Pentecost 19, October 15, 2006

    While waiting to see their financial advisor, a young man struck up a conversation with an old rich man whom he had seen every time he came to this office.  He asked the rich old fellow how he had made his money.  The old guy fingered his worsted wool vest, took out a jewel-encrusted pocket watch, and said, “Well, son, it was 1932 in the depths of the Great Depression.  I was down to my last nickel.  I invested that nickel in an apple.  I spent the entire day polishing that apple and, at the end of the day, I sold that apple for ten cents.  The next morning, I invested those ten cents in two apples.  I spent the entire day polishing them and sold them at 5:00 PM for 20 cents.  I continued this system for a month, by the end of which I’d accumulated a small fortune of $1.37.”

     “So, you just kept doubling your money with polished apples,” asked the young man?

     “Oh, heavens no!” the old man said.  “Not long after that my wife’s father died and left us two million dollars.”  God bless the free enterprise system and good fortune.

      The rabbi and his rag-tag band of followers were heading out on a teaching and preaching journey.  A man ran up to him, knelt down, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  After being warned to watch out whom he called good, the rabbi simply told him to keep the commandments of God.  Since this man attended church regularly, supported all the good causes in the community, voted the straight traditional values ticket, and led a moral life, he assured the rabbi that he had in the past, was currently, and intended in the future to keep all the commandments.  The rabbi looked lovingly at him and pierced his heart with the next bit of instruction.  “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.”  The man stands there in shock; his jaw to the ground.  A tear rolls down his cheek and he turns and walks away, for he had many possessions.

     The teacher then turned to his students and said, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!  Children, 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.”  The pupils were stunned by this announcement and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?”  Notice that the disciples placed themselves in the category of those who would be considered rich.  They didn’t say, “Well, I’m glad he said the filthy rich; that means we’ll be in with room to spare.”  It was Peter, who had left a lucrative fishing business to cast his lot with this itinerant preacher, who felt obliged to remind him of their personal sacrifices.  “Look, (you young whipper-snapper) we have left everything to follow you.”  And they really had done so.  It was then that the teacher made the promise of the hundred-fold return on their investment.  He offered the deal of a lifetime and the rich young man turned it down.  Why would he do that?  Why would anyone do that?

     I would suggest that one of the reasons was that he could only see what he was giving up and not what he would be gaining.  He was used to fine clothes.  He was used to the admiring and envious stares of people when he walked through the marketplace.  His cupboard was stocked with the best wines.  He only shopped at high-end stores.  His home was richly appointed, like the “Inspiration Room” on the Home and Garden Television show.  He was accustomed to the best of everything.  He was a first-century yuppie.  We continue to produce more in this fast-paced economy, where the “dot- com” entrepreneurs either make a bundle or lose their shirt.  When the number one reason for attending college, according to a survey of those entering this fall, was “to be well off financially in the future,” it seems we will produce a great many more.  Those in the personal recovery business, counselors of various hues, might have plenty of work into the foreseeable future.

     The rich young man in the Gospel from Mark, whose story was read this morning, could have won a victory for humanity and heaven.  He could have made a difference with his life.  Even more significantly, he could have walked with a teacher named Jesus, who would become the Christ of God.  Many people will give just about anything to walk with earthly kings or queens.  The man in the Gospel had the opportunity to walk with the King of Kings, but all he could see was what he was being asked to give up.

     I would suggest that the second reason the rich man turned down the deal of a lifetime was that he overestimated the value of material possessions.  Now, folks, please listen carefully.  We are not forbidden to have things, even nice things.  We are not forbidden from having money, perhaps even a lot of money.  But, we must remember that money and things are only one element of the good life and a lesser element at that.  If those things become ends in themselves, then we fall into the trap of judging our lives by that of those around us.  If money becomes the standard by which we judge our success, we fall into the John D. Rockefeller mode of thinking when he said, “Enough is always a little more than I have now.”  Life gets out of balance and things become the master.  The holy space between the things and the person becomes so blurred that it becomes difficult to tell where the things leave off and the person begins.  God cannot speak of be heard in such a life.  The primary reason Jesus responded to the rich man as he did was precisely for that same reason.  The wealth and the person had become indistinguishable. 

     Why invest in something that will rot or rust?  Why invest in something that someday must be left behind?  Why spend so much time and energy pursuing something that cannot bring peace of mind, no matter how much we collect or how large our portfolio grows?

     Finally, the rich young man turned down the deal of a lifetime because he could not see that the only riches that really count are riches toward God.  One of the greatest tests of our faith is whether we really believe the promises rabbi Jesus made to those who would follow him closely?  He said he would never let go.  He promised that anything we give to him would be returned a hundred-fold.  He promised treasure in heaven.  He promised eternal life.  Are we willing to take him at his word?

     There is an ancient legend that says that Alexander the Great gave instructions that when he died his body was to be placed in the coffin in such a way that his hands were visible and opened.  He wanted everyone to see that his hands empty; he was taking nothing with him. 

     Every one of us will move from this world to the next with empty hands.  If the promises of Jesus the Christ are to be believed, though, our hands are empty so that we can receive from him a hundred-fold more than we left behind.  Our hands are empty this day as we come to the rail to receive the body and blood of Jesus the Christ.  Our empty hands are filled with blessings for our use in this world and, in faith, the assurance of an eternal presence with this one who feeds us in this world and the next.  So, reach out your empty hands that they may be filled with riches beyond your wildest imagination.  Amen.