But, But, But Jesus … !
October 10, 2021
Mark 10:17-31
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” esus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it isa to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Our Wednesday Bible class is studying Exodus. In the lesson a couple of weeks ago, what I found entertaining was Moses’ reluctance to do God’s will. Likewise, we see a hesitancy, even unwillingness, on the part of the protagonist in our gospel lesson to do what Jesus asks of him in order to gain eternal life. In both accounts there is a resistance on the part of both Moses and the rich man to let go of their current lives and to trust God in the future. Let’s take a moment to review, compare and contrast these two stories.
Moses’ story is almost comical. As you know Moses, rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter, had grown up as a member of Pharaoh’s family in the lap of luxury. As time passes and when he becomes a young man, he notices how laboriously his people are working as slaves.
One day Moses witnesses an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. The injustice enrages him. Not seeing anyone watching, Moses kills the Egyptian. The next day Moses witnesses two Hebrews fighting. To the one who started the fight, he says, “Why are you hitting your neighbor?” The man shoots back, “Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me, like you killed the Egyptian?” With this retort, Moses begins to panic. Word has gotten out that he has killed an Egyptian. He’s been busted and fears that now Pharaoh knows what he has done. Well Pharaoh does know and he sets out to kill Moses. So Moses flees to Midian.
Many years later, after the king died, things become much worse for the Israelites. They groan under the bonds of their slavery and they cry for relief from their hard labor. God hears their cries. He remembers his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. While Moses is tending his father-in-law’s flock, he leads them to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of the Lord and encounters an angel of the Lord in the flames within a burning bush. A burning bush that isn’t
being consumed by the flames “Moses, Moses,” God calls to him. He says to Moses, “The Israelites cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back to Egypt. I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt.”
Moses responds…”But, but, but Lord … Why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?” God says, “I’ll be with you.”
“But, but, but Lord ….,” Moses says, “Suppose I go the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your father sent me to you’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’” God replies, “‘I AM WHO I AM.’ Tell them, the God of your fathers, ‘I AM’ sent me to you. Now, be on your way. If the king won’t let you go, I’ll intervene.
“But, but, but Lord,” Moses objects, “What if they don’t trust me? Or, what if they won’t listen to a me? What if they don’t believe me and say, ‘GOD? Appear to him? No way!!’”
Then God says to Moses, “Throw down your staff.” Moses throws it down and immediately it becomes a snake. Moses jumps back quickly. “Grab it by the tail,” God tells Moses. Moses does and he is holding his staff again.
Next, God says, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” He slips his hand under his shirt, then takes it out. His hand turns leprous, like snow. Then God says, “Put your hand back under your shirt.” Moses does, then takes it back out—as healthy as before.
God says, “If they don’t trust you and aren’t convinced by the first sign, the second sign should do it. But if it doesn’t, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground.” Moses does and the water turns to blood.
Finally, a fifth time Moses objects. “But, but, but Lord I don’t speak well. I’ve never been good with words, I stutter and stammer. Oh Master, send someone else.” Now God is getting pretty peeved with Moses. He says, “Don’t you have a brother, Aaron the Levite? He’s good with words. He speaks very well. You’ll speak to him and tell him what to say.” Then God talks reassuringly to Moses. “I’ll be right there with you, Moses, as you speak with Aaron. I’ll be with Aaron as he speaks, Moses. I’ll teach you step by step. Aaron will speak to the people for you. He’ll act as your mouth, but you’ll decide what comes out of it. Now take this staff in your hand; you’ll use it to do the signs.”
As we can see from this lesson, Moses is being challenged by God to do a monumental task, that Moses feel ill-prepared to do. Let’s face it, Moses is afraid. He wavers and protests, and makes excuses. But God keeps reassuring him.
We, too, have opportunities to try something new—even feel the urge to do something challenging. It may seem impossible for us to accomplish, but we keep feeling God nudging us on. Do we say, “But, but, but Jesus…!” and proceed? Or, do we simply walk away and ignore the proddings? Moses trusts and proceeds despite his fear and trepidations.
Now let’s take a look at our gospel account. It begins with Jesus going out into the street. A man comes running up to him, greets him with great reverence, kneels before him and asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus says, “You know the command-ments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.” Then the man says, “But, but, but Jesus I have kept them all, my whole life.” Jesus looks him straight in the eye and says, “There’s one thing left you must do: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. Then come follow me.” The man’s face turns downcast. This is the last thing he expects to hear. “But, but, but Jesus I have many possessions. I’m not about to let go of them.” And he walks away with a heavy heart.
Jesus, looking at his disciples says, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom? You just can’t imagine how difficult it is. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
The disciples are shocked with Jesus words and they ask, “But, but, but Jesus then who has any chance at all?” Jesus replies bluntly, “No one has a chance, if they think they can do it all by themselves. But they have every chance in the world if they trust God to do it. For all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter speaks up. “But, but, Jesus, we left everything and followed you.” Jesus says to them, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the good news will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And in the age to come eternal life! But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
When it comes down to it Moses risks it all to follow the Lord’s command. The disciples give everything up to follow Jesus. But the rich man, simply cannot do it. It makes me think. What more does Jesus want us to risk and what more does Jesus want us to do to follow Him? The only answer I’ve been given is: Give as much as you possibly can and trust God. How about you?
In Jesus name,
Amen.