March 17, 2022 – “Then Who Can be Saved?”

“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?” Jesus 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 is 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.” ” Mark 10:17-31

“Then Who Can be Saved?”    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. I am not so sure that is the case, especially with the question they throw at Jesus: “Then who can be saved?” 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. 

In contrast, we have the rich man who, 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?

Let us pray,

Lord, we know how difficult it is to leave family, to leave comfort, to leave the known to follow you into the unknown. Today, be with me as I continue to follow you wherever you lead me and guide me. Amen.

Pastor Dave