“^14-17 “If you sell or buy property from one of your countrymen, don’t cheat him. Calculate the purchase price on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. He is obliged to set the sale price on the basis of the number of harvests remaining until the next Jubilee. The more years left, the more money; you can raise the price. But the fewer years left, the less money; decrease the price. What you are buying and selling in fact is the number of crops you’re going to harvest. Don’t cheat each other. Fear your God. I am God, your God.” Leviticus 25:14-17

“And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God. And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.” Mark 10:26-27

In the Leviticus text, G-d says in Leviticus 25:36, that we are to “fear God”.  In the text from Mark, in chapter 10 verse 32, the text says, “and those who followed were afraid.”  In both texts the writer speaks about the fear of G-d.  In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther begins each explanation of each petition of the Ten Commandments with words similar to this, “We are to fear and love the Lord…”  What do you think it means to fear the Lord?  Can we fear and love the Lord at the same time?  Is it good to fear the Lord?

The use of the word “fear” is understood, in our Lutheran faith, as to hold G-d in great respect. You notice in my devotions that I write the word “G-d” without the “O”. Many have asked me why I do this. It is one way that I can daily remind myself of the respect that we are to give not only to G-d, but to the name of G-d. Not all of us use the same practices, the same devotional techniques, or the same prayers when we talk to G-d. I say that because I do not believe everyone needs to do what I do. We each need to find our own personal ways that we show respect to G-d, to the name of G-d, and to our relationship with G-d—and we need to continue to go to G-d every day.

Pastor Dave

“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?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ 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.’” ²⁰ He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” ²¹ 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.” ²² When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. ²³ 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!” ²⁴ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ 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.” ²⁶ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible. ²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ 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,^[f] 30 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. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” ” Mark 10:17-31

Leaving everything and following – both present their challenges and their fears. We have two contrasts in our texts – for as difficult as it was for the rich man to part with his possessions and follow Jesus, it sounds as if it was easy for the disciples to leave everything behind and follow Jesus. What the text does not tell us is that, like the rich man, the disciple’s decision to follow must have been agonizing, and difficult. There is no one who decides to leave everything who does not fret about their decision. We don’t know much about the disciples except that some of them were hard working individuals in the occupation of the fishing industry. Their work was hard, difficult, and physical. Most of them left the family business to follow Jesus – they left everything (as Peter points out) but were not promised much except to be fishers of people. 

The rich man, however, when given the option to leave everything to “inherit eternal life”, well he finds it too difficult to leave. What is it that bothers you about this text?  What is it that challenges you?  What is it you have “left” to go deeper with your faith life?

Today is Ash Wednesday—the beginning of Lent. You have six weeks to go deeper with Jesus and your relationship with G-d.

Pastor Dave