All three of the Synoptic Gospels contain the story of the man who came to Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus reminded the man that he already knew the commandments of Judaism: “Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Honor your father and mother.” But the man answered that he had observed all these commandments from his youth but was still not satisfied. In other words, his religious life was not providing him the kind of existence he believed was possible with the God he worshiped. Something was lacking.
We are then told, “And Jesus looking upon him loved him.” (Mark 10:21) And it was out of that deep and honest love that Jesus said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” The man knew he was lacking something in his life. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have come to Jesus with his question regarding the path to eternal life. But we are told that the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow because he had great possessions.
This passage lends itself to many interpretations and has been the text of countless sermons. I want to focus on just three points.
- Notice that when Jesus quoted the commandments from the Hebrew Scriptures found in the Ten Commandments, he omitted several. The first and second commandments forbid having other gods before Yahweh and worshiping idols. Elsewhere Jesus warned his followers that they could not worship God and money. Their ultimate allegiance could not be parceled out by “making change with the currency of their faith.” Albert Schweitzer warned, “If you own something you cannot give away, then you don’t own it; it owns you.” We are possessed by what we think we possess. That is an insidious form of idolatry.
- Jesus did not quote the last commandment in the Decalogue: “You shall not covet.” Coveting may be the most common sin among humans. It’s certainly prominent and ubiquitous within our American capitalistic system. Our whole economy depends on some form of coveting. Coveting involves envy, and envy destroys relationships and stymies the possibility of community. In the economics of Jesus’ world, it was virtually impossible for someone to have “great possessions” without coveting and envying. And we must remember that the Hebrew word for coveting does not just refer to an inward desire. It also includes whatever actions we undertake to fulfill that desire. It’s not just a matter of envious wanting, it’s also a matter of unjust taking.
The irony is that this wealthy man who lacked the most important thing in life was himself impoverished. What exactly was this “single thing” this man lacked? Jesus answered that question on another occasion: “Seek first the Kingdom of God (God’s will and way in this world) and its righteousness (which is a synonym in the Jewish culture and prophetic legacy for justice).” Jesus was inviting the man to enter the Kingdom of God where he could find eternal life/qualitative life which shares in the character of God.
- It was when the man essentially admitted that he had failed in his search for eternal life through a selective obedience to the certain commandments, that we are told that “Jesus looking upon him loved him.” William Sloane Coffin once said, “God loves us as we are, but too much to leave us there.” This statement reveals a paradox of God’s love. God loves us all unconditionally. But if that love is deep and sincere, it cannot simply leave us stagnant, stuck, and unfulfilled. Authentic love seeks our best. Part of the tough love God has for us individually and collectively reflects God’s ambitious drive to bless us with a fullness of life, joy, and community. The man in our story already knew he lacked something, and Jesus knew what he lacked and what could grant him both the peace and identity he needed. God loves us too much to leave us in static, monotonous, and soul-withering circumstances. Our Creator is ambitious for us in ways that are life-affirming, healing, and emancipating.
I suggest that we all need to mature in our understanding of the nature of God’s love. Something will always be lacking if we do not allow God to love us into our authentic becoming. And that singular lack will keep us stuck in an increasing diminution of our joy and potential. None of us can “follow Jesus” without getting off of our blessed assurances, leaving our “homesteads,” and embracing the pilgrimage called discipleship. In a very real sense, we are all “the rich young ruler.” Our hope rests in that love which Paul says in I Corinthians 13 “never ends.” At some point in time or eternity I believe the man in our story will again be granted the choice of entering eternal life/the life of God. I have to believe that because I know I have many such choices facing me if I am to allow God to fiercely and authentically love me. So, I dare not begrudge God’s grace and unending love to anyone.
(The quote by William Sloane Coffin comes from his book Credo, p. 132.)
