Lenses

July 6

Mark 10:17-31

Lenses

What a familiar and often spoken about passage. Many times I have wished that we could erase our previous experiences with a biblical text… take away all of the “commentary” and pontification… and read these passages for the very first time again. What would it look like to come to this part of the story and simply read about “a man (who) ran up and knelt before (Jesus) and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v.17)

This person is simply described as a man…. nothing else. The little headings in our bible may try to spoiler the story for us by naming the passage “the rich young man” or “the rich young ruler”; but what is actually here in the text itself is just “a man” who runs up and kneels. He asks Jesus about “eternal life” while kneeling before him. We have no reason to think this man is not genuine or sincere. He is kneeling before the Lord - a posture that every other genuine person in the story so far has assumed. He calls Jesus “good teacher” and affirms him as having the answers he longs for… the answers that wold share “eternal life”. How does Jesus respond?

“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.” (v.21) Do you see that? Jesus looked at him and “loved” him! He didn’t despise him. He was not frustrated with him. He was not gritting his teeth or scowling at him while he spoke to him… Jesus loved him. He called him to come and “follow”. If we erased all of our previous “sermons” and got rid of the man-made little headings in our bible… what would we be thinking at this moment? If we pushed the proverbial “pause” button on this story and asked ourselves what we thought the outcome will be - how would you answer?

One of the reasons I love this story is because it reminds me of my own life… the way that it is totally possible to run up to Jesus, seek him, kneel before him, acknowledge that he is good, ask him to point you in the direction of eternal life, and then feel the tension of doing what it is he has asked us to do. It may be “easier”… more tidy… to paint this “man” who runs up as shallow, greedy, or hypocritical … this would explain his response more “naturally” to us. But the truth is more “messy” than that. The ugly truth is that sincere, well-meaning, genuine people are still susceptible to walking away from “eternal life”. I wonder if this man knew that Jesus looked at him and “loved” him? I wonder if it would have changed his emotions as he walked away? It is so easy for me to read this story and overlook the fact that Jesus cared deeply for this man… and the teaching that comes to the disciples afterwards may not have been as much an “I told you so” moment as it was a moment of “sadness” for Jesus as well.

How do we stop ourselves from doing the same thing? What will it take for us to answer the call to come and follow? What will Jesus call us to? Do you think the man did it? Do you think he ever came back and joined the crowd following Jesus? Do you think in the next town Jesus looked out down the road and saw this man approaching…running towards him again… the same way he “ran” up to him before and then he falls down at his feet… “kneels” before him… and says “Good teacher! I did it… I am here and ready to follow.” ? What lens do you read this story with? Is it one of expectation and hope, or is it one of defeat and disappointment? Do you see Jesus’ “love” and compassion or do you see Jesus as smug and callous… delivering a sort of “See! I told you so… “ type of message? I want us to think about what lens we read with and why. Are we reading with a “lens” that misses Jesus’ love? Do we read with a lens that is hopeless or hopeful? I want us to decide why it is we think the man went off and did whatever it is you think he did. Did he sell his stuff, give to the poor, and follow Jesus? Or did he go home sad, do nothing, and stay right where he was? We will look at this passage more tomorrow. For now, know this: Jesus looks at you the same way that he looked at this man on the road… with compassion and LOVE. Talk soon! - JDP