Salvation in Nothingness: Mark 10:17-31 - Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

in the window by madabandon

https.  Creative commons image on flickr

¹⁷ 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?” 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, 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.” (NRSV)

One of my seminary professors wrote a book on the subject of theodicy, which is the question of why people, who are loved by God, endure suffering and pain.

He titled his book Clothed in Nothingness, and appropriately so—because nothing epitomizes the cruelty of sickness quite like the hospital gown…

It’s a loose-fitting, paper thin garment that barely covers you.  I’ve frequently seen patients wearing two of them so that because most are completely open on the backside. 

Yes, it’s a garment designed out of necessity—but for the patient it’s a garment of humiliation and helplessness.  You are clothed in nothingness.

It’s the very same nothingness of the people we encounter time and time again in the Gospels, falling at Jesus’ feet, begging for his mercy in the most awful situations. 

Today’s story is a little bit different.  A man comes to Jesus with a need—and I’m sure he was clothed much more extravagantly than most people Jesus encountered.

He asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  He goes on to declare that he has kept all of God’s commandments since his youth.  For all we know, this could have been true!

In his mind, he has it made, and he has great wealth to boot!  There’s just one more little thing to check of his list…

So imagine the shock when Jesus tells him: “you lack one thing.  Go, sell everything you own, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come and follow me.”

Treasure in heaven: that one thing he lacks.  He’s not nearly complete.  He’s completely incomplete.  He has nothing.  He is destined for nothing.  He is nothing.

To inherit the Kingdom of God, he must be stripped bare of everything upon which he has built his life.  It is only in nothingness that God’s reign can take hold.  But who wants that?

One of the greatest ironies of the Christian faith is that for as much as we may love Jesus, our desire is happiness.  Much of the time, we find it in achievement and possessions.  It’s really great to be you if you’re successful and self-sufficient; people like and admire you; you don’t make mistakes and do everything well.  It’s a mighty good life to be able to wake up in the morning and put on your good health and physical fitness; your talent and tenacity; your character and charisma for all the world to see…

But it happens, sometimes by our own fault; sometimes for reasons we will never understand—that we are stripped of these things.  Everything we build our lives upon is gone from us. 

But who would voluntarily take off wealth or self-sufficiency?  Who would voluntarily submit to a divine judgment that reveals all of sins and weaknesses, including every secret thought and desire?  Who would put on nothingness?

But this is what Jesus does.  He strips himself of all divine power and glory to be crucified naked.  Yet through his death, Jesus accomplishes all things for our salvation.  Our sins are nailed to the cross and we bare them no more.  Jesus’ resurrection destroys death’s dominion over us and the world God created. 

Which leads to the other great irony of the Christian faith: that grace flourishes in times of brokenness and deprivation.  For when we are nothing—and we have nothing, Jesus will become our everything.  Jesus takes the crosses we bear and uses them to give us new life.  He draws nearer to us than he’s ever been before—for nothing is impossible with God!

This is God’s promise for all who struggle beneath the crushing weight of sin and suffering.

But for the rest of us: there is a great challenge…  If you enjoy health, intelligence, success, and a good reputation, praise God!  BUT—these gifts are not your divine right, for your exclusive benefit.   Much of what we count as essential for life can destroy us in the end. 

Ultimately, the rich young man needs the saving mercies of Jesus Christ every bit as much as the lowliest beggar and most miserable sinner… Perhaps, even more…

So today, challenge yourself in this way:

1.      Ask Jesus to enact his judgment in your life.  I know that sounds nuts, but Christ’s judgment is not for destruction—but for redemption.  We need judgment to reveal the sin in our lives, especially in the ways we conceal it from ourselves.

2.      Name before Jesus every single loss and pain that afflicts you today.  Even the stuff your guilty conscience tells you that you shouldn’t be sad about…

3.      Finally, name before Jesus the things you fear losing—and the things you could never see yourself doing that, deep down, you fear Jesus may want you to do: like forgiving someone; giving away something valuable; or making a major change in your life.  Again, don’t let your guilty conscience tell you that shouldn’t be afraid of losing this or that.  Lay it all out there for Jesus. 

Bottom line: Jesus loves you!  Yet we all need to die with Christ in order to rise with him.  We need to embrace our nothingness before Jesus in order that his reign may become complete in us.