Who Can be Saved?

 Mark 10:17-31  October 13, 2024

 

When my Aunt was about 24 years old

years old she went to the

doctor for a routine physical

and was diagnosed with breast cancer.

At 24 she had a mastectomy and was told

that she should not attempt to have children.

 

Like that, her life entirely changed.

 

Many of us have had that experience of one moment

thinking they were perfectly healthy,

maybe going to the doctor or having an episode,

and then the next moment finding

that they were very sick.

If you haven’t experienced it, then maybe

you’ve experienced it with a spouse or a loved one.

 

Maybe to a lesser extent,

The same thing happens

in the gospel story today.

 

It begins with a man running up to Jesus.

Usually when we see someone

running up to Jesus in the gospels,

they want to be healed.

and Jesus heals most people very quickly.

 

But in this case, the healing will take a little longer,

because this man does not even realize that he is sick.

 

In fact, it is just the opposite.

This man feels perfectly healthy.

This man is secure.

 

The guy was rich, it says it later.

He had many possessions.

He’s got the house, the nice car, he’s got the retirement

account, he does not have to worry about food or rent

or whether he can afford things that he needs or wants.

 

Actually, in his life, in this world, he secure

He has so secured his place in this life

that he has checked it off his to do list.

He doesn’t need to do any more here.

He has moved onto eternal life

and he wants to know what he

needs to do to secure that part as well.

 

When he is asked about keeping the commandments,

he answers Jesus with a cocky confidence.

Yes, all that is taken care of.

He believes that he is in great shape.

 

And it is obvious to him that he is good with God

because he believes God has rewarded him

with wealth and possessions.

It actually might seem like he’s coming to Jesus

to show off. Or just to have Jesus tell him that he’s

on the right track to seal up eternal life too.

 

The man interpreted his riches to be an asset,

but Jesus thought that they were a detriment.

 

Jesus tells the man that if he were really well,

that he should be willing to give away everything that he owns.

Give everything away.  Not just some. That will cure you.

 

When the man hears this, he doesn’t argue or debate.

He knows that he’s not willing to do that,

so he knows that he’s not doing

as well as he thought he was before.

Jesus sent him away grieving.

 

Jesus tends to do that to us. He’s doing it a lot lately.

It’s been said that the gospel words of Jesus

“comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

 

When we become too complacent

with our own accomplishments,

too sure of our own well-being,

then Jesus words often come in to remind us that

all is not as it appears. Jesus has a way of humbling us.

 

Like this man,

our possessions and accomplishments

can make us feel like we have achieved so much.

Those things do take away so much of the stress

that a lot of other, less wealthy people have.

 

But actually, our own accomplishments and our own

possessions and security can lie to us.

They tell us that we are fine and everyone else

that’s not in our position has the problem.

But we can be sick and we don’t even know it.

 

The world, especially this capitalist world in the US,

forces us to a mentality of acquisition

To achieve almost anything requires that we get enough

money and things so we can at least fend for ourselves.

We’re set off from an early age to acquire things.

Housing, transportation, savings,

so we can take care of ourselves.

And if we can do those things, we are considered successful.

It is the gauge of judgement, even if we don’t want it to be.

We look at people who can’t provide those things for themselves 

with different eyes than we do people who are able to.

 

In a lot of ways, we worship on the altar of

independence and self-sufficiency,

And this goal has forced us to  be isolated, and self-centered.

We’re separated into these independent kingdoms

of personal wealth.

 

Some of us have been fortunate enough

to get what we need to live comfortably, and some of us

have much more than our basic needs met.

I’m guessing that most of us in here fit that bill. Myself included.

In comparison to much of the world, we are rich.

And the world tells us that we’re the standard to live up to.

We’re the American dream that everyone should strive towards.

 

And when we use the world’s standards,

we diagnose ourselves as healthy,

and we diagnose those others as sick.

The world has drilled this into our heads

so much that it is hard to see any other reality.

 

But the world’s standards aren’t God’s standards.

Jesus doesn’t look at the financially self-sufficient person

“Great job, you’re obviously a great person”

just because they’re financially self-sufficient,

any more than Jesus looks at someone who’s poor

and says, “Well, you’re a bad person.

That’s the world’s standards, not Jesus.

 

The man saw the rest of those people

around Jesus who were sick and possessed by demons

and the rich man assumed that since

he was not like those people he was better.

But Jesus is not fooled by this man’s

wealth or his confidence.

When Jesus looks at him, he doesn’t see his outside trappings.

Jesus sees right through his wealth.

 

Jesus could see that this man was addicted to the security

that his riches had given him.

This man was possessed by demons just like the others.

He was possessed by his possessions.

And so Jesus forces him into a spiritual crisis.

 

Jesus tells him that the only cure is to give his stuff away.

And the man goes away grieving. Because he’s got a lot of stuff 

and he likes having that stuff. He can’t bring himself to do it then.

And then Jesus says that line that is so concerning:

 

"How hard it will be for those who have wealth 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."

 

Which is really concerning since we know that camels

can’t get through the eye of a needle.

 

And the real question anyone has when they read this,

and like every challenging thing that Jesus has been saying

lately: does this apply to me?

 

Am I the rich that Jesus is talking about.

I don’t consider myself rich, but realistically,

I probably have many more possessions and much more

security than this guy could ever dreamed of having.

Does Jesus want me to give all I have away to the poor?

So does Jesus expect us to give away everything?

 

And after doing a lot of study and thinking and reading

on the topic, the answer is: maybe

I think Jesus really does think it would be a good idea.

I mean think about how great that would be if the well-off

self-sufficient people in the world gave all

their stuff to other people who had nothing.

Or even half their stuff.

Or even if just the Christians who had

enough gave their stuff to the poor.

There would be no more hunger, no more homelessness.

The world would be better.

I know that Jesus would think this was a great idea for the world.

We could rely on each other instead of being on our own.

 

But I also  think Jesus also knows that it’s highly unlikely that we’ll do it. 

Right now, you’re probably saying some of the same

things that were going on in my mind when I was writing this:

Who would decide who gets my stuff? 

ow do I know they’re not keeping everything for themselves? 

Who exactly is getting it?

And - I’m not gonna be the first one to do it.

 

I mean humanity’s had this relationship with Jesus f

or over 2000 years, we’ve heard this story over and over,

and there’s not ever been a rash of people like me

writing a check for everything we’ve got.

I think Jesus would love it on the one hand,

but Jesus knows we won’t on the other.

 

But here’s what I do think Jesus expects from us.

Like that man, Jesus wants us to go away grieving.

Jesus realizes that we won’t trade in our security and comfort

for some group of poor people that we might or might not know.

But Jesus wants us to be sad and uncomfortable with that fact.

So maybe we will do something about it one day.

 

And like that man, Jesus wants us to understand

the true state of our spiritual health.

Jesus wants us to realize that having

and not sharing is a problem.

Jesus wants us to have a level of unease

with the way of the world and the state of humanity.

Jesus wants us to understand our illness.

So maybe we will try to cure it.

 

And maybe the biggest question we have is like

what the disciples asked. Who can be saved?

Are we all doomed then? Is God going to forsake all of us?

 

And after doing a lot of study and thinking and reading

on the topic, the answer is: no. God will not forsake us.

God will save us all.

 

After Martin Luther died, in 1546,

they found a scrap of paper in his pocket that said,

“We are all beggars, this is true”

This is true.

Jesus wants us to understand:

Our stuff won’t save us, our bank accounts won’t save us,

our house, or our pensions or 401ks won’t save us.

Don’t rely on those things.

You can give them all away,

maybe you should give them all away,

if they’re clouding your vision.

They won’t save the world.

Only God will save the world.

 

Divorce

 Mark 10:2-16

October 6, 2024

 

I ran out of time, but there were

Two things that I couldn’t gracefully fit into the sermon

but I think are important to say:

Jesus was not married.

The number one cause of divorce?  Marriage.

 

Jesus is really annoying everyone lately.

Welcome the rejected, cut off your limbs,

and now the divorce thing.

He’s not winning any popularity contests.

 

It’s not easy to preach about divorce because

it’s complicated. There’s a lot of real life

that goes into divorce, so it’s not one easy

message. Even though Jesus is pretty direct here

I think we have to remember

who he’s talking to and why.

 

I think I can say that everyone in here falls

into one of two categories:

either you’ve been divorced yourself

or someone you love has been divorced.

 

And these scriptures have been used to

shame and blame people for a long time.

The church has used these statements

and a very small number of others

as weapons against people,

as a means of exclusion from the church.

People who have not been divorced have

used these verses as an excuse to act smug and self-righteous.

 

Richard Swanson, a theologian at Luther seminary said

“we often avoid our own sexual issues by throwing the spotlight

on another we feel worthy of attack.”

I think that has been true of divorce.

 

And worst of all, maybe,

these verses have been used to keep people in miserable,

dangerous, and deadly situation.

Especially keeping women in abusive relationships

and to keep children in unhealthy homes.

 

Preachers, pastors, and leaders have indicated that

God would rather have us remain in a marriage

that is sad,  painful, and life threatening than to be divorced.

God would rather have you be miserable

and dead in some cases and married than happy.

 

Some pastors are still doing that this morning,

saying or insinuating those words, I’m sure.

Less than 50 years ago, we might have been

talking about whether we can welcome  divorced

people into our churches, or whether we can do second marriages

or whether we can invite them up to communion

whether divorced people could be pastors.

We’ve come a long way from that and I’m happy we have.

 

Other pastors are just avoiding it all together

because it’s complicated and we know that divorce is

happening to good people and then we sound all

mealy mouthed and avoid what Jesus said

and I don’t think that has been helpful either.

  

I will say directly that I don’t think that divorce is the

worst thing that can happen in a marriage.

For some, it’s the best thing that can happen to a relationship.

For some it’s the most loving option for both people.

And Jesus says some serious things about

marriage and divorce and we need to honor that.

 

So the Pharisees come to Jesus and they’re trying to

trap him into saying something that will get him in trouble

with either the law or his own followers.

 

So they ask him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

They know the answer to that is, “yes” it is lawful.

Over time there were provisions made so that men

could divorce their wives.

Men could divorce their wives.

And women could actually divorce their husbands.

 

Now even though the law said it was allowed,

divorce was pretty rare among Jewish people in the first century.

 

But it was fairly common among Romans.

Especially upper-class Romans

 

Now it’s important to note that

the only other thing in the gospel of Mark

that relates to divorce is in chapter 6.

The story of Herod and Herodious.

Herod was the Jewish king and he divorced his first wife,

and married Herodious who was his brothers wife

who divorced him to marry Herod.

John the Baptist was complaining about this arrangement,

and that eventually led to Herod beheading him.

 

This question posed by the Pharisees

might have been a  gotcha question,

like the question they posed about whether

people should give taxes to Ceasar.

They wanted to see if Jesus would

have an answer that would make Herod mad.

And yes, the answer would probably have made

Herod mad and any other number of Roman

officials for who divorce was pretty common.

 

It’s also important to note that

in the first century, for Jews and for Gentiles alike,

marriage wasn’t quite what we think of today.

Marriage was not understood as primarily a romantic relationship

or a companionship relationship,

It was not even just a commitment between two people

it was a commitment between a woman and a man’s family.

 

There was not a primary importance placed

on the emotional bond between two people,

although it might have happened in many marriages,

that’s not where the value was placed like it is today.

 

The first priority was not the personal fulfillment of the individuals,

their happiness, satisfaction, the trust between two people.

It’s not that married couples didn’t love one another,

I’m sure they did. But that wasn’t of paramount importance.

 

Marriage then was more a family commitment.

It was more about the outcome than the relationship itself.

Marriage was there for the purpose of producing children.

For making a new family to carry on to the next generation.

A man was expected to find a wife, who would now

be grafted into the man’s family and she was

expected to make offspring for the man and for his family.

 

In many ways, the marriage relationship

was a relationship of utility not a relationship of emotion.

 

And some people, especially people of a higher class,

who didn’t have to worry about money and income,

would take advantage of this idea,

and if a person’s spouse could not fill that utility –

then they developed a loophole in the law

and people could dismiss their spouses.

Okay, so maybe that part isn’t too different

than it is today.

 

And in this time, divorce was very detrimental to the woman.

It wasn’t so bad for the rich and powerful women,

but it was for those who were poor.

They were seen as spoiled and used.

Having lost their virginity and family value.

Often times left to slavery or begging or prostitution.

All apparently within the bounds of law.

 

We have different understandings about

marriage and the purpose of marriage today,

but the consequences of divorce are still similar.

 

Especially considering that in the US before 1974,

women couldn’t get their own credit cards,

without their husband’s signatures,

Which would substantially effect their ability

to buy a home or get an apartment.

 

And even today, for women with children who are divorced,

are twice as likely to be in poverty than non-divorced women

and twice as likely to be in poverty as divorced men.

Statistically, after divorce, the poverty risk for women increases,

and the poverty risk for men decreases.

Divorce has consequences.

So when the Pharisees ask Jesus,

“Is it lawful to divorce your wife?”

The answer is “Yes, it’s lawful.”

But Jesus doesn’t want to talk about what’s lawful,

 

Jesus wants to talk about what is right morally

what is in God’s heart what God’s original intent

for marriage was for the good of everyone involved.

 

Jesus doesn’t want to talk about law,

and about relationships of utility,

Jesus wants to talk about relationships of love.

Emotional relationships. Commitments.

 

Jesus says, when you are married to person

it’s not like a business agreement,

it’s not a matter of functionality

and when someone doesn’t fill that function

you let them go.

 

God meant marriage to be a commitment

an emotional commitment between two people.

And the intent of the commitment is forever,

through changes and differences.

Forget the law, Jesus holds us to something higher.

 

And when Jesus is talking to the Pharisees

and to the disciples, they need to be reminded of that.

But if Jesus was talking to someone else

in a different situation, I don’t think he would

say the same thing in the same way.

 

I think what Jesus says about marriage and divorce

would depend on who Jesus is saying it to.

For those people, like the Pharisees

who were testing Jesus, who are looking for loopholes,

who were use marriage as a theological litmus test,

and for the disciples who were worried about their image.

Jesus is saying don’t make a mockery of God’s institution.

For those people, like Herod, who just trade

in their spouse when they get too old,

or when they gain weight, or don’t look as good,

or when someone better comes along,

Jesus says, you’re committing adultery.

 

So for those people go into their marriage

with no thought of long-term commitment,

who just went into it for the wedding ceremony,

or who did it for the money,

or to see where it could help them politically

for those people who just get married for a publicity

stunt or to make their TV shows more exciting.

Jesus is saying remember your vows before God.

 

For those who sleep with other people,

or abandon their spouse and children,

or abuse their spouse physically, or emotionally,

or try to control them.

For those who leave their spouses and children

in poverty without enough financial support

Jesus says you are letting God down.

 

But for other people who fully intended

to make a permanent commitment.

Who went into their marriage with their hearts opened.

Who wanted to share their life with someone forever

But who decided that ending the relationship was the best

fore everyone’s health and future.

Jesus would give words of forgiveness and support.

For those who went into marriages with the greatest hopes

But then were victims of abandonment, neglect or infidelity,

or were subject to sexual, economic, emotional,

or physical abuse and divorce was the only viable option

Jesus would give words of healing and hope.

 

For those who have been through the horrible choice

of ending a relationship and separating a family.

Those who have felt the tearing apart in their lives

For those who know the hell that divorce can be.

Jesus gives rest for weary souls.

 

For a long time the church has tried to add to

the pain of divorce by shaming and accusing

those who have gone through it.

But knowing what we know about Jesus,

I don’t believe Jesus wants to add that insult to the injury.

 

I think marriage is a wonderful institution.

It’s the foundation of the family unit which makes up our society.

And I enjoy my own very much and thank God for it.

And I am sad when people decide to end their marriages and divorce.

But I am also thankful that people now are given the option

to do that and still remain part of the family of Christ.

 

At the end of this gospel,

the disciples try to keep the children away from Jesus.

A lot like the church has tried to keep the children

of God that  been divorced away from Jesus.

 

The church has tried to keep the ones who need his grace

and healing the most away from Jesus, the one who has

the power to heal the brokenhearted the one who can bring new life.

 

To that, Jesus says to the church:

Let the children come to me; do not stop them.