“How do you get God to care?”
That is really the rich man’s question, is it not? Perhaps, it is your question. What do you have to do to get God to care about you? How do you get God’s attention, so that God might take the time to notice you, notice your situation, and give you a gift...an inheritance?
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” the man asks.
There is urgency to the question. The man has taken a knee, a sign of both great need and great respect.
Other people have taken knees in the gospel of Mark. In fact, whenever someone needs healing, they come to Jesus and take a knee.
So, this man takes a knee, knowing that he needs healing and connection with God in some way, shape, or form. The man takes a knee, and hopes that God will care.
What must he do to get God’s attention? What must he do to inherit eternal life?
“You know the commandments,” Jesus says, "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.'" How do you get God’s attention?
What do you do to inherit eternal life? Jesus offers up the expected answers from the ancient Hebrew world.
But, the man has done all this. He has been a good person. That is why he is taking the knee, he has done all this, yet he still feels like he needs healing. He still feels insufficient. He still feels unconnected to God in some way.
"Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth," the man replies.
Most good people have. Most good people do not murder, or commit adultery, or defraud. But, somehow, it is not enough. He takes a knee at the feet of Jesus, desiring something more. He still senses that he needs healing in some way.
Jesus sees the man and will get to the heart of things in a moment; but, first a quick reflection on money.
$150,000. It has been said that money does not buy you happiness, but I once heard about a study that concluded that money can buy you happiness. People with $150,000 are, in general, genuinely happier than those who make $35,000 a year.
It makes sense, when you make $150,000 a year, for the most part you do not have to worry about unexpected costs arising. All the basics are taken care of, as well as the emergencies, and thus you have less stress in life. Up to $150,000, money can buy you happiness. But, the happiness does have its limits.
Those who make beyond $150,000 are generally no happier than those who do. You are not happier after buying the yacht than you were before. Everyone reading this who has bought a yacht I am sure can attest to that. Yes?
Money promises you a lot of things, but it cannot buy you connection. It cannot buy you that deep connection with God or other people that the rich, man desires.
He is rich after-all, the man kneeling before Jesus that is. But, his riches have not made him complete in any way. He is still kneeling before Jesus, seeking a way to get God’s attention, seeking a way to get God to care.
Here is the thing though, God already cares.
The Bible says something quite remarkable at this point in the story; it says that Jesus, looking at him, “loved him.”
This is the only time that someone is loved by Jesus in the gospel of Mark. Sure, you can see loving actions of Jesus throughout Mark, but this is the only time that Mark goes out of his way to tell us that someone is loved.
God has already taken notice of the man. God already loves the man. The man had to do nothing to get God’s attention.
Inheritance, after all, is a gift from one person to another. “What do you need to do to inherit eternal life?” Nothing. You do nothing to get at gift from someone else. You do not need to do anything to get God’s attention.
“How do you get God to care?” The problem is not that God somehow refuses to care. Jesus is already looking at the man with eyes of love. Maybe, the problem is that there is something in the way preventing us from seeing God’s love. Maybe, there is something blocking our view of God’s love and inheritance. Maybe, there is something from which we could be freed, a wall that could be removed, so that we could see those eyes of love. Jesus knows just what that wall is.
Jesus 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."
Somehow, the man’s wealth is not allowing him to see God’s love. Maybe, caring about things keeps a person from caring about people? Maybe, caring about the accumulation of wealth keeps us too busy to worry about others? Maybe, pursuing happiness has its limits? Maybe, the promise of wealth is a trap, a wall that keeps us from seeing others and connecting with others and God?
I think I understand this. It is absolutely true that I gave more money to others when I was dirt poor than I do now.
Monetarily that is not true, of course. The amounts I give to help others now is more, but speaking in terms of percentages, I was a much better given when poor than now.
There are explanations of course, I have children now and I give to them and provide for them. Things are more expensive…you know, all the typical explanations. But, truly at heart is that the more you have, the more you need to protect.
When I had $1 in my pocket, it really would not make a huge difference in my life if I kept it or gave it away. It does not have enough buying power. So, helping someone else with it was much more valuable than buying a Snicker’s bar. Connecting with someone else in love was much more valuable than anything that dollar could have ever purchased. This is still true, even with larger amounts of wealth.
Do you hear the freedom that Jesus is offering to this rich man? “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
Do you hear the connection and love that Jesus is offering the guy who cannot see beyond the wall of his possessions?
“Take down that wall.
Take down that wall and connect.
Take down that wall and experience love.
Take down that wall and be free to love others.
Take down that wall and be free to see the love of God.
Take down that wall and follow me,” Jesus seems to be saying to the man.
After-all, Jesus is going to journey beyond his encounter with the rich man and Jesus is going to give everything away for the sake of the world. Jesus is going to take nothing with him to the cross except the sin and suffering of others. He will give away even his own life on the cross for the sake of love.
Jesus, has no walls that block his gaze, and no possessions that consume his attention and time. He is free to love the world. And, he does.
We do not know what happened to the rich man. Mark does not do a follow-up story on the guy. All we know is that the man went away grieving because he, indeed, was rich.
But, grief is such a funny thing. You do not grieve something that you have. You do not grieve something that you will keep. Grief is the natural process that God gives us of letting go.
Does the young man grieve a relationship with God?
I like to think that he, instead, starts the process of grieving his wall of possessions, so that he can finally see the desire of his heart: God's love and care.
How do you get God to care? Answer: God already does.
Maybe, we just need eyes of love so that we can see God's love.
Lord, tear down our walls and let us see your love. Heal us fully.
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