10092021 – Mark 10. 17-31
I recently changed primary care physicians.
He looked at everything with a new set of eyes…which, I think is helpful from time to time.
It was that initial “get-to-meet-you-kind-of-consultation.”
I admit to being a little taken back by one of his first questions…to me…
It was not, “Why are you here?” It was not, “How can I help you?” It was not, “What do you need from me?” But was, “What is your BIGGEST COMPLAINT, right now, today?”
And I immediately grew sad on the inside. I grew sad for him. I grew sad for the medical profession as a whole.
Docs must get a lot of COMPLAINTS every single day. Perhaps that is what they even ANTICIPATE. People coming in and doing nothing but COMPLAINING…
You know, “What is BUGGING you?”
And then, they let he or she have it with both barrels…
“What would you CHANGE if you could?”
I could have PROBABLY spent the next couple of hours responding to his questions but realized he DID NOT HAVE that kind of TIME to spare or for ME to monopolize…
OBVIOUSLY, there ARE other patients, to be seen…
So, Jesus did a “similar thing” with the rich, young man. Well, kind of…
HIS was not a question, but more of A STATEMENT. Jesus too, was FISHING…
And wanted the man to THINK and REFLECT, PONDER, and QUESTION for himself.
After their INITIAL dialogue and conversation. Jesus looked at the man…and said, “You LACK ONE THING.”
Which I find “almost laughable.” He only lacked ONE thing. WOW! That is so cool. Only ONE THING! He must have had a lot going on for himself.
So, what are the things that WE are LACKING…and I am NOT TALKING “material things…”
Because most of us have more stuff than we know what to do with…
Jesus SENSED, Jesus KNEW, Jesus SOMEHOW REALIZED, that this particular man lacked ONLY one thing. It was like he ZEROED IN ON IT immediately.
The text began with a young man RUNNING up to Jesus, KNEELING before him, and ADDRESSING HIM, as “GOOD TEACHER.”
(For the record) This same story is told in all three of the “synoptic gospels.”
All three actions of this young man are done ONLY BY an “INFERIOR person to a SUPERIOR person.” (The RUNNING, the KNEELING BEFORE HIM, and the way in which he ADDRESSED HIM.)
We know that Jesus was actually born among “the lowest of the low” in his society. By birth, no one has “a lower social standing” than Jesus.
Dirt poor, no father, uncertain and questionable situation.
In an honor/shame society it was completely SHAMEFUL and DISHONORABLE to seek to “acquire” a “higher status” than the one YOU were BORN INTO.
It was POSSIBLE that OTHERS could hold you in “higher honor or status.” You just COULD NOT DO IT for yourself.
The only honorable thing Jesus could do was to respond in HUMILITY and HUMBLENESS, which he does…and REJECT any public displays of such honoring…
So, Jesus IMMEDIATELY responds, “No one is GOOD, but GOD ALONE!”
Jesus’ “personal honor” just climbed about three percentage points, in the face of all those standing nearby.
Well, done Jesus, well done!
ONLY ONE THING IS MISSING…he says to the rich young man. Go, sell, and give, to the poor.
And we are told, the man leaves feeling incredibly sad, because he had a lot of stuff, and was not willing to part with any of it. His concern was NOT for the poor or for OTHERS.
So, WHAT about US?
What are we LACKING?
What are we MISSING?
What are we NOT DOING…that we could be doing?
What is it – that is in our minds – MORE IMPORTANT than our RELATIONSHIP with GOD?
What is it that is MORE PRICELESS than God or life with him for all eternity?
WHAT is standing in our way?
What is holding us back…from loving, trusting and “giving our lives over completely to GOD every single day?”
Why do we hesitate so?
What is “the big ROADBLOCK?”
There’s gotta be something…that takes precedence over GOD…what is it?
Amen.