Wednesday, 25 March TheMessiah Reveals His Kingdom. Matthew 19:16–30
On a superficial reading, this sounds as though Jesus is saying that rich people – whatever that means in a global setting – cannot enter heaven.
Most people don’t like the sound of this. After all, anyone living in the West is wealthy. If you have a secondary education, speak English, own a computer and your own house and have a locally-modest sum in savings, you are probably in the top 1% of the global rich list. (Check your status at http://www.globalrichlist.com/).
Westerners have been very creative about trying to ‘get around’ what Jesus says about rich men, camels and eyes of needles. Many Christians were taught (wrongly) that there was a very small gate in the walls of old Jerusalem that camels had to bend down to enter, and that Jesus was just saying that we have to be humble. This is probably one of the most common urban myths associated with Jesus’ teachings. There was/is no such gate (although you can find a travel company online offering to take you to it, if you pay the fee).
But ‘getting around’ what Jesus says is entirely the wrong approach. Let’s try to dig a little deeper before making wild assumptions.
Jesus quotes six commandments (vv18–19) to the young man, the last one being a summary of all the others. The first five form the greater part of the ‘second table’ of the Ten Commandments. The love your neighbour as yourself commandment is actually a direct quote from Leviticus 19:18.
Again, many Christians somehow have absorbed the idea that Jesus replaced all the Old Testament laws with two new ones of his own: Love God, and love others. But in fact, Jesus didn’t invent either of these. (Well, not in a New Testamenty way, that is: of course, as the Word of God who inspired the Old Testament, he did invent them in the first place!) We see here how he borrows from Leviticus to provide a summary of the second table of the Ten Commandments.
But, we must now ask ourselves, why did he ignore the ‘first table’? There is only one, God; love God with all your heart etc; worship no idols…these all form the basis of the ‘first table’ of commandments. When we talk about two ‘tables’, remember that Moses brought down two tablets of stone from Mt Sinai on which God had written the Ten Commandments. Of course, we don’t know which ones were written on which tablet of stone, but Jewish and Christian scholars have generally divided them into two groups, one dealing with honouring God, the other with honouring others.
If we go back to the early questions of the young man, we recall that he wanted to know what he could do to obtain eternal life. When asked about his observance of the law, he had skipped over all those commandments about loving God with all his heart. Jesus then subtly re-phrased the first table to suit the young man’s heart and soul: If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.
Now note carefully! Jesus did not say that he had to give away his riches to obtain eternal life. He said that if the man did so, he would be exchanging earthly treasure for heavenly treasure. That is not eternal life. Then he says, come, follow me. Now that (following Jesus) would have gained him eternal life.
As I read this carefully, I see that for most of my life I have read this as if Jesus were telling the young man to give away his riches, in order to gain eternal life. But that is not what the words say. Jesus was performing surgery on his soul.
Here I must quote a dear friend, the Rev. Dr Lew Borne, who died recently, but who spoke these words in a sermon, which I have never forgotten: ‘When you preach, try to draw a little spiritual blood. But never fear, spiritual wounds heal quickly, especially if you have regular appointments with the Divine Physician.’
This young man was likely not greedy; he had probably been generous as his religious duty. But money possesses a power all of its own. It enters your soul. The mythical image of the scaly dragon guarding its hoard of treasure comes from the reality of life.
Jesus effectively set before him the choice that absolutely pinpointed his particular spiritual problem. Jesus gave him two commands, but they were linked: get rid of your wealth and follow me. He couldn’t do the second without first doing the first. If he did the first, then the second was easy.
He went away sad, not because Jesus wouldn’t let him into heaven because of his riches. He went away sad because he was not sufficiently committed to following Jesus. That price was too high for him to obtain eternal life. He was not sent away; he went away.
When our desire for power, material goods, influence, pleasure, popularity, security or any kind of wealth is greater than our desire for God, we shut ourselves out of the Kingdom of heaven. God doesn’t have to do anything. In fact, as C. S. Lewis wrote, God doesn’t send anyone to Hell; they choose it for themselves.
Now we can understand the last verse. Those who love to be first – we think of some religious leaders who love their positions of power and influence, of celebrities and politicians who love their power and influence and possessions – when they claim their place in the Kingdom of heaven, they might just find themselves at the back of the line.
Those who humbly serve, not even thinking about power or wealth or influence, might find themselves honoured in that Kingdom – whatever honour might mean there.
The old lady who arranges the flowers every week in the church, the man who visits some sick or housebound people every week, the slightly-less-than-clever chap who cleans the bathrooms cheerfully for free every week at the church will be greeted with pure joy by Jesus in heaven.
Meanwhile the bishops and celebrity preachers or worship leaders who know they have just the right corporate DNA and the right spiffily-fashionable clothes for their important roles might be calling out from the back: ‘Ho there! I say! I'm back here! It’s me! Could you send an angel limo down for me?’ Then turning to the other chaps nearby, they’ll say, ‘Just watch! He knows me! I've spent my whole life doing things for him. He’ll come down here, now, any minute.’
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, please help me to stop being the prat who is always big-noting himself. Help me to be more generous with my abundant money. Help me to love you first and last – with no reservations. Help me to strive hard to be last here on earth. Amen.
