October 11, 2015

                  What must we do to inherit eternal life – and what is eternal life anyway? Is it the good life? Is it a blessed life? We have visions of fullness and plenty surrounded by those we love. We hope to see our pets in heaven. We think of some distant place of perfection where we ourselves are perfect. Whatever it is, eternal life seems to belong in a place far away and far from the present.

                  We could enlarge our vision of eternal life and place it in our present. What would eternal life, or the good life look like if we were to be living it right now? We live in a world that bombards us with possible definitions. We can aspire to amass great wealth and accumulate many wonderful things. Perhaps we could harness the promise of technology to create tools to make the world a better place – with clean energy and plentiful food and medicine. Maybe we could create beautiful and challenging works of art that make us come together in a common experience of humanity.

                  There seems like a lot of work to do! Can we achieve the good life? We have so many old assumptions about what is good or bad. We are often influenced by appearances. We assume things about people because of how good-looking or ugly they might be. We assume things about people who are wealthy, and about people who are poor. We know we shouldn’t think this, but we assume people get what they deserve. This is not new. People thought this of Job. He was a very good man who was tested. Are we comfortable with a God who tests Job in this way? Job’s friends and his wife all assume he has done something for which he must confess and beg forgiveness of God. Job insists his innocence and wonders if he will ever be able to present his case to God.

                  What if this was all wrong? The pursuit of the good life is not in perfection or completion, but in what is learned along the way. Job seems uncomfortable holding this sure idea of his goodness and an idea of a capricious and punishing God – it’s not supposed to work that way. We also have recited a psalm that you may have recognized. These are the words Jesus quotes from the cross. The rest of the psalm we did not read proclaims God’s victory and the psalmist’s praise. Jesus laments his suffering and praises God for victory at the same time. Isn’t that what the cross is all about?

                  In the gospel, Jesus is on a journey. He is on the way, intentionally proceeding to his destiny in Jerusalem. A rich young man kneels before him. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” By all appearances, he is a good man. He obeys all the law. He is earnestly seeking how to do God’s will. What answer did he expect? What answer do we expect? If we could forget what we heard and know of Jesus’ response: how would we approach Jesus? I believe we are often in the same place as this rich young man. We want to know the steps. (Seven steps? Ten rules? What’s the secret?) We expect something we can do or work on. We expect that it will be within what we already understand.

                  I think there is a little unexamined assumption that we are already pretty close. After all, we are good people. We do good things. We have nice homes and nice jobs and nice friends. Jess tells the young man to sell all his possessions and give to the poor and he will have treasure in heaven, then come and follow him. The young man leaves sad, because he has many possessions. What are we to do with this? Give up everything? If we can’t, do we go away sad – without reaching eternal life?

                  What is our assumption? More is better? Wealth is better than poverty? Jesus wants us to follow him and have faith in him. Jesus wants us to give up faith in our stuff, in our position, in our possessions. The bible does not ever say that the Lord helps those who help themselves, but it does say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Jesus is inviting the rich young man and us to let go of the things in which we trust. Jesus is inviting us to let go especially of the thing that we most particularly trust.

                  Do we trust money? Giving money away will certainly help us trust God. Do we trust in our guns to keep us safe? Maybe we need to develop different trust in God and the people around us who protect us. Do we trust in our own strength or cleverness to get us through everything? Maybe we have to be open to what happens outside of our control.

                  We are not off the hook concerning our money. We are rich by the world’s standards (even in Connecticut.) Jesus urged the rich young man to let go of his wealth so that he would be free to follow. We worry about our things and the dangers of the economy. We know that we would be better off if we could only simplify our lives. Nothing works better than getting rid of things. I urge us to simplify – not as a way to fit in even more – but as a way to be more open to the will of God.

                  We seek to find eternal life. Jesus does not show us a place. He shows us a way. He invites us on a journey. He helps us see that completion and perfection is only an illusion. He wants us to bear suffering and loss even as we hold onto our faith. The end we seek is not our glorification but our joy in God’s love.