ALWAYS SEEK THE TRUTH
November 18, 2018
Fr. Bosco Padamattummal

Mark 13:28 says, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branches have already become tender and put forth its leaves, you know the summer is near.” Just the day before, our Lord had cursed the fig tree, chapter 11:12-14. He used the fig tree as an illustration of Israel. He went to the fig tree because He was hungry. The fig tree had no fruit. That was unusual because the fruit comes first and the leaves late on fig trees. There should have been because there were leaves, there should have been some immature fruit that He could have plucked and it would have been edible. But when He got to the tree, it had leaves but no fruit, and it was a symbol of Israel, nothing but leaves. Religious pretense, and He pronounced a curse on that fig tree and it died on the spot. It was a miracle in reverse. The only destructive miracle recorded in the New Testament done by Jesus. This fig tree then was an illustration of Israel’s barrenness. But here’s another fig tree, in Mark 13 He said, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know the summer is near. Even so, you too when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” This sermon, given on the Mount of Olives during Passion Week on Wednesday night to His disciples alluding to His return, has not changed. I also want you to understand that the eschatology and what the Scripture says about the end times is not hard to understand. I don’t think the Lord wrote His Word to make anything unclear whether it is about His second coming. That’s why Revelation starts out by saying, “Blessed is the one who reads this and understands,” having said that, we can’t understand the second coming of Christ in its totality because it hasn’t happened yet. So where the speculation comes in, different denominations or branches of Christianity teaches with some variations on the eschatology. Though what we can’t know is the specificity of the fulfillment that has not happened yet. But the prophecies are very, very clear when it comes to the return of Christ. The culmination of human history occurs at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth. When He comes back, it is time for the living and the dead. The believers who are alive when He comes will be ushered into His glorious Kingdom and the sinners who do not repent, into eternal damnation.

Though we do not often hear from the pulpit on the second coming of Christ we are looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We live in hope. The day of judgment should be more of our concern and worry than the price of gas or plowing snow or mowing the loan. And although He has said other things in these Gospels about His coming, the main teaching from the lips of Christ about His return is in this message given on Wednesday night of Passion Week, sitting on the Mount of Olives with His disciples as the sun is setting, looking back at the eastern gate, the Herodian temple and the city of Jerusalem. It’s the final day that He teaches. It’s the final day of public ministry. The next day He will stay in private and He will prepare for the Passover on Thursday night. Friday He is tried and crucified. Sunday He rises from the dead. Forty days later, after appearing only to believers, He ascends to heaven where He now sits, waiting to return. The second coming of our Lord. It is recorded in Matthew 24 and 25, Luke 21 and Mark 13. When the disciples hear all these from their master and they still are trying to figure it out, they pose the question in Mark 13:4, “Tell us, when will these things be, the things that have to do with judgment? And what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled? What’s the sign of final judgment on sinners? What’s the sign of the final establishment of the Kingdom?” He said, “Look, before I come, the world will be characterized by religious deception, massive religious deception.” Matthew, Mark and Luke all give us insight into this. It will secondly be characterized by massive disasters, wars, rumors of wars, which means hot wars, cold wars, earthquakes. And if you put them all together, famines, plagues, all kinds of natural disasters. A time of deception, disaster, distress and persecution of believers. Religious deception today proliferates maybe like it never has in the history of the world, natural disasters seem to be getting worse and worse. Believers have always been persecuted. They’re being persecuted and even slaughtered around the world today.

Dear brothers and sisters, though all these things are happening now we cannot say anything about the date and time of His second coming. But we know this from the Gospel, that if the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. We also must be ready for the “Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." The Lord Jesus expects us to vigilantly guard and protect the treasure He has given us in this present life. It is the treasure of His kingdom and the gifts and graces He has won for us - the gift of salvation purchased by the blood of Christ who died for us on the cross to free us from slavery to sin and Satan, and the gift of abundant new life which Christ won for us through His resurrection victory over death, and the gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us and empower us with supernatural faith, hope, and love that endure forever. The Father and the Son come to dwell in us through the gift of the Holy Spirit who makes His home with us. But we can lose the treasure and gifts of God if we do not guard our hearts and minds and hold to the truth of God's Word and live according to His wise precepts, teaching, and just laws. The Second coming is not something you should be fearful of. “Don’t let your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe in Me.” Here’s the good news, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places, or rooms. If it weren’t so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I’ll come again and receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may be also.”

ALWAYS SEEK THE TRUTH
November 11, 2018.
Fr. Bosco Padamattummal

At the time of Jesus the people saw the Sadducees, the Pharisees, the scribes, the priests and the rabbis as the representatives of God, the agents of God, the divinely appointed and implanted arbiters of divine truth to the people. They were viewed as devout, respected and responsible. They were the shepherds of Israel from the perspective of the people and from their perspective they wanted to be sure that the people saw them that way. But all false teachers, all promoters of false religion are the enemies of Christ and the enemies of truth and enemies of the Gospel and the enemies of souls.

It is Wednesday, as we pick up the story, of Passion Week, the final week of our Lord’s life. On Friday they will manage to get Him crucified. They will do that only because it is the predetermined will of God. Starting very early in the morning when Jesus came into the city with His disciples and saw the cursed fig tree dead along the road which was a symbol of the cursing of the temple and the cursing of the people and the nation. Jesus went directly to the temple and spent the whole day Wednesday preaching the Gospel according to Luke and teaching things concerning salvation and the kingdom. As He moved, like rabbis do, kind of a floating classroom in the massive courtyards of the temple, He was confronted by the Sanhedrin in waves they came at Him. First a group of Pharisees with the Herodians came. Then the Sadducees came. And then it was a scribal question that confronted Him as they tried to trap Him in His words and get Him to say something that would cause the Jews to turn against Him, or even more importantly the Romans to arrest Him because He would present Himself as a threat to Roman peace. No matter what wave came, no matter what question was asked, He gave an answer that caused them to leave Him in silence and in shock. And so verse 34 says, “After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.” The questioning from the standpoint of the leaders was done; it was an unsuccessful series of traps. They would have to do it another way. At the end they would bribe Judas and you know how the story unfolds from there to trap Jesus.

In this passage we hear His last words publicly. Verse 38-44, very strong words and very, very condemning words. Our Lord’s final words to Israel, “Regard their religious leaders and expose their religious leaders for what they are. They are corrupt hypocrites. And He warns the people of their damning influence.” It isn’t the first time He’s characterized them this way. If you go back to Mt 15:14, you remember on that occasion Jesus basically described them as blind leaders of the blind. It begins, “Beware.” That’s the caution. They not only hold wrong views, they propagate them. Our Lord indicates here that rather than welcome these people, we ought to flee from them. You need to be rescued themselves from them. The Jews even had a saying that Moses received the Law and gave it to Joshua. Joshua received the Law and gave it to the elders. The elders received the Law and gave it to the prophets. The prophets received the Law and gave it to the scribes. So they were the possessors of the Law, the gatekeepers of all that was supposed to be true about the Word of God. They were the experts in the Law. They were the lawyers of Israel. So these Scribes’ responsibility was not only interpretation of the Law, but application of the Law. They were the dominant force then in Judaism, as lawyers play a dominant force in our life when it comes to all matters legal. The point would be that they were to be the protectors of the people. They were to show them what God wanted. They were to hold them to the Law of God so that they could be conformed to the promises of God for blessing upon obedience. That was their role. However, they did the opposite. Our Lord says, “Beware of them.” When you have to beware of your protectors,  you’re in trouble. When you can’t trust the people who are supposed to show you the truth, and show you what is right, and show you what God wants, you are really in trouble whether it is in Jesus’ time or even now. What characterizes their false virtue? It’s all external. In Mt 23 He says that you clean the outside of the dish and the inside is filthy. He says, “On the outside you’re a whitewashed tomb. On the inside you’re corrupt, rotting flesh.” They enlarged all their tassels, they made them larger and larger, people look at their robes and assume that they were holy. They gave no attention to His truth.

In verse 40 we see, “They devour widows’ houses.” They’re supposed to be the shepherds of the sheep and if there’s anybody that needs to be protected, who would it be? Widows and children I could take you to 25 or 30 Old Testament passages starting in Exodus telling that the people of God have responsibility to those who are widows in their midst, to care for them. Jesus may know that they abuse the hospitality of widows. Jesus tells us through this Gospel if any religious leaders take advantage of the weak, the desperate, the despairing, the lonely, the hopeless, the helpless people it is a very serious sin. At the end of verse 40 He says, “These will receive greater condemnation.” In verse 42 says a poor widow came and dropped in a couple of coins. We have the comment of Jesus that the two coins was it, and that was all she had. She is not a spiritual hero in the story. What is she in the story? She’s a victim of a corrupt religion; a system that devours widows’ houses. That’s the connection. Her outward action is simply an evidence of what that system did to widows. You want blessing of God, you give your money.

Dear brothers and sisters, there has always been abuse of power and prestige in our church but  we are a part of the true church instituted by the Lord where you know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, believe in the true interpretation of the scriptures. Through the sacraments, the saving grace of God comes to sinners. Let us thank the Lord for making the unrighteous righteous. Let us thank Him for the gift of salvation. Let us thank Him for the truth of true understanding of His Word. Let us pray for the leaders of the church to be protectors of the truth and protectors of His church. We pray Lord, that you will give us a renewed commitment to walk with Christ in obedience, those of us who know You, to be faithful, to love You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM?
November 4, 2018
Deacon Dennis Walters

In  today’s Gospel, a scribe asks Jesus what is the greatest commandment in the Law, and Jesus replies by citing not one but two commandments: you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, and soul (Deut. 6), and you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19). The scribe then offers an approving commentary on why these two commandments are the greatest, the most important, and the most worthwhile. Whereupon Jesus gives the scribe what at first sounds like a compliment: “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”  

Wait a minute! Not far? That means that the scribe is not in the kingdom of God. What seems to be missing?

What seems to be missing is a basic commitment to Jesus Himself. In context, the scribe has overheard how well Jesus answers His critics, and so he’s impressed. He asks his question perhaps out of curiosity as to how Jesus will answer and, when the answer is satisfactory, has the chutzpah to congratulate the Son of God on getting it right. Of all the scribes mentioned in the Gospels, he seems to be one of the few good ones. But he is not one of Jesus’ disciples; he has no committed relationship with Jesus, which is what keeps him not far from the kingdom.

We shouldn’t discount the scribe’s comment, however. There really is something more important than sacrifice. One can always use sacrifice — any kind of formal worship — as a way of keeping God at a distance, or of manipulating Him to salve our conscience. The prophets often reminded Israel that obedience was better than sacrifice, and the chief command to be obeyed was the command God gave to love Him wholeheartedly.

Understanding the importance of the two commandments of love is good; it’s a high ideal; but until it’s put into effect, that’s all it is — an ideal. Holding that ideal puts us in a good place, but (like the scribe) just “not far from the kingdom of God.”

We’re coming to the time of year when the liturgy begins reminding us of the “four last things”:  death, judgment, heaven, and hell. All of us know that we will one day die, hopefully after many years in the future. When we come before Jesus on the day of our death, it’s worth considering how He will see us. Will He be impressed with how nice we are toward others, or what fun we are to be around? Will He appreciate our sports record, our business accomplishments, the awards we received, or the degrees we earned? Perhaps these things will mean something to Him. But my guess is that Jesus will ignore these and ask us just one question: how well did you love Me?

Love requires commitment more than feeling. To tell someone in all seriousness that you love him is to invest in a relationship, one that involves a conscious choice, and one that takes a good deal of maintenance. The quality of the relationship depends on the level of investment. The two great commandments suggest the level God expects; namely, our whole selves.

That’s more than a high ideal. To love someone with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind, and all your strength sets a high standard. That’s the standard God expects for our love of Him. Unless we love God that much, we will remain “not far from the kingdom of God.”

Most of us probably don’t think of ourselves as very good lovers. And we’re right. We’re not. If it seems impossibly demanding of God to expect us to love Someone we can’t see with our whole selves, the second commandment gives us a standard that’s perhaps more doable:  we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan identifies who our neighbor is; essentially, anyone we’re near, even an enemy. The commandment means that I extend to this person the same care and concern I give myself. A true love of neighbor goes beyond even the Golden Rule (doing for others what I want them to do for me). It’s an investment in my neighbor — more than a one-time good deed. It means establishing a relationship with the neighbor, one that involves extending myself to someone else, being generous with my time, compassion, resources, and person. Love of neighbor doesn’t equal love of God; but love of neighbor done out of love of God is a good indicator of how well I love God.

Even at that, the standard of love may seem impossibly high. I suspect that it’s so high because God wants it that way. Frankly, we need God’s help to love at all. The last thing we want is to remain “not far from the kingdom of God” by failing at least to make the effort. I think it’s a good idea from time to time to tell God that we love Him. Say the words. Out loud. Doing so in all seriousness establishes and reinforces our commitment to Him as His disciple. It also puts us in a position to ask for — even demand —the ability to love Him and our neighbor consistently, to love well, and to take delight in loving.

Jesus warns that without Him we can do nothing, yet still commands us to love Him with everything we have. Impossible, on our own strength. Very possible with His. We should say every day, “I love You, my Lord and my God. Help me to love You as You love.”   

ARE YOU CALLING OUT FOR THE MERCY OF THE LORD?
October 28, 2018
Fr. Bosco Padamattummal

M ark 10:46-52 says, “Then they came to Jericho and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples in a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, ’Jesus, son of David, have mercy on Me.’”

If you were with us this morning, you will remember verse 36 where Jesus says to James and John, and their mother, “What do you want Me to do for you?” So these two are the “what do you want Me to do for you” passages. This man wants nothing as exalted and elevated as to sit on the right hand, or the left hand of Jesus in glory. He just wants to see. Jesus did not meet the request of James and John. He said that was in the determination of the Father and those whom the Father has prepared that glory for. But Jesus did respond positively to the desire of this blind man. This is the final healing...the final healing, the final miracle really in Jesus’ ministry. He did signs and wonders and mighty deeds displaying His deity, His compassion, and His power, all the while preaching salvation and entrance into His glorious Kingdom. Through the years since His baptism at the Jordan River, He has filled the land of Israel with supernatural power displays. He has demonstrated power over disease, over demons, over death, over nature. He has shown that He has absolute authority over everything, including that which was most sacred to the Jews, Sabbath and even the Law. There is, however, one more miracle to come, a separate one from all these that He did on behalf of others, and that is His own resurrection from the dead. But for now, it is time for the servant of Jehovah to become the suffering servant, it is time for the anointed one to become the rejected one, it is time for the sovereign Lord to become the sacrificial Lamb. From here on, from Jericho on into the final week, there are no stories of conversion. There are no stories of salvation in Jerusalem in these last days. There are, however, at the very end, two unique conversions that occur right when Christ is crucified. The thief and the Centurion. 

So in verse 46 they came to Jericho. With Jesus coming into town and all the pilgrims pouring through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem, it would have been the parade that never ended and in the towns, people must have lined the streets the way Zacchaeus did who climbed up in a tree to see that Jesus was coming. If he knew He was coming, surely everybody else knew He was coming. And so the crowd swells with curiosity seekers and the streets are lined with people. It is Passover excitement elevated and intensified because the one who could be the Messiah has come to our town. At the very top, by the way, of the hill from Jericho straight up, just before you go into Jerusalem is a little village called Bethany and not long before this, Jesus had gone to Bethany and raised Lazarus from the dead. It was because He raised Lazarus from the dead that the Jewish leaders decided they had to kill Him. So He is the focus of immense attention.

Luke tells us in Luke 18:6 that Bartimaeus hears the crowd going by and he says, “What’s happening?” And somebody responds and says, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” They refer to a man from Nazareth, that’s who they saw, a man from Nazareth. Nothing abnormal about that. Bartimaeus begins to scream in anguish and desperation and he doesn’t say, “Jesus of Nazareth,” he says, “Jesus, Son of David.” That is a messianic title and he knew exactly what it meant. The Messiah was to be the heir of David’s throne, according to 2 Samuel 7. The Messiah would receive the Kingdom that had been promised to a Son of David.

 And what does he want? Look at his request. “Have mercy on me, pity me.” The pure cry of this man from the heart, “Pity me.” He’s not deserving of anything and he knows it. His cry elicits no sympathy or mercy from the crowd, Verse 48, “Many were sternly telling him to be quiet.” That was the attitude of the people. He refuses to be beaten back in silence. He needs mercy and he will fight for that mercy and he knows that Jesus is a merciful Messiah. His heart had seen the light before his eyes ever saw the light. Jesus stopped and He said, “Call him here. Don’t silence him, bring him to me.” Jesus said What do you want me to do for you? “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight.” “Go, your faith has made you well,” Luke 18:43 says, “He was following Him on the road glorifying God.” “When all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.” So many lessons here. You see the Lord’s profound compassion, You see that He never ignores the cry of a true heart of repentance. We want to live lives of true worship when we  cry out to Him, “Son of David, have mercy on me,” in our spiritual blindness, in our desperation. We’re all like this man, hopelessly blind, unable to seek You, Lord. You have to seek us and find us along the dusty road of life and hear our cries and awaken our hearts and awaken our faith.


 

WILL YOU BE WORTHY TO SIT AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND?
October 21, 2018
Fr. Bosco Padamattummal

Mark 10:35-45, tells us that Jesus gives lessons on humility when James and John are seeking positions at His right and left when He comes in Glory. Our Lord is having a very difficult time getting the lesson to these Apostles and to us. His Apostles, intimate disciples, they love Jesus, they believe in His Kingdom, but they still struggle with pride. They have a materialistic view of the Kingdom because of their own personal desires for exaltation, for elevation. Remember, they are common men. They have worked all their lives. They’ve served others all their lives. They’ve been at the lower end of the social strata. Now they’ve been drawn into this intimacy with Christ, they get it now, they know who He is. James and John who want to sit at His right and left when He comes in Glory. In Matthew their mother came with them to request this position, this is important. Why would you bring your mother? Well it’s not just that they brought their mother, it’s who their mother was. When you study the crucifixion of Christ in the account of Matthew, Mark and John, you see three women at the cross. Mary, the mother of our Lord, Mary Magdalene, and a third woman. The third woman who is at the cross is identified in three different ways. Matthew calls her the mother of the sons of Zebedee, so it’s this woman which means she hung in there. When the Apostles had fled, she hung in there. She was at the cross. It’s a strong faith there. Matthew calls her the mother of Zebedee. Mark calls her Salome, so that was her name. John calls her the sister of Jesus’ mother. So their mother is Jesus’ aunt. So this is now a family deal. They’re going to play the family card here. Okay. Not only were we at the Transfiguration, not only are we intimately involved with You in the inner circle, but Your mother is our mother’s sister. That’s got to be good for something big, really big. And instead of this developing humility in them, it has fed their inordinate remaining pride. Peter even expresses that attitude in 10:28 when he says, “We have left everything and followed You,” and the other gospel writers say that he also added, “What’s in it for us?” Come on, we’ve done the self-denial, take up your cross, follow You, we’ve done it, what’s in it for us? This pride is deep-seated pride. They want glory. They want elevation. They want exaltation.

They should have known their Old Testament well enough to know that God exalts humility. Abraham, says, “Who am I? I’m the least.” Isaac was willing literally to give his life as an offering to God, that’s as humbling as you can possibly get. Jacob says, “I’m not worthy of the least of Your mercies. Joseph weeps without any bitterness over the betrayal that has come from his own brothers...a humble posture. Moses says, “Who am I that I should go and lead this people?” Joshua tore his clothes, fell on his face, threw dirt on his head as he stood before God...all acts of humility. Gideon, in Judges 6, says, “Who am I? I’m the least.” The sweetest testimony to an attitude of humility came from one of the great heroes of Judaism that these men would have known well, David. In the final chapter of 1 Chronicles 29:10, “David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, ‘Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel, our Father forever and ever, Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the victory and the majesty. Both riches and honor come from You and You rule over all and in Your hand is power and might. John the Baptist, the last of the prophets, who is not worthy to baptize Jesus, says, he’s not worthy to even untie His sandals and he must decrease so Christ can increase. They should have learned humility from the scriptures looking at these great heroes. This is a lesson they eventually learned. But it was not easy and it’s never easy for us to learn humility either.

Jesus said to them, “Do you know what you’re asking? Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”Drinking the cup and being baptized are references to suffering. You want glory, but you don’t want suffering? When Jesus talked about His cross, they didn’t want to ask any questions about it. They didn’t want any more information. And here’s their ridiculous arrogant over-confidence, verse 39, “They said to Him, ‘We are able.’” It’s like Peter in Luke 22, he says, “I will never betray You, I will never betray You,” and then he goes and does it. It’s an over-estimation based on pride. This is typical of human pride. Matthew 26:56 says, “They all forsook Him and fled.” They couldn’t handle His suffering and death, they ran for their lives. Our Lord’s answer is gentle. Jesus said to them, verse 39, “The cup that I drink you shall drink and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I’m baptized.” That’s a prophecy, folks, that’s a prophecy. Yeah, you’ll have that...you will have that. Yes, you will drink the cup in full and you will be submerged in suffering. For James, he’s the first martyr. For John, he’s the last martyr, they were the first and last who died because of the Gospel.

In verse 40, Jesus said, “to sit on My right or My left, this is not Mine to give. But it is for those for whom it has been prepared By My Father.” Who will be on the right hand and the left hand of Christ in the Kingdom? I have no idea. Will it be James and John, after all, they did drink the cup, they did go through the baptism even though they tried to avoid it. Will it be them? Who will it be? Jesus did not give that answer. It can be you and me if we are humble and ready to drink the cup and be baptized with which Jesus and the apostles were baptized. Like St. Paul let us say, “I finished the course, kept the faith, ran the race, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown.” That’s noble ambition, to please the Lord. Paul didn’t want to be disqualified, 1 Corinthians 9, He was happy to let God judge him. He said, “I don’t care what men say, it’s a small thing. I wait for the day when the Lord will reveal the secrets of the heart and then shall every man have praise from God. It’s a right thing to desire that if the motive is pure and the motive is God-honoring.

WHAT WILL YOU GIVE UP TO EARN ETERNAL LIFE?
October 14, 2018
Fr. Bosco Padamattummal

In Mark chapter 10 we read that a man ran up to Jesus and knelt before Him and asked Him, ‘Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ This is an actual encounter. This is not a parable. This is not a story that Jesus invented as He often did. This is a real encounter between Jesus and this man recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke because it deals with such an absolutely critical issue for us to understand. We also know from Matthew and Luke’s account that he was a young man and that he was a ruler, probably the ruler of a synagogue. Here we learn from the life of our Lord the reality of how to deal with a selfish shallow seeker who in this case is extremely religious. This young man failed the greatest test of his life when he was offered a choice between himself and God, between fulfillment here and now and fulfillment in the life to come. The question was...what was more valuable to him? God and the life to come? Or his own will and the present life?

He’s young and he’s wealthy and he owns a lot of property and he has achieved spiritual respect and spiritual status by being made the chief of a synagogue. It means the people have great respect for him. He’s a moral man. There is in his heart a deep fear that he does not possess what he needs most and that is salvation, eternal life, the hope of heaven. The bottom line is, he wanted eternal life but not enough to give up his pride and his possessions.  He never questioned what Jesus said. He never questioned the truthfulness of what Jesus said but he just walked away. It becomes crystal clear to us that whatever Jesus was offering was going to cost him his pride and it was going to cost him his possessions and the price was too high, even for eternal life. He wanted eternal life only as an add-on to what he already possessed. It’s commendable that he comes with a measure of humility, keels down before the teacher then he addresses Jesus the way he does.  “Good teacher....” He acknowledges Jesus as not only a legitimate teacher, good to the core, virtuous, beneficent. 

There are some passages of Scripture that might lead you to do that. In John 6:28 they said to Jesus, “What shall we do so that we may do the works of God?” How do we become one with God? Also, you might remember the 16th chapter of Acts the jailor says to Paul and Silas after the earthquake hit the prison and they were set loose, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Whether it’s doing the work of God, or possessing eternal life, or being saved, it’s the same question and Paul gives the correct answer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus.” The testimony of the Apostle Paul would be very much like this young man. I see a lot of parallels. The Apostle Paul was doing really well for a while as a legalist. He was Circumcised the eighth day, born of the tribe of Benjamin, he says he was a traditionalist. He was zealous for the law. He was blameless before the law.  But in Romans 7:7, he says this, “I wouldn’t have come to know sin except through the Law.” What kind of law he is talking about. It is the law that is expanded by the Lord Matthew 19:17  Jesus gives him some examples. “Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Honor your father and mother.”  “He said to Him, ‘Teacher, I’ve kept all these things from my youth.’” That’s why Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:20-48,  “You have heard it said, you’ve been taught, but I say to you...”  You’ve been taught that if you don’t murder, you’re fine. I ‘m telling you, if you hate someone, you’re a murderer in your heart. You’ve been taught if you don’t commit adultery, you’re okay. But I’m telling you, if you look on a woman to lust after her in your heart, you’ve committed adultery. In this context this man didn’t understand the depth of the Law. 

Again in Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and might.” And if you do that you won’t have any other idols, so how far from good was this man? He not only regularly broke the second table of the Law in his heart. Here comes the exposure. “One thing you lack, just one thing.” “Go sell all you possess, give to the poor, you’ll have treasure in heaven.” That’s what you said you wanted. “Come follow Me.”How can it be that simple? “But at these words, he was saddened and he went away grieving for he was one who owned much property.”or we can say h adored  another God. Who is his other God? Earthly wealth, temporal satisfaction was his God.

Jesus then comments that it’s hard to enter the Kingdom of God The disciples respond by saying, “Who can be saved?” In the context of Israel, these religious people who are wealthy. And according to their theology, they were wealthy because they were blessed by God. If you were wealthy, you were blessed by God. And if you were poor, you were cursed by God. If you were healthy, you were blessed by God. If you were sick, you were cursed by God.  The very wealthy would be easily able to enter into the Kingdom of God because he had so much money he could buy all the animal sacrifices, he could buy the spotless lamb where somebody else with less money would have to take a blemished lamb or even lesser than a lamb, maybe even a bird. That was the simplicity of their theology and a wrong theology to be sure. They become like the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21 who had much and he just said, “I’m just going to keep accumulating, I’ll build bigger barns and bigger barns and bigger barns and eat, drink and be merry. And the word came to him that night, “You fool, tonight your soul will be required of you.”Dear brothers and sisters I think there is only one way to seek the eternal life It’s like Luke 18, pounding his breast the Publican says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Save me.” That’s the sinner’s prayer. Salvation or eternal life a divine work we don’t get it by a formula. We don’t get it by being religious or moral or rich and giving alms, it can’t come from a human viewpoint. It’s of pure grace. Let us strive for it but let the Lord make the decision.