I love Chipotle burritos. This is relevant, I promise. I could eat a Chipotle burrito every day, but it's not normal for someone to eat a burrito for lunch every day. On top of that neither my wallet nor my waistline can afford it. That's not the point. I love them, so I bargain and rationalize with myself until the point that I “earn” them. I want each of you to consider something that you earn and revel in. For some it might be that moment in the morning before the children wake up or right after they've gone to bed at night and the whole house is quiet for a moment or two. For others it might be that first cup of coffee for the day; you cup it in your hands, breathe in the aroma and enjoy your moment with the coffee. I wouldn't be surprised if some of you probably spent all summer working on that honey-do list, so you felt justified sitting on the couch for that first opening day kickoff a few weeks ago. For me, I will not eat out for a couple weeks or try not to spend money on silly things or most recently I used an aced quiz as a reason to celebrate with trip to Chipotle. It's something that I don't have constantly. It's mine as a reward, celebration, something I've earned or deserved. I've felt the same way about my coffee in the morning, that bonus check for work or those extra gifts for myself that make their way into the shopping cart when I'm shopping at Christmas time for everyone else. I know you each have to have something. Take a moment and get something in mind that's personal for you.
Do you have one in mind? Good! We'll get back to that.
Each of us strives to live a good Christian life. Some days we're better at it; others days we struggle. Most days though, we follow the basic rules set forth, right? 1 - You shall have no other gods. 2 – Do not worship false idols. 3 - Do not use the Lord's name in vain. 4 – Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. 5 - Honor your father and mother. 6 - Do not murder. 7 - Do not commit adultery. 8 - Do not steal. 9 - Do not lie. And, 10 - Do not covet (Exodus 20:1-17). I can't speak for each of you, but I haven't murdered anyone. I've honored my mother and father at least during my twenties. I try to steal a few more minutes of sleep each morning with the snooze button as an accomplice. Overall, if we were to walk through the Ten Commandments individually, while we wouldn't be flawless, most of us would have fairly solid attempts at living by these rules everyday. As Christians we tack on a couple more in addition to those listed in the Old Testament. Jesus commands us to love our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mk 12.30-31). Those two commandments alone are another whole sermon, but we'll worry about those another day. My point though is that we are each seeking a relationship with God without sin, through prayer, by following the commandments God and Jesus have set forth for us. Many would call this discipleship, a giving of our lives over to God and adhering to God's doctrines. Let's briefly review the scripture:
Do you have one in mind? Good! We'll get back to that.
Each of us strives to live a good Christian life. Some days we're better at it; others days we struggle. Most days though, we follow the basic rules set forth, right? 1 - You shall have no other gods. 2 – Do not worship false idols. 3 - Do not use the Lord's name in vain. 4 – Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. 5 - Honor your father and mother. 6 - Do not murder. 7 - Do not commit adultery. 8 - Do not steal. 9 - Do not lie. And, 10 - Do not covet (Exodus 20:1-17). I can't speak for each of you, but I haven't murdered anyone. I've honored my mother and father at least during my twenties. I try to steal a few more minutes of sleep each morning with the snooze button as an accomplice. Overall, if we were to walk through the Ten Commandments individually, while we wouldn't be flawless, most of us would have fairly solid attempts at living by these rules everyday. As Christians we tack on a couple more in addition to those listed in the Old Testament. Jesus commands us to love our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Mk 12.30-31). Those two commandments alone are another whole sermon, but we'll worry about those another day. My point though is that we are each seeking a relationship with God without sin, through prayer, by following the commandments God and Jesus have set forth for us. Many would call this discipleship, a giving of our lives over to God and adhering to God's doctrines. Let's briefly review the scripture:
As [Jesus] 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, "You know the commandments." And the young man 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, "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."
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "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."
This scripture lesson is about a young man seeking eternal life both now and after death with God. He comes to Jesus asking what more he can do. Jesus, like we did this morning, explains that first a person must follow the commandments set forth by God. When the young man claims to have followed them, Jesus knows this is true for he looks at the young man with love.
But I want you to stop for a minute before deciding what this story is about for you. Often times it is easy to see this story with only two sides; the one of wealth and having it and how to reconcile that within this story or the one of no wealth and absolving ourselves of the relevancy of this story to our lives. I challenge you today to consider it not as a story of wealth but as a call to complete discipleship. One with you walking and living a life in what John Wesley called "practical divinity - 'having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked.'"
How many of you have given your life to God only to hold onto 5% or maybe just 1% of it? How many of you are holding onto that one piece that you feel you control? Are you allowing something, perhaps your personal achievements, your personal moments of success or earnings like my Chipotle burrito to hold you back on that threshold of complete discipleship? Do you have something here that if you were to give up or give over to God would allow you to completely give yourself to God? I'm not asking any of you to go home and give up your cup of coffee or football games. What I want you to consider though is how you approach those moments in time; are they recognitions of the gifts God has given you while you live in this world or moments of self-glory while you live of this world?
Trust is difficult especially in the world, society and culture in which we live. Consider though the possibility that it is not any more difficult today that for those persecuted and martyred for following a man they claimed was God in the flesh against all Jewish traditions and beliefs; the same traditions and belief we follow today commanding us to have no other gods. What are you holding onto that does not nurture your soul and spirit but your stomach, your wallet, your house or belongings and impedes God's call to you and command, "Follow me."
Perhaps this seems difficult, complex, easier said than done, counter to how we understand the world, society and culture in which we live. This was the case when Jesus was talking to the disciples. Their confusion over Jesus' command to the young man was due to Jesus' complete contradiction to the teachings and understandings of that time. It was a time of prosperity theology; those who sinned were punished and those who were good, pious and approved of by God were rewarded with wealth and riches. Jesus was then - as he is now - contradicting the teachings and beliefs of that time.
While you consider this call to follow Jesus, know that you do not have to do it on your own, nor can you. Jesus tells us as he told the disciples following him then, this is not something mortals can do on their own. If we are to trust God enough to give our lives 100%, we can do it only in partnership with God as it is God that allows such impossible things to be done - like a camel through the eye of a needle.
This scripture story is in fact the only time we hear of someone turning down Jesus' call to follow him. That is where this story and ours can cease similarities. We, too, have been called to follow in discipleship. We, too, struggle with giving up that which we have earned, worked hard for, have acquired for status, comfort, love and stability in our world, society and culture. The story we have heard ends without that acceptance of 100% discipleship. What will we each have in common with this story, and what will we have that is different? Can you give up that final 5%, 1%, half a percent of your life that you're holding onto? Can you step over that threshold, accept partnership with God, trust God and give over what has been preventing you from 100% discipleship with God?
But I want you to stop for a minute before deciding what this story is about for you. Often times it is easy to see this story with only two sides; the one of wealth and having it and how to reconcile that within this story or the one of no wealth and absolving ourselves of the relevancy of this story to our lives. I challenge you today to consider it not as a story of wealth but as a call to complete discipleship. One with you walking and living a life in what John Wesley called "practical divinity - 'having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked.'"
How many of you have given your life to God only to hold onto 5% or maybe just 1% of it? How many of you are holding onto that one piece that you feel you control? Are you allowing something, perhaps your personal achievements, your personal moments of success or earnings like my Chipotle burrito to hold you back on that threshold of complete discipleship? Do you have something here that if you were to give up or give over to God would allow you to completely give yourself to God? I'm not asking any of you to go home and give up your cup of coffee or football games. What I want you to consider though is how you approach those moments in time; are they recognitions of the gifts God has given you while you live in this world or moments of self-glory while you live of this world?
Trust is difficult especially in the world, society and culture in which we live. Consider though the possibility that it is not any more difficult today that for those persecuted and martyred for following a man they claimed was God in the flesh against all Jewish traditions and beliefs; the same traditions and belief we follow today commanding us to have no other gods. What are you holding onto that does not nurture your soul and spirit but your stomach, your wallet, your house or belongings and impedes God's call to you and command, "Follow me."
Perhaps this seems difficult, complex, easier said than done, counter to how we understand the world, society and culture in which we live. This was the case when Jesus was talking to the disciples. Their confusion over Jesus' command to the young man was due to Jesus' complete contradiction to the teachings and understandings of that time. It was a time of prosperity theology; those who sinned were punished and those who were good, pious and approved of by God were rewarded with wealth and riches. Jesus was then - as he is now - contradicting the teachings and beliefs of that time.
While you consider this call to follow Jesus, know that you do not have to do it on your own, nor can you. Jesus tells us as he told the disciples following him then, this is not something mortals can do on their own. If we are to trust God enough to give our lives 100%, we can do it only in partnership with God as it is God that allows such impossible things to be done - like a camel through the eye of a needle.
This scripture story is in fact the only time we hear of someone turning down Jesus' call to follow him. That is where this story and ours can cease similarities. We, too, have been called to follow in discipleship. We, too, struggle with giving up that which we have earned, worked hard for, have acquired for status, comfort, love and stability in our world, society and culture. The story we have heard ends without that acceptance of 100% discipleship. What will we each have in common with this story, and what will we have that is different? Can you give up that final 5%, 1%, half a percent of your life that you're holding onto? Can you step over that threshold, accept partnership with God, trust God and give over what has been preventing you from 100% discipleship with God?
