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03.01.09

1st Sunday in Lent

SERMON SERIES: ON THE ROAD TO THE CROSS

PART 1: THE RICH YOUNG MAN

DEUTERONOMY 30:11-20; MARK 10:17-22

• On the Road With Jesus
• The Journey of Jesus’ Life
• Jesus lived his life on a journey
• For him, that journey began before he was ever born
• He was sent by God from his home in the glory of heaven to be born on earth as a human infant
• Just prior to his birth, he was taken on a journey in the womb of his mother Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Joseph, the man who would be his earthly father
• Not long after his birth, he was on the road again as Joseph took his wife and son to Egypt to escape the rage of a deadly king
• Once they received word of Herod’s death, this little family took to the road again to finally return to their hometown of Nazareth where they were able to settle down in a modest but peaceful life
• The next we hear of any travels taken by Jesus and his family was when they journeyed to Jerusalem for the Passover when Jesus was twelve
• Following that Passover celebration, the Gospels are silent on the life of Jesus until he came to the Jordan to be baptized by John
• That baptism was the turning point in Jesus’ life, for that event marked the beginning of his public ministry
• He was now on the road to fulfill God’s plan for his life
• Following his baptism, he was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by Satan for forty days, and upon his return, he traveled throughout Galilee preaching the Good News to all who would hear it and sharing God’s love and grace to all
• For the next three years, Jesus lived his life as a homeless man, traveling with his companions from one place to the next, proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God, ministering to the poor, the sick and the outcast of society, and accepting food and lodging from any who would welcome him
• He lived his life at odds with the culture of his day, and the life he lived ultimately brought him face-to-face with death on a cross
• Yet, it wasn’t his lifestyle that brought him to the cross; instead it was the plan of God
• From the moment of his birth, Jesus began his journey on the road to the cross, for that was the purpose for which he was born
• He was a man who was born to die an extraordinary death for an extraordinary cause: to save all of humanity from sin
• And he was the only one who could do such a thing, for he alone is the holy Son of God
• Our Lenten Journey With Jesus
• Along that road, Jesus encountered all sorts of people from all walks of life
• Many of them put their faith in him and many did not, but everyone whose life touched his was radically changed in some way
• During these weeks of Lent, we will encounter the lives of several of those who encountered Jesus on the road to the cross to see what we might learn from them as we journey with Jesus to the cross
• Lent is a time for encountering Jesus
• During these forty days, which are reminiscent of the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness, we journey with Jesus to the cross
• There are two ways by which we can follow Jesus on this journey
• We can follow these events as mildly interested observers, as we might read a history book, or we can follow Jesus as deeply engaged participants
• When we make the move from observer to participant, we become part of the journey to the cross
• Observers stand by the roadside and watch Jesus struggle under the weight of the cross—participants take up their crosses and follow
• Observers watch the crucified Lord from a distance—participants hang on their own crosses next to Jesus
• Making the Commitment to Follow
• The Rich Young Man
• One day, as Jesus was ready to move farther along on his journey, he encountered a man who came to him with a burning question: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
• This was a sincere and heartfelt question from a man who had the best of everything in life but who still found his life unfulfilling
• There was something that was missing from his life and he wasn’t sure what it was
• He had inherited the faith of his father along with the wealth of his father’s land
• Yet, his faith was nothing more than meaningless ritual, and while his wealth could satisfy his physical desires, it could not satisfy that deep longing of his soul
• We don’t know exactly how this man came to know of Jesus
• Perhaps he heard tell about this amazing new teacher who was attracting crowds by the thousands
• Perhaps he heard Jesus speak and searched him out so he could have a personal audience with him
• Somehow he knew that what attracted people to Jesus was his message of eternal life
• Upon hearing that, he knew that that’s what was missing from his life
• Despite all he had, the one thing that would give his life meaning was the assurance that he would have eternal life
• So he comes to Jesus with his question, and he was very sincere in his asking
• Jesus responds to his question by naming off a number of the commandments, to which the man responds, “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
• He was very sincere in his answer, believing that he had been very diligent in the keeping of the law
• This was the faith he inherited from his father, a faith he found too ritualistic to provide any meaning
• That lack of meaning is what makes his question so important
• Sensing his sincerity, Jesus does not chastise him for what others might hear as an arrogant response
• Instead, Jesus looked at him and loved him, just as he does with each of us
• When Jesus looks at a person, he sees beyond the surface
• Jesus has the ability to see in us the true desires of our heart and to see what is lacking in our life
• When Jesus looked at this man, he loved him for his sincerity, but he also saw what was at the heart of this man’s need, what was lacking in his life
• And what was missing from his life was generosity; what was missing was genuine care and compassion for others
• For this man, religion consisted of the things he did not do
• He never murdered, never committed adultery, never stole, never told a lie, never defrauded anyone, and never disrespected his parents—but never had he been sacrificially generous
• It may be respectable never to take anything away from anyone, but it is Christian to give to someone
• So Jesus confronted him with a basic and essential question: “How much do you really want eternal life?  Do you want it enough to live sacrificially?  Do you want it enough to give all your possessions away and follow me?”
• And the man had to answer in effect: “I want it—but I don’t want it that bad.”
• This man was shocked at Jesus’ words and went away sad because he couldn’t let go of all the stuff he had; he couldn’t make the commitment Jesus asked him to make
• A Life and Death Decision
• We have as much difficulty with commitment today as this rich young mad had
• That’s evident in the fact that 50% of all marriages end in divorce and in the fact that parents abandon their children and allow others to care for them and raise them
• It’s evident in the fact that so many charitable organizations are struggling because people are far more interested in keeping what they have for themselves rather than sharing their blessings with others
• It’s evident in the fact that churches that used to be full every time the church doors were opened are now struggling to keep their doors open
• We can be committed to a God who will do for us what we want God to do, but we can’t commit ourselves to a God who asks more than we’re willing to give
• We want the blessings God has to offer, and that includes eternal life, but we want them on our terms
• We’re unwilling to make the sacrifices that total commitment requires
• As the Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land God promised to give them, Moses challenges them to commit their lives totally to God
• This passage from Deuteronomy is part of a sermon Moses delivered to them as they were preparing to make their crossing
• In this sermon, Moses recounts for them all that God has done for them from the time they were slaves in Egypt throughout their forty years of wandering in the wilderness
• Moses recounts this history for them to emphasize the commitment God made to be their God
• Even during their times of sinfulness and rebellion, God did not give up on them
• Even when they were most unfaithful, God continued to be faithful
• Since God had demonstrated God’s complete commitment to them, Moses challenges the people of Israel to make the same kind of complete commitment to God
• And this commitment is truly a matter of life and death—vs. 19 & 20
• Complete commitment to God is the means to enjoy an abundant and meaningful life in this world, for God will richly bless those who follow God faithfully
• Complete commitment to God is also the means by which we are blessed with an abundant and meaningful life in the world to come
• Without that commitment, we destine ourselves to death—and that kind of death is complete separation from God forever
• We never hear about this rich young man again after his encounter with Jesus
• I wonder whatever happened to him, if he ever found the meaning and purpose for life he was seeking
• Did he ever come to the place where he could commit himself to Christ, or did he continue to rely on his riches to save him?
• Based upon what we do know, he chose death rather than life
• What kind of commitment are you willing to make?
• If we are to journey with Jesus to the cross and beyond the cross to the empty tomb, we must be willing to make a commitment and follow Jesus to the end
• We cannot claim to be his followers only when the way is easy, and abandon him when the way is hard
• This journey is one of sacrifice, so we must be willing to give our all for Jesus, and even give up our life if necessary, just as Jesus gave his all for us and laid down his life to save us
• As Peter reminds us in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”