Pentecost 21 B – The Rich Man and the Rest of Us
Dear Partner in Preaching,
I am blessed to have far more wonderful things to do each than I can possibly accomplish, so I am running behind on this post yet again. Because the week is quickly running away and my to-do list is still quite long, I’ve simply jotted down a few observations from previous and more recent encounters with this text below, hoping they are minimally helpful. In no particular order, an uneven, but biblically significant :), seven thoughts:
1) On how these stories work: It’s easy to think that this is somehow about a guy who lived a long, long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away?) who loved his wealth too much. But, as you and I know – but is still easy to forget or ignore, particularly when it comes to stories about wealth – Mark records this for his readers, both then and now. Which means this story is not nearly so much about this guy as it is us. So the questions that come to my mind are… What is Jesus asking both of us and from us in this story? What is Jesus hoping for us as this story is preached?
2) On the narrative context of the story: Jesus is once again “on the way” (verse 17). In Mark, this is not merely “a journey” in general (per the NRSV), but rather represents the road to Jerusalem and the cross, post Transfiguration. So while Jesus’ demand of the man may seem extreme to us, it is certainly no less than the demand he places on himself, giving not just his wealth but his very life for the world, including this rich man.
3) On the theological context and irony: The man asks, “what must I do to inherit eternal life.” There’s a certain absurdity in this question, as you can’t do anything to inherit anything. You inherit things when someone dies. This pushes us to consider the significance of the cross and, for instance, Paul’s affirmation that we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17) – an astonishing confession! It also perhaps invites us to wonder if Jesus’ command – “go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor” – is less about eternal life – which you can only inherit, not merit or earn – and more about the character and caliber of his/our life now.
4) On the description of this rich man: Everywhere else in Mark, when a person kneels down to beseech Jesus (verse 17), it is in regard to a request for healing, for him or herself or for someone else. Might Mark therefore view this scene as a healing and invite us to do the same? Looked at this way, Jesus words are not an impossible demand or Herculean test of faith or extreme requirement. Rather, they are a radical prescription to a deep-seated illness and need. (Somewhat relatedly, how does this observation about kneeling provide a lens by which to think about the ongoing, if more muted, controversy about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem? Pastor Angela Denker wrote a really insightful and wonderfully challenging piece in the Washington Post last fall that came to mind as I read this week’s Gospel.)
5) An easily overlooked detail, especially during stewardship season: Notice that Jesus doesn’t simply ask the man to give away his wealth, but to give it to the poor (not the church either, mind you, but the poor) (verse 21). Implied is the importance of sharing in the hardships and need of one’s fellow human beings that is a requirement of life in the kingdom.
6) One more easily overlooked detail: The rich man is not the only one who is shocked by Jesus’ pronouncement (verses 22, 26). So also are all those within earshot. Given that wealth was considered a sign of blessing in the first century (as well as, I’d argue, in the twenty-first), Jesus words to this man and his later statement about the difficulty the rich will have in entering the kingdom are alarming. While this reflects the very strong first-century worldview that sees wealth as evidence of blessing and poverty as evidence of curse or punishment, are our views today all that different? Do we not admire the rich and famous and often assume the best of them? What do terms like “deserving” or “working poor” – assuming that the rest of the poor do not work or are not deserving – say about our attitudes toward wealth and poverty.
7) The heart of the matter: The one detail I simply cannot get away from is that Jesus looks at this man with love (verse 21). He does not treat him as insincere or mock him as self-righteous, but rather loves him. Every interpretation we may offer must therefore take seriously Jesus’ absolute regard and unconditional love for this man. And perhaps we should also ask, what does Jesus ask us out of love, even and perhaps especially when we may not hear it initially as particularly loving or attractive?
Thanks for your good work, Dear Partner. Your words, insights, honesty, and faith matter and regularly make a difference. Blessing on your proclamation.
Yours in Christ,
David
I feel enlightened and enriched when I read your comments. More than not I employ some of your thoughts in my sermons. Thanks so very much, Charles
Two things from the Washington article about Colin. First 2000 yards in 12 games (167.67 per game) is not very good for even a backup quarterback. The media beat Joe Flacco up after last season and said he should not be in the NFL and he averaged 196.31 yards per game. Second he is not a Christian. He converted to Islam in 2016. He hates all police people becasue of what the minority of do in America. Football is all about the stats. Winning.
I would not hire him. The uninformed author wrote that the NFL gives black men a slim chance to be a millionaire. 70% of the NFL players are black. As long as the NFL employs the best players, it is the right thing to do. Employ a player for political reasons is not.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/colin-kaepernick-converts-to-islam/
Snopes rates the report of conversion ‘False.’ At the same time, one must ask what it would matter if he did convert? Does it make his perspective invalid?
We were caught up in ‘innocent until proven guilty’ in the recent Supreme Court hearing, while shouts of ‘Lock her up’ echoed in our ears. Can we not just hear what is said on both sides of our divided world, and listen for truth where it happens?
Is it possible you don’t like him because he makes you wonder about your own faith, your own church, your own God? Does God not judge America for its original sin of racism? Does God question the deaths of so many young black men? Does God not believe that Black Lives Matter?
Thank you for the inspiration, David. I believe it is so important to question complacency and to look for more from my faith and my church.
David wrote “Implied is the importance of sharing in the hardships and need of one’s fellow human beings that is a requirement of life in the kingdom.” Could it not also be that sharing in the hardships and need is evidence of life in the kingdom. Thy kingdom come indeed…among us.
David, if the quality of your “observations” is this high in a week where you are flat out ( a term we Australians use when we are really busy i.e “flat out like a lizard drinking”). Then I am thankful for your busy-ness and, for selfish reasons (me benefiting so much from your observations), I hope you are flat out all the time!! I don’t really mean that latter part, of course. Many thanks.