Unaffordable Grace
Mark 10:17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
G’day everyone. It’s great to be here with you all. It’s my first time here and even though I see some familiar faces, I’m sure there are some of you I’ve never met. And just like a first date kind of thing, I thought ease the awkwardness by telling you something about myself. So here goes.
I used to be an athlete. I know right, you look at me now and you’re surprised. Not many people know this about me but when I was in school I was in the track and field team. My event was the 800m, then 400m in primary school then 200, then 100 in high school. If you notice a trend, well yea guess what I run now?
But you know all that means is I can probably run slightly faster than the average person. Which when I finished school I realised was a completely useless skill. Can you even call it a skill? Why didn’t I join the table tennis team in school? It would have been useful when I was at college here in Perth. It’s like people assume just because I’m Asian I should be good at table tennis. Which is unfortunate because every time I play and I get smashed, I feel like I’m letting my people down. Bringing shame to my race.
But more than table-tennis, you know what I wished I should been? I realised this the first time I went surfing with a mate at Lancelin. I should have been a swimmer. Just in case anyone’s wondering, I can swim. I do know how to swim. Thank you very much. I’m just not very good at it. And you know what, when I’m out surfing in the ocean, I know if a shark here to show up now, I’m so going to get eaten. That’s why I wished I was a swimmer. I don’t need to swim very fast, I just want to swim faster than the guy next to me right. Just slightly faster than the average guy. It just occurred to me maybe that’s why my mate invited me to go surfing with him in the first place!
Here's the question
Think about this: is there a part of you that thinks being a Christian is kind of like that? We’re not perfect, we’re just not as bad as the other guy. I don’t need to swim like Michael Phelps. I just need to swim faster than the last guy. How many people around you think that’s what Christianity is? It’s a crutch that helps you if you need it. That’s what religion is for right?
This passage in Mark 10 will smash that to pieces. Have a look with me at how it starts.
Mark 10:17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
That’s the question. What must I do to inherit eternal life? It’s such a great question because it’s so different to what most uni students ask at ECU. Why doesn’t God do anything to help when people suffer? What right do you have to decide who I can or cannot marry? How do I get to building 21? Those are the kinds of questions I get asked all the time.
“The question isn’t from an outsider wanting to get in. He’s on the inside doing everything and wondering why it’s still not enough.”
I wish more people would ask this instead. And in fact, I wish more Christians would ask this as well. If you’re a Christian here this morning, you can’t think oh I already have eternal life, I don’t need to know this. No! This question is for you too, probably more so than it is for someone who isn’t a Christian. Why do I say that?
Just think about where this question is coming from. The person asking it is Jewish, knows the commandments and has kept them all. He’s not an outsider wanting to get in. He’s on the inside doing everything that is expected of him and wondering why it’s still not enough. Does that sound familiar to you?
Even if you’re a Christian, this question is for you. Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”
I don’t know what’s more astonishing. The fact that this man can so confidently claim to have kept all the commandments or the fact that Jesus doesn’t contradict him. Jesus doesn’t go “oh really now?” Why is that? He’s already hinted at it. Even if he kept all the commandments, it won’t make him good. What’s the point in this passage?
Without Jesus, we have nothing
With Jesus, we have to give up everything
21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him…
Stop there and notice the emphasis in the text. Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him. The personal pronoun him is repeated three times. It’s even more obvious in its original language. It’s not said often enough, but it really is quite amazing how Jesus always has time for people. There are religions out there where their god wouldn’t give you a second look unless you live a certain way or meet a minimum standard.
When my grandparents died a few years ago, the funeral lasted three days. Each night was an elaborate ritual involving half a dozen monks and priests chanting and gesticulating, burning incense to the spirits asking for their help to guide the dead into the afterlife. That’s what you had to do to appease the spirits and entreat the gods. Only in Christianity do we see someone drop in unannounced and Jesus opens the door for him.
Not only that, it says Jesus loved him. Notice that? That didn’t need to be there. If your bible had a smudge right where these two words are, and you read the passage you wouldn’t notice. In fact, it’s not even something that anyone can see. If you were there on that day you would see Jesus looking at the man and you will hear Jesus speaking to him. You wouldn’t be able to see or hear Jesus love the man. Even more so that it’s in the past tense. He loved him. I thought he just met the guy. Isn’t that incredible?
21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Its important to notice Jesus doesn’t say to the man your problem is your money, you need to give it away. The first thing Jesus says is you lack one thing. Your problem is not you have too much, but you don’t have what is needed. We can’t miss how extraordinary this is. Here’s a man who has kept all the commandments of God.
We’re not talking about a prodigal son who has squandered his inheritance away in frivolous stupidity. We’re also not talking about a self-righteous zealot full of pride. He’s humble and contrite. He comes kneeling before Jesus, having gone to church his whole life, gives money to charity in excess of what is required, volunteers his time to serve others, he’s done everything a good Christian Is supposed to do, he’s kept all the commandments and Jesus it’s not enough.
What does he lack? What Jesus offers: himself.
go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Without Jesus, he has nothing. With Jesus, he’ll have to give up everything. Do you see that? Verse 22 says the man went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. It’s so tragically ironic. Who here this morning is sad because they have too much money? Because I’d like to volunteer myself to bear some of your burden.
But seriously, do you realise what this means? He went away sorrowful. Walking away from Jesus broke his heart. But he still did, why? Because to walk away from his money won’t just break his heart, it’ll crush it. It’ll kill him. He walks away not because he doesn’t love God. He just loves his money more than God. Do you see? You can love God and find it is not enough.
There’s a lesson here for us. What Jesus shows us here is that it’s not what you do, it’s what you can’t let go. It’s not how much you give, it’s how much you hold on to. I imagine there are people here today if Jesus were to say to you give all your money away and come be with me, you’d say sure thing. Here’s the $12 in my bank account. Let’s go! That was easy. No.
Jesus never says money is the problem. It’s not what we do, it’s what we can’t let go. Maybe it’s your career? How many hours have you spent on things that build your career when it could have been spent building your faith? Or maybe it’s your kids? How many Sundays have you missed because of a sports game or an upcoming test? It can even be your ministry. The thing you can’t live without, is the God you really worship.
Without Jesus, we have nothing.
But with Jesus, we’ll have to give up everything.
I can’t begin to tell you how much this has been weighing on my mind this whole week. It literally has kept me up awake at night. There is a part of me that keeps thinking, give up everything? really? Surely Jesus is not asking me to give up my wife and my duties as a husband. And for those of us who have kids, don’t we have a responsibility to take care of them? Some of you might even love to give up your job but then who’s going to pay the bills?
And so we say to ourselves, everything doesn’t mean everything. The same way we tell ourselves when the Bible talks about the rich, it doesn’t mean us. No one thinks they’re rich. That’s what makes it so dangerous.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”
We need to understand why the disciples were shocked when Jesus says it’s harder for the rich. Because I don’t think many of us are that shocked if the rich don’t get in.
Imagine tomorrow a billionaire throws a huge party for himself and gets drunk. Then wanting to show off to his other billionaire friends, he gets into his brand new Ferrari. Luckily for everyone else, he doesn’t make it past his own driveway. Unlucky for him, he crashes, dies, and finds himself at the gates of heaven. Next to him is a young orphan child who was living out of drain in a slum somewhere. He had malnutrition and was literally starving to death when covid got to him. There they both are at the gates of heaven and but there’s only room for 1. And God says to the billionaire you’re not getting in. Who here is going to feel sad? So why were the disciples shocked?
It’s because when they picture the rich, they don’t picture Elon Musk with his 9 kids from 3 women. They picture someone who has been blessed by God. A model Christian. They look at people who are successful and think they must have done something right because why else would God bless them so. Read the Old Testament and look at David. David listened and obeyed God. God made him King. Then you look at Saul. Saul refused to listen and God took everything away from him. It’s why Job’s friends saw his suffering and said you must have sinned and that’s why God is punishing you. They picture someone upfront at church. Who loves God and Is blessed.
None of us think we’re rich and so none of us believe this applies to us. But it does. When Jesus says it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter. It doesn’t mean be poor and you’ll get in. There’s no gate anywhere that a camel can squeeze through. It’s impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle just like it’s impossible for Michael Phelps to swim faster than a shark and it’s impossible for a rich person or a good person or a poor person or any sort of person to enter the kingdom of God. It’s not about how much money you have in your bank account. Don’t you see?
Without Jesus, we have nothing. But with Jesus, we must give up everything.
There’s our answer to the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Without Jesus, it doesn’t matter what you do. But at the same time, if you want Jesus, you must give up everything. Aren’t you glad you came to church today? Who thinks they can do this?
The disciples sure didn’t think so. That’s why they asked, who then can be saved?
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Behold the rich young man
What hope is there for us? There is a tiny detail in here which is very telling. Verse 28, Peter began to say to him. Why does it say that? Isn’t that odd? Because it implies Jesus doesn’t let him finish. And when you look at what Peter is saying, it sounds like he thinks he can do it. He can do what the rich man couldn’t. He’s left everything and followed Jesus. He begins to say, I can do that. Then Jesus says verse 29.
29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
Jesus raises the bar. Now it’s not just money. It’s your home. Your family. Your sick child and your dying mother. Your lands. Wherever you get your identity and your self-worth. All of it. This is what it says in Luke’s gospel.
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”
Before you begin to think you can do it, Jesus says think again. It’s impossible. Which just begs the question, Why would Jesus make it so hard that it’s impossible? The answer, is actually found in the rich young man.
Let’s take one last look at the rich young ruler. We don’t realise just how rich he was. It isn’t just that he has a lot of money and can buy whatever he wants. He’s so rich he probably doesn’t even carry money around. Do you think Elon Musk carries a wallet or keeps change in his pocket? I think this guy is richer than that. We also don’t realise how good he was. He’s kept all the commandments. He’s never broken the law and there’s not even a hint of deceit in him. He’s young as well, in the prime of his life. Some people say he’s probably 30 to 33 years old. One day, someone runs up to him and calls him good teacher. And he says why do you call me good?
“There is a rich young ruler who said yes. It’s Jesus.”
Are you looking at the rich young ruler? The one who is richer than you can count and rules everything you can see and who gave it all away. There is a rich young ruler who said yes. It’s Jesus. That’s what it means when he says with man it’s impossible but not with God. All things are possible with God. Because God himself does the impossible. The price that the rich man couldn’t bear to pay, everything that we couldn’t do ourselves, Jesus did for us. Don’t you see? He’s already told us at the start when he said why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. He’s telling us that he’s God.
When Jesus told the man, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. What treasure? How can Jesus be so sure of that? It’s because he left his treasure behind. Everything you could possibly think of, all the glories of heaven you can’t begin to imagine, Jesus left it all behind. He’s the rich young ruler who said yes.
Just in case you think I’m making this up. Look at what it says in Philippians.
Philippians 2:6 “[Jesus] though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus was as equally rich as God. And when he became human, he didn’t lose things or possessions. He emptied not his pockets, but himself. He gave away a part of himself when he became human. We struggle to give away even 10% of our money. Jesus gave away a part of himself. And for what? He was murdered by the very people he wanted to save. He who was the first above all, became the last, dead last. Why? So that those of us who are last will be first. With man it is impossible but not with God. All things are possible with God. And Jesus has done it.
Application
Let me give you one application to think about as we close. You’ve heard me say that it’s not what we do, it’s what we can’t let go. What this passage shows us at the end is that it’s not what we do, it’s what Jesus has done. Keep that at the forefront of your mind and it will be the anchor for your soul.
On your good days, it protects you from pride and complacency. When you begin to say see I’ve left everything and followed Jesus. What a good Christian I am. No. Think again.
But on your bad days, this protects you from despair. When you think you’ve failed as a Christian, think again. There is a rich young ruler who said yes. It’s Jesus. Not you.