19th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 10:17-22 Title: Empty Hands
19th Sunday after Pentecost
Mark 10:17-22
Title Empty Hands.
Do you sometimes feel that there’s something missing in your spiritual walk? Do you wish that you had some more specific direction in your spiritual journey? If you do you are not alone for we all seem to know what needs to be done and what needs to be corrected in us. We could do better if we had more detailed instructions like you find in the owner’s manual of that new gadget you bought. You know those how to instructions that you read and then follow so carefully, after you can’t figure out how to put it together or make it run.
Owner’s manuals come with a parts list and detailed diagrams and pictures to help you assemble it. Most of the time there is even a picture of the finished product so that you know what is supposed to look like when you have put it together correctly.
That is what the young man in our Gospel thought he had when he approached Jesus that day. He had a good picture of what it looks like when you get it right with God! Or so he thought. But just to be on the safe side why not ask Jesus after all, if anyone can show me how to attain eternal life, surely this man can. He manifests miraculous powers. He clearly has attained God’s approval. Of all people he can surely show me how to attain eternal life.
The man asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers, "Good Teacher! What's with all this good talk? Only God is good. You know the commandments; have you kept these?”
You would have thought that would have made him hesitate wouldn’t you? Everyone knows that we cannot keep the Commandments of God, at least concerning our right to eternal life. Right? You would think that, but it didn’t for this man and millions of others like him. Instead the man looks Jesus straight in the eye and says: "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth."
Jesus replies, “Well then, what’s the problem? If you’ve kept the commandments, why are you asking me what you need to do to have eternal life? If you’ve kept all these commandments from the time you were a child, why do you feel that there is something missing?”
Jesus asked the question because deep down he knew that he was missing something, some little thing that troubled his soul late at night when all was quiet; those times when his conscience troubled him. He knew.
When you have sincerely and diligently done all that you can do to live a holy life before God, do you ever feel that something’s missing? Do you in your quiet times, you know those times when you look at your life and know you have not done all God wants you to do. You know something is missing.
Jesus knows this man’s heart, but he continues to love him, for love never gives up on a person even a person who is living under a deception, who thinks that there has to be something good in him, something that God takes into consideration. Love never gives up.
So Jesus looks at the man and continues to love him. And because Jesus loves him, he then tells him the truth that no else would dare to speak unless they loved the man like Jesus loves him.
He tells him that he must give up everything he loves and really keep these commandments; that is, he must really love his neighbor, really do something to help his neighbor if he is to truly keep God’s commandments toward his neighbor. Notice that Jesus does not even mention the Commandment concerning loving God above all things.
He does not need to, for all the Commandments can only be kept by keeping the first that is keeping Jesus number one in your life. There is, for a true follower of God no more room for self-deception. There is only the giving up all those other things that we love so much.
We see that in Matthew 19:20 and following where the young man said to Jesus, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" He still feels that something is missing, that he hasn’t done all that needs to be done; even though he claims to have done everything he knows to do. His question still remains: “What do I still lack?”
Jesus’ answer is designed to lead the man, and us too, to view Jesus not as an example of how to live a perfect life, but to see him as our Savior. You see the one thing this man and so many like him lacked for eternal life was the recognition that everything that he had done thus far was worthless for obtaining eternal life! More than that, the man is told that he must give up everything he has acquired and leave it all behind to follow Jesus.
It is almost as if Jesus is saying to him: “The problem is not so much that you need only one more thing to be perfect. The problem is that you lack the only thing you need to be perfect. All the other stuff you have and all the other works you do are keeping you from having this one thing that you lack to have eternal life.”
The man doesn’t need an example. He doesn’t need a picture of the finished product so that he will know how to proceed. He does not need more detailed instructions. They won’t do him any good, for only God is Good. And since Jesus is God in the flesh only Jesus is Good.
This man or for that matter anyone doesn’t need more works or wealth. He needs just like we need only one thing and it is standing right in front of Him. Eternal life is within his grasp, it is his for the taking, it’s a gift and it’s free. The only thing that keeps him from having it is that he has to empty his hands first so that it can be placed into his hands.
Does Jesus actually mean that this man has to literally give up everything to follow him? In this case it does, because you can see by the rich man’s reaction that his wealth was keeping him from his Savior. Does that mean that you too must give up everything to follow Jesus?
It might, if your possessions or whatever you are putting your trust in is keeping you from fully trusting in Jesus as your Savior and growing in your faith. God blesses us with money, so that we can spread his Word and help the unfortunate. He blesses some with a lot of money, but we must have empty hands to receive eternal life. Our trust must only be in him.
So, if you ever feel like there’s something missing in your walk with God; if you feel like there’s something slowing you down or holding you back in your faith, maybe it’s because you are not coming to God with empty hands but with hands full of the good of the earth, all those things that you put your trust in for health and security.
No matter how good those things are there is only one Good, that is Jesus. And until you know that, your life will be spent in looking for that next spiritual high, that just right Christian how to book, that newest Christian praise song, or that perfect pastor who makes you feel good.
You can’t have Jesus and all your trust in other things at the same time. Jesus won’t share His glory with them. To have Jesus, to have eternal life, you must empty your hands to receive Him. All your good intentions are worthless; all your wealth is worthless; all your commandment keeping, your charity, your kindness to others, your good deeds, all those things that make us appear righteous before others are worthless for obtaining eternal life. Empty your hands and let the love of Jesus fill your hands, so that you will have the peace that passes all understanding. It is the only way. Amen.
Mark 10:17-22
Title Empty Hands.
Do you sometimes feel that there’s something missing in your spiritual walk? Do you wish that you had some more specific direction in your spiritual journey? If you do you are not alone for we all seem to know what needs to be done and what needs to be corrected in us. We could do better if we had more detailed instructions like you find in the owner’s manual of that new gadget you bought. You know those how to instructions that you read and then follow so carefully, after you can’t figure out how to put it together or make it run.
Owner’s manuals come with a parts list and detailed diagrams and pictures to help you assemble it. Most of the time there is even a picture of the finished product so that you know what is supposed to look like when you have put it together correctly.
That is what the young man in our Gospel thought he had when he approached Jesus that day. He had a good picture of what it looks like when you get it right with God! Or so he thought. But just to be on the safe side why not ask Jesus after all, if anyone can show me how to attain eternal life, surely this man can. He manifests miraculous powers. He clearly has attained God’s approval. Of all people he can surely show me how to attain eternal life.
The man asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers, "Good Teacher! What's with all this good talk? Only God is good. You know the commandments; have you kept these?”
You would have thought that would have made him hesitate wouldn’t you? Everyone knows that we cannot keep the Commandments of God, at least concerning our right to eternal life. Right? You would think that, but it didn’t for this man and millions of others like him. Instead the man looks Jesus straight in the eye and says: "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth."
Jesus replies, “Well then, what’s the problem? If you’ve kept the commandments, why are you asking me what you need to do to have eternal life? If you’ve kept all these commandments from the time you were a child, why do you feel that there is something missing?”
Jesus asked the question because deep down he knew that he was missing something, some little thing that troubled his soul late at night when all was quiet; those times when his conscience troubled him. He knew.
When you have sincerely and diligently done all that you can do to live a holy life before God, do you ever feel that something’s missing? Do you in your quiet times, you know those times when you look at your life and know you have not done all God wants you to do. You know something is missing.
Jesus knows this man’s heart, but he continues to love him, for love never gives up on a person even a person who is living under a deception, who thinks that there has to be something good in him, something that God takes into consideration. Love never gives up.
So Jesus looks at the man and continues to love him. And because Jesus loves him, he then tells him the truth that no else would dare to speak unless they loved the man like Jesus loves him.
He tells him that he must give up everything he loves and really keep these commandments; that is, he must really love his neighbor, really do something to help his neighbor if he is to truly keep God’s commandments toward his neighbor. Notice that Jesus does not even mention the Commandment concerning loving God above all things.
He does not need to, for all the Commandments can only be kept by keeping the first that is keeping Jesus number one in your life. There is, for a true follower of God no more room for self-deception. There is only the giving up all those other things that we love so much.
We see that in Matthew 19:20 and following where the young man said to Jesus, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" He still feels that something is missing, that he hasn’t done all that needs to be done; even though he claims to have done everything he knows to do. His question still remains: “What do I still lack?”
Jesus’ answer is designed to lead the man, and us too, to view Jesus not as an example of how to live a perfect life, but to see him as our Savior. You see the one thing this man and so many like him lacked for eternal life was the recognition that everything that he had done thus far was worthless for obtaining eternal life! More than that, the man is told that he must give up everything he has acquired and leave it all behind to follow Jesus.
It is almost as if Jesus is saying to him: “The problem is not so much that you need only one more thing to be perfect. The problem is that you lack the only thing you need to be perfect. All the other stuff you have and all the other works you do are keeping you from having this one thing that you lack to have eternal life.”
The man doesn’t need an example. He doesn’t need a picture of the finished product so that he will know how to proceed. He does not need more detailed instructions. They won’t do him any good, for only God is Good. And since Jesus is God in the flesh only Jesus is Good.
This man or for that matter anyone doesn’t need more works or wealth. He needs just like we need only one thing and it is standing right in front of Him. Eternal life is within his grasp, it is his for the taking, it’s a gift and it’s free. The only thing that keeps him from having it is that he has to empty his hands first so that it can be placed into his hands.
Does Jesus actually mean that this man has to literally give up everything to follow him? In this case it does, because you can see by the rich man’s reaction that his wealth was keeping him from his Savior. Does that mean that you too must give up everything to follow Jesus?
It might, if your possessions or whatever you are putting your trust in is keeping you from fully trusting in Jesus as your Savior and growing in your faith. God blesses us with money, so that we can spread his Word and help the unfortunate. He blesses some with a lot of money, but we must have empty hands to receive eternal life. Our trust must only be in him.
So, if you ever feel like there’s something missing in your walk with God; if you feel like there’s something slowing you down or holding you back in your faith, maybe it’s because you are not coming to God with empty hands but with hands full of the good of the earth, all those things that you put your trust in for health and security.
No matter how good those things are there is only one Good, that is Jesus. And until you know that, your life will be spent in looking for that next spiritual high, that just right Christian how to book, that newest Christian praise song, or that perfect pastor who makes you feel good.
You can’t have Jesus and all your trust in other things at the same time. Jesus won’t share His glory with them. To have Jesus, to have eternal life, you must empty your hands to receive Him. All your good intentions are worthless; all your wealth is worthless; all your commandment keeping, your charity, your kindness to others, your good deeds, all those things that make us appear righteous before others are worthless for obtaining eternal life. Empty your hands and let the love of Jesus fill your hands, so that you will have the peace that passes all understanding. It is the only way. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 3:36 PM
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