from his heart. It’s his imagined goodness. He has to let it go. So do we.
The young man looked around his world and made judgments. “The lawyer is good. He works for justice. He doesn’t embezzle.” “The doctor is good. He helps people and takes care of his family.” “The robber is bad. He steals and hurts people.” Jesus says, “Nope you’ve got it all wrong. No one is good. That includes us.” “Who me? You can’t possibly be talking to me, pastor. Come on.” Ok then, how do you stack up to God? God’s good. Are you good like him? No one is perfectly good – except God alone.
“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.’ (v. 19)” Jesus sends in the surge of troops to do the job, God’s commandments. The clutter of his imagined goodness is still in his heart. Apparently the “no one is good” comment bounced off his heart like a super ball. He’s thinking, “I’m good enough for God. I know I’m good. I’ve worked hard at it.” So Jesus sends in the troops to shoot down his imagined goodness.
He lists off commandments. Meanwhile the young man mentally tallies. “Nope, I’ve never killed anybody. Not married and never had sex yet. Nope, never walked away without paying. Nope, never lied in court. Nope, never withheld from someone. Yup, I’ve always honored my father and mother.” Check. Check. Check. He still thinks he’s good. He thinks that he’s done everything God commanded him to do. He says, “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy. (v. 20)”
He’s not getting it. Are you? Jesus wants to clean out the clutter of our imagined goodness. Did you just let him? Or do you still imagine that you’re good enough for God like that young man? Most of us are all too aware that we’re not good. That’s why you’re here. You want to hear about how Jesus saves the wicked. Unfortunately, there are some of you who somehow imagine, “I’m a decent good person. I measure up to God.” Take a look in the mirror. Take a really good look. We don’t even have to move past Jesus’ summary of his commandments to find evil. You haven’t loved your neighbor as you’ve loved yourself always perfectly. You haven’t even loved your spouse and kids as much as you’ve loved yourself. That means you aren’t good. You don’t deserve heaven. You don’t deserve to be with God. Nobody does.
Jesus cleans out the clutter of your heart. You agree with him, “I’m not worth it. I have no business in eternal life.” Yet there’s still more clutter that needs to be cleaned out. Jesus goes to work.
He looks at the young man and he loves him. He doesn’t get annoyed or frustrated. He loves him and proves it with brilliant tough love.“‘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.’ (v. 21)” “Oooh, I don’t think I can do that,” the young man thinks. It’s his Achilles’ heal. It’s the one thing he could never give up. Jesus rips off his mask and shows the world how evil he is. He’s selfish. He will not love his neighbor by giving up his money. He can only think of himself. A million “buts” come flooding into his mind. “But how will my family eat.” “But how am I supposed to go out to eat.” “But how am I supposed to invite my friends over for parties.” But. But. But. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let go of his money. From the look on the young man’s face you’d have thought his parents had just died. He leaves grieving. Jesus had tried to clean out the clutter of money from the man’s heart, but the money had stayed.
Money doesn’t belong in our heart. It belongs in the bank. In our hearts, it’s clutter that makes us trip over Jesus. It’s time for Jesus to clean it out. He’s dead serious about it. You can see it in his eyes. He looks around at the group surrounding him, his disciples, and says, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! (v. 23)”He means, “Learn the lesson of the young man. Don’t keep the clutter like him. Clean money out of your heart. Recognize greed for what it is. It’s clutter that keeps you out of heaven. That’s why it is really difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples are amazed. They figure that money could only be a good thing. So down come Jesus’ words striking at their hearts like lightning, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! (v.24)”Wow, terrifying words for us. You want to be a Christian don’t you? You want to believe in Jesus? You want to be in the kingdom of God? Then we have to clean out the clutter. And Jesus tells us, “Children, that’s down right hard.”
“Let me tell you exactly how hard that is.” “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. (v. 25)”Jesus picks the biggest animal that people knew about and the smallest space he could think of and put them together. A big, old camel will not fit through the eye of something that sows on buttons. “That’s how hard it is for rich people to get into heaven,” Jesus says. We might put it another way, “Rich people will get into heaven when pigs fly.” Or, “Rich people will get into heaven when hell freezes over.” In other words, rich people have a 0% chance of getting into heaven.
“Wow, Pastor, I’m glad I’m not rich. Believe me, I’m no Warren Buffet.” Oh, but we are rich. There isn’t a single person here today who by the world’s standards is not rich. Everybody here arrived in a car. You have food. You have money. There are two billion people in this world who have no sanitation. There are 1.3 billion people living on less than a dollar a day. There are two billion people who have no electricity. We’re rich. Jesus is talking right to us.
It’s frightening isn’t it? We have no way of getting to heaven. A camel is going to get through the eye of a needle before we’re going to be saved. Why? Because money is absolutely irresistible. It’s like a crack cocaine addiction that you can’t give up. For some of us money is safety. “How can I survive without it? How can I provide for my family?” For some of us money means fun. “How can I be happy without it? How can I go out?”For some of us money is power. “How can I get what I want without it?” And for some of us money is comfort, “I need this property and this house in my life.” Don’t be naïve. More Americans go to hell because the love of money everyday than any other idol. It’s killing people.
The clutter of money is going to get you too if you don’t take Jesus’ words to heart. Money cannot save. Money cannot make you happy. Money cannot protect. Money cannot comfort. Yet our sinful nature loves to love money. That’s the clutter than Jesus has to remove from us today. It’s really true. You’ve seen how kids’ eyes light up so unnaturally when they get money from grandma and grandpa. Deep down we know that sickness lives in us too. Think of all the fighting, worrying, and agonizing spent over money. It’s a sad truth isn’t it?
The disciples are shocked. They look around at each in despair and start asking, “Who then can be saved? (v. 26)”
If you asked that question right along with the disciples, then you’re ready. If you are asking, “How can I a miserable sinner possibly be saved?” Then Jesus cleaned the clutter out of your heart. We’re ready for Jesus to put shining, beautiful, awesome trust in your heart.
Jesus looks directly at us and he says, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. (v. 27)” Jesus means, “you’re right. With you it’s impossible to be saved, but not with God. With God all things are possible.” There’s your hope. Cleaned of the clutter only hope remains, hope in God. We trust our God who did the impossible. Think of how from beginning to end of our salvation God did the impossible. God becomes a person. Impossible? Not with God. A virgin gets pregnant. Impossible? Not with God. A person lives under the law and never sins. Impossible? Not with God. God dies for sin. Impossible? Not with God. That sacrifice counts for the entire world. Impossible? Not with God. Jesus comes back to life. Impossible? Not with God. Wicked people live with God. Impossible? Not with God. Heaven’s a free gift. Impossible? Not with God. Spiritual corpses live again. Impossible? Not with God.
He’s a God who has called you good, not because you are, but by justifying you through Jesus’ blood. He’s a God who declared you righteous because of Jesus’ awesome life. He’s a God who has made you filthy rich in the treasures of heaven; and given you the bounty of his perfect life, terrible sufferings, and life-giving resurrection. The clutter in your heart is gone. In its place stands your Savior giving you his goodness and his unending wealth. It’s liberating, isn’t it? All the clutter is gone. Instead, you have Jesus, your one, your only perfect treasure. Amen.