In Mark chapter 10 a man approached Jesus inquiring about “eternal life.” He wanted to know what to do to attain it.
Jesus responded with a recitation of five of the ten commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor father and mother. I have often wondered why Jesus named only five, and why he chose these particular ones. Anyway, the man was able to reply rather confidently that he qualified because he had observed all these from his youth. This is not such a noble achievement when you consider that there are “good people” out there who may not necessarily be followers of Jesus who follow these commands. These are just decent things to do, very attainable to decent folks, believing or not.
Apparently Jesus wasn’t all that impressed. “One thing you lack,” he replied. “Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor. Then take up the cross and follow me.” In other words, Jesus said, “Put your money where your mouth is!” It was more than the man was willing to do. He sadly went away.
This was no ordinary young man, which is probably why Jesus was hard on him and why Jesus offered him a place with his disciples. Matthew lets us know he is young, and Luke identifies him as “a certain ruler.” Apparently he is a synagogue ruler. All three gospel writers describe him as rich, which Jesus saw not as a plus but as a stumbling block. He lamented to the disciples (to their utter amazement) that it is extremely hard, almost impossible, for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.
In light of our day of cheap grace and “sloppy agape,” Jesus’ initiation requirement into discipleship seems harsh and severe. Sell everything you own, give it to the poor. Everything. The deceitfulness of riches is such a distraction for so many of us that the only way to relate properly to the kingdom is to cut loose from the allurements of the world.
The other part is downright intimidating. “Take up the cross and follow me.” No one had to tell this young man what this meant. Crosses and crucifixion were the constant reminder that the brutal occupying Roman government meant business against those who dared rise up against the state. A messiah-movement would certainly be considered insurrectionist and would be put down with the most heinous form of humiliation and torture imaginable. Victims were forced to carry the cross through crowded streets where an assembled mob would hurl both stones and curses. Then they would be executed on it to a slow, painful death by eventual suffocation.
To buy into Jesus’ discipleship meant to withdraw from participation in the world around and risk personal harm and humiliation for the choice to follow Jesus. While the young man was willing to follow a few commandments, he was unwilling to commit to discipleship to the level Jesus required. He walked away.
I’m wondering how much harm we do people when we offer grace so cheap that all you have to do is show up on Sunday morning, when you feel like it and when the weather suits you, of course. Denominations like mine tell me to make disciples, and then really put a lot of stock on the nickels and noses of apportionment-paying and Sunday attendance. For too many discipleship is coming to a glorified rock concert to hear pep talks about coping with the mean, cruel world around us, perhaps even living successfully in it. It occurs to me that while we might be able to measure success (from the world’s perspective) that way, we cannot measure obedience that way.
The first element of worship is sacrifice. Jesus demanded personal sacrifice and commitment that required seekers to abandon wealth and prestige and personal security to enter a lifestyle of continual risk. Something tells me he has not relaxed that requirement. It is like the baptismal covenant we inherited from our Jewish forebears which calls us to abandon a past life to be reborn in a new life in the kingdom. This is what Jesus was asking of the young man we call the rich young ruler.
Disciplemaking is not getting people to attend a service in which they are entertained, or even “blessed.” Disciplemaking involves getting people to make an informed commitment to follow Jesus even if it means losing both wealth and reputation. Baptized into the church and into the kingdom means going through the portal of death to self so that they emerge on the other side in a new way of life. Disciplemaking is encouraging spiritual formation, maturity and Christlikeness.
We let people get away with tough but insincere talk about following Jesus. Like Jesus we need to say, “Put your money where your mouth is!”
Jesus responded with a recitation of five of the ten commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor father and mother. I have often wondered why Jesus named only five, and why he chose these particular ones. Anyway, the man was able to reply rather confidently that he qualified because he had observed all these from his youth. This is not such a noble achievement when you consider that there are “good people” out there who may not necessarily be followers of Jesus who follow these commands. These are just decent things to do, very attainable to decent folks, believing or not.
Apparently Jesus wasn’t all that impressed. “One thing you lack,” he replied. “Go and sell everything you have, and give the money to the poor. Then take up the cross and follow me.” In other words, Jesus said, “Put your money where your mouth is!” It was more than the man was willing to do. He sadly went away.
This was no ordinary young man, which is probably why Jesus was hard on him and why Jesus offered him a place with his disciples. Matthew lets us know he is young, and Luke identifies him as “a certain ruler.” Apparently he is a synagogue ruler. All three gospel writers describe him as rich, which Jesus saw not as a plus but as a stumbling block. He lamented to the disciples (to their utter amazement) that it is extremely hard, almost impossible, for a rich man to enter God’s kingdom.
In light of our day of cheap grace and “sloppy agape,” Jesus’ initiation requirement into discipleship seems harsh and severe. Sell everything you own, give it to the poor. Everything. The deceitfulness of riches is such a distraction for so many of us that the only way to relate properly to the kingdom is to cut loose from the allurements of the world.
The other part is downright intimidating. “Take up the cross and follow me.” No one had to tell this young man what this meant. Crosses and crucifixion were the constant reminder that the brutal occupying Roman government meant business against those who dared rise up against the state. A messiah-movement would certainly be considered insurrectionist and would be put down with the most heinous form of humiliation and torture imaginable. Victims were forced to carry the cross through crowded streets where an assembled mob would hurl both stones and curses. Then they would be executed on it to a slow, painful death by eventual suffocation.
To buy into Jesus’ discipleship meant to withdraw from participation in the world around and risk personal harm and humiliation for the choice to follow Jesus. While the young man was willing to follow a few commandments, he was unwilling to commit to discipleship to the level Jesus required. He walked away.
I’m wondering how much harm we do people when we offer grace so cheap that all you have to do is show up on Sunday morning, when you feel like it and when the weather suits you, of course. Denominations like mine tell me to make disciples, and then really put a lot of stock on the nickels and noses of apportionment-paying and Sunday attendance. For too many discipleship is coming to a glorified rock concert to hear pep talks about coping with the mean, cruel world around us, perhaps even living successfully in it. It occurs to me that while we might be able to measure success (from the world’s perspective) that way, we cannot measure obedience that way.
The first element of worship is sacrifice. Jesus demanded personal sacrifice and commitment that required seekers to abandon wealth and prestige and personal security to enter a lifestyle of continual risk. Something tells me he has not relaxed that requirement. It is like the baptismal covenant we inherited from our Jewish forebears which calls us to abandon a past life to be reborn in a new life in the kingdom. This is what Jesus was asking of the young man we call the rich young ruler.
Disciplemaking is not getting people to attend a service in which they are entertained, or even “blessed.” Disciplemaking involves getting people to make an informed commitment to follow Jesus even if it means losing both wealth and reputation. Baptized into the church and into the kingdom means going through the portal of death to self so that they emerge on the other side in a new way of life. Disciplemaking is encouraging spiritual formation, maturity and Christlikeness.
We let people get away with tough but insincere talk about following Jesus. Like Jesus we need to say, “Put your money where your mouth is!”
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