A Disciple’s Trust

October 8, 2006

Mark 10:17-31 (NRSV)

As he 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?" ¹⁸Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹You 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.' " ²⁰He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." ²¹Jesus, 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." ²²When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" ²⁴And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It 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." ²⁶They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."

²⁸Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." ²⁹Jesus 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, ³⁰who 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. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

      Last Sunday we started our confirmation classes. There are currently 4 youth participating in the classes. It’s not too late to join. We meet tonight at 6:00 p.m.

      Last week we explored the difference between a disease and its symptoms. Some illnesses all we can do is treat the symptoms until the illness goes away, and in that case we do all we can. In other cases we may treat the symptoms without addressing the disease itself. By treating the symptoms and not the disease, the disease may stay becoming even worse. Until we address the real problem, we cannot get rid of it.

      If we extended this notion of disease verses symptoms to our relationship with God, we might conclude that the real problem -sin- comes out of a lack of trust in God. We do not place God at the center of our lives.

      Other things become the center of our lives. In themselves all good things, but they are not God–maybe our gods, but not God. Things like money, our children, jobs, power, popularity, our talents, even our very selves. We build our lives around these idols.

      When we have the illness of not trusting God, we exhibit symptoms. You see the symptoms all around you. We see the symptoms in ourselves. Hatred - greed - pride - prejudice - cruelty - insensitivity - unkindness - violence - wastefulness -

self-centeredness, and on and on and on.

      The disease we call Sin is all about relationships. In our relationship with God we find brokenness. In our relationships with others we find brokenness. The symptoms of our disease are the consequences of our broken relationships.

      Jesus once told a story about a young man who came to him with a question. See Mark 10:17-31

      In a sermon I preached 11-12 years ago on this text, I said the issue was money. We could interpret the story in more general terms, but the specific issue was money. Today, I would tell you that the young man’s attitude toward his money was the symptom. The disease was a lack of trust in God.

      Fred Craddock, the man I respect as a teacher and a preacher, suggests that Jesus is not adding to this young man’s list of do’s. The young man has been very faithful in his religion as it had been presented to him. The young man came to Jesus because there was still something empty inside of him. Following the laws faithfully did not bring him the peace and joy he expected.

      Jesus was not trying to add to the man’s religion. Jesus was calling him to “cast aside all other dependencies.” Jesus was calling him to radically trust God, depending on God for everything. Jesus is calling him to live a life that is defined by a trust in God not by his wealth. What is it that defines who we are?

      It was in October of 1988 that I was driving to work on I-30 between Arlington and Dallas. I found myself giving very valid reasons for avoiding God’s call on my life. I was saying out loud, “But I can’t afford to go to seminary.” Do you get the irony in that excuse? If God wanted me to go to seminary, then certainly I would be able to afford it.

      In 1991 God provided an appointment to two churches with a salary that was adequate. God provided a nursing job for Diana after 20 years away from nursing. Not only did I begin graduate school, but Cheryl began her university education. All that was needed was to trust God. There was a time I thought the timing and the money were all in my control. Foolish me!

      Someone once said that ninety-five percent of what the church does could be done without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We do only those things that we can keep in our control. We do only those things we think we can afford. We limit the ministry of the church because we limit what God can do through us. Mostly out of fear that it will be too costly. Fear is the symptom. The disease is a lack of trust in God, willingness to follow Jesus, and obedience to the Holy Spirit.

      Jesus called the young man to be his disciple. The choice was his. He could stop depending on his wealth and trust only in God and follow Jesus, or he could continue to trust only in what he had. The cost of discipleship was too much for him.

      Discipleship costs. To follow Jesus costs. The young man was not willing to pay the price.

      Jerry Lowry shares the following story he heard several years ago. Exxon Corporation searched for a representative to lead their company in the Far East. Eventually they found the ideal person. The person was a missionary. Exxon offered him $100,000 in compensation. He refused this offer. They increased the offer by $25,000; he refused again. The executive of Exxon asked him why he declined the offer. He replied, "Your offer is gracious. But your job is too small. I am a missionary and that is God's call upon my life. "This missionary makes a strong statement. For him, nothing is more important or greater than following Jesus. He puts his faith in God, trusting unreservedly with his whole being.

      Jesus in effect was asking the young man, “What good have you done with what God has given you?” Jesus is asking us, “What good have you done with what God has given you?”

      I firmly believe that God has higher expectations of us than we want to admit. I believe that God expects us to reach out to the lost, the lonely, and the last in our community and the world. God is calling us to be disciples making disciples of Jesus Christ. Yes, discipleship is costly. But I also believe that God has already provided the resources for us to do what God expects us to do. Remember, what is impossible for us is possible for God.