October 21st:
Call: Hebrews 5: 7-8 Text: Mark 10: 17-27 Read: W&S #158 Could We? Would We? On countless occasions you and I have sung about how We love to tell the story of Jesus and his glory of Jesus and his love. And too, you and I have frequently sung our request to be told the stories of Jesus - the ones we love to hear - and things we would ask him to tell us if he were here. Well, this morning's scripture is indeed one of those old, old stories that we have loved so long a story I love to tell - but fortunately for you not in song. This story requires no introduction. You will recognize it at once [Mark 10: 17-22] As we hear it, we feel sorry for the young man We wish that he had chosen to sell his possessions We wish that he had followed Jesus. For the guy seemed like a good young man A man who led a pretty decent life A man who gave the commandments priority in his life Just the type of person who could have been of assistance to Jesus And a person who seems to lead a life a lot like we want to lead ours Obeying the commandments Recognizing the goodness in Jesus It is probably the fact that we are a lot like him, That makes you and me so badly want to advise him To sell those possessions. Oh, If he had only asked us Maybe we could have persuaded him to make that sacrifice. Don't you wish that we had had that chance? The point of the story is clear. We understand it. We understand that it calls for sacrifice - even suffering, suffering like that through which Christ (according to Hebrews) learned obedience. We understand too that it is silly for the young man To choose to hold on to possessions Rather than to make the prescribed sacrifice And enter the kingdom of the Lord. We've known this story We've liked this story We've told this story We've taught this story For years [pause] A few years ago - a couple of years before I began my ministry here The significance of this story changed for me It changed when I read a story in Time Magazine. The story was about a visit to India By Bill and Melinda Gates A Time reporter accompanied the two of them to the home of a young mother and her children. The story told of how Bill sat down and visited with this woman for some time. The visit showed a sincere compassion on the part of Microsoft's founder It was unquestionably a very decent thing to do, but that is not the reason the magazine story had an impact on the depth of my relationship with this morning's text and thereby on my faith and my perception of Christian discipleship. For the Time reporter was not content to merely write of her observations of the visit. So the next day, she returned to that woman's house To see what the woman had thought of the visit. As she talked with the young mother, she asked, "Did you know that the man who talked with you yesterday is the wealthiest man in the world?" The woman smiled at the reporter and replied sweetly, "No, but to me, you are all wealthy. It doesn't matter who is the wealthiest." As I read that, I began to grasp that for that Indian woman Your wealth and my wealth are closer to that of Bill Gates Than they are to her. Think about that. You, me, and Bill Gates What a threesome we make! After all we're pretty much the same - in that woman's eyes. If that Indian woman heard the story of Christ and the young man She could picture me (well, except for the young part) Or she could picture you Or she could picture Bill Gates. It would make no difference to her. I have never been able to forget that woman in India Her words haunt me at times. Therefore, in the years since I met her in the pages of that magazine, I have never been able to read this morning's text in the same way that I used to read it. Let's see whether her story has the same impact on you. This time as we read it we will substitute the words "members of the Potsdam UMC congregation" For the words "a man." [Mark 10: 17-22, but with the alteration.] That story reads very differently now - doesn't it? We have never thought of ourselves as wealthy And so throughout the years, we have been able to distance ourselves from identifying with the young man in the story. That is harder to do After hearing the story of the woman in India Her story requires us - or at least inspires us - To change the words of the scripture. With our former comfortable distancing You and I were able to avoid the story's full impact We could see the story as applying to people who are much wealthier than we are. Now we can't. And the situation gets no more comfortable When we read the verses that follow: [10: 23-27] My household owns Four televisions (none of which are HD or wide screen), three computers and a I Pad as well as three cell phones I have over 100 ties, four suits, several sport jackets, and five choices of footwear (shoes or sneakers). In the last six months I have traveled to Gettysburg PA, Salem MA, and Saratoga Springs, NY I have taken three trips to Syracuse and two trips to Rome (Rome NY not Rome Italy) These are evidence of a wealth That is fairly modest by the standards of many in this congregation And one that is remarkably puny by Bill Gates' standards. But if that woman in India heard the list of my possessions And the number of trips I have taken She would be convinced that I am a wealthy man. That nameless woman in India opened my eyes. To the fact that In actuality I am wealthier than many people Perhaps wealthier even than 80% of the world's population. And so, when I hear that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven It makes me uncomfortable - extremely uncomfortable. In fact, I squirm. My squirming is relieved only by the hope in Christ's closing words "For God all things are possible." Even pulling this camel through that needle Now (pause) this story relates to me and me to it in ways we didn't relate in the past. Now (pause) I am no longer on the sidelines trying to advise the well off young man I am no longer urging him sell his possessions For the advice is for me Not just for someone else Now (pause) I read the story and question myself And I hope that you are questioning yourselves as well With apologies to Theodore Geisel The questions we must ask are "Would we? Could We? but when we ask the questions we won't be talking about eating green eggs and ham. We will be talking about whether we would and whether we could make whatever sacrifice or sacrifices Jesus requires of us We will be talking about Whether we would and whether we could sacrifice anything important to us in order to follow Christ Is there any chance that it is possible That we would and we could follow Jesus Only if the sacrifice required didn't hurt? We, of course, get to answer these questions in a few weeks when On Stewardship Sunday we fill out the estimated giving cards But the lesson in the scripture and in our questions is not just economic It is spiritual and so we need to ask and answer the questions Whenever, we have a chance to sacrifice time, energy, or pleasure to follow Jesus The Christ. If we had been the man in the text "Would we have? Could we have?' made the required sacrifice? Or would we have and could we have Looked at the man who was to hang on the cross and said, "I'm sorry, Jesus, it's just too big a price to pay"? And sadly walked away? And today? Would we? Could we?