10-17-21 Grace-Tucson Sermon

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”

Mark 10:17-27 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Sundays After Pentecost Sunday, October 17, 2021 “Overcoming Greed”

Wouldn’t it be nice to be rich? I realize that there are all sorts of income levels among the members and guests here at Grace Lutheran Church. We would represent a good deal of variety if we were to compare our net worth. But I suspect most if not all of us would have this in common: that we have at times considered how nice it would be to have a little bit more. For some, that might mean wanting to save up some sort of emergency fund so I am not always worried whether I will make it through to the next paycheck. For others, it might mean wanting to afford a nicer car or a bigger house. Maybe it means being truly set for retirement when it comes. And maybe it means I just want to have fewer decisions to make about what I can or cannot afford, and having more money, obviously, means that I can afford more.

All that is to say that whether we have a good deal of accumulated wealth or not, we probably have something in common with the man who had a conversation with Jesus as recorded in our Gospel today from Mark chapter 10. Mark doesn’t share a lot of detail about who this man is. He simply calls him a man.

And the course of the conversation and commentary tells us that he was a rich man. Matthew and Luke also describe this encounter and let us know that he was a young man and a ruler. This encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler shows us how Jesus has done all things well including this: overcoming our greed.

Jesus overcomes greed first of all by teaching the truth. As we listen in on his conversation with the rich young ruler, we see how Jesus teaches him and the disciples the truth about greed. This man finds Jesus at the start of a journey and asks him about eternal life. He has come to the right place. Who knows more about how to reach heaven than Jesus? “Good teacher, what must I do” the young man asks. But Jesus doesn’t exactly answer him, does he? He doesn’t answer directly.

First, Jesus invites the man to consider why he should trust what Jesus says. The man called Jesus a good teacher. Only God is truly good. The rich man doesn’t seem to understand how profound his statement is.

Jesus is a good teacher, Jesus is the good teacher, because he is God. He knows very well how people get to heaven. So he answers the question. The young man wants to know how to inherit eternal life. He is in a mindset of earning his salvation, so Jesus tells him that he needs to keep the commandments. Jesus even quotes a few of the commandments, but not all of them.

And the man answers, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

Now, it is very likely that this young, rich man had never murdered someone. He probably had not been unfaithful to a spouse. He probably honored his father and mother. Jesus could have taken one of these commandments and explained it further. He had done that in his famous sermon on the mount. He had shown people how God’s commandments aren’t only aimed at the outward actions, they also tell us to have right attitudes and motivations. But Jesus doesn’t respond that way. He doesn’t argue about whether the man had really kept the commandments. He doesn’t do this because Jesus knows the real issue, the big issue, for this particular man.

And the big issue is this: the man loves his wealth. He has not really kept the first and most important of all the commandments: you shall have no other gods. For this rich young man, wealth was God. He loved it. He trusted it. He relied on it. But he came to Jesus to ask about eternal life. And Jesus loved him. Mark tells us that when he heard the answer about keeping the commandments, Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The rich young ruler learned what Jesus was teaching. He was sad. He grieved. He went away. He was a rich man who could not imagine getting rid of everything he owned. And so he chose his earthly wealth over salvation. He walked away from his Savior. How could he not recognize what was truly valuable in comparison?

Well, put yourself in that man’s shoes. Jesus says, “Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor. Then come, follow me.” What would you do? That’s not an easy question to answer, is it? Thinking about it like that helps us realize just how strong a connection we often feel to our earthly wealth. And I know and I realize that God hasn’t asked that of us. He hasn’t suggested that we walk away from the blessings that he has given to us. But he does ask us to keep him in the number one place in our hearts and lives. And our own greed is a real threat to that.

Jesus warns just how big a threat greed is to faith when he explains, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And when this surprises the disciples, Jesus adds 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 God. Some have tried to explain away what Jesus says. They say he is referring to a certain gate in Jerusalem known as the eye of a needle. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that for a camel, a huge animal to make its way through the eye of a needle, that tiny opening for thread—that’s easier than for a rich man to enter heaven. And it can be hard enough to get thread through the eye of a needle, to say nothing about animals of any size.

That’s why Jesus’ disciples are astonished. They understood that this was impossible. They asked how anyone could be saved. If it’s that hard for a rich man, wouldn’t it be hard for the middle class and for those who are barely scraping by? It’s impossible.

But Jesus overcomes greed by doing the impossible. The account of the rich young ruler is a sad one indeed.

That man walked away from the eternal life he came to ask about. But all hope is not lost for all people as the disciples feared. Jesus offers this reassurance: “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.” Jesus does the impossible by overcoming the greedy hearts of people and leading them to God. He does the impossible by sending his Holy Spirit to change hearts and lives, for people who are or may become rich or poor or anything in between.

And Jesus did the impossible in order to accomplish forgiveness for a world of sinful and greedy people. He did the impossible when he was born of a virgin. He did what was impossible for the rest of us when he kept God’s commands perfectly, when he lived a life without greed. He accomplished forgiveness by offering his life on the cross, and he did the impossible again when he rose from the dead.

So when the disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” the answer is not “No one. It’s impossible.” The answer is that Jesus died to take away the sins of the world and everyone who believes in him has eternal life. God calls sinners, greedy, selfish individuals, to trust in Christ and his sacrifice. He changes hearts and minds. He makes believers and gives forgiveness and eternal life. And that is true of rich, middle class, poor, and people of every possible financial position.

He calls us all to love God more. He calls us all to be willing to give up our wealth if that would be necessary, to be generous with our wealth to others and toward the sharing of the Gospel. And Jesus does the impossible and changes us from greedy to generous in his name.

What does it mean to be rich? When we discuss earthly wealth, there could be some disagreement. How much is enough? How much must we have to be considered rich? But real riches are not the earthly ones.

Real riches are to have Jesus, to know and love God, and through what he has done to have eternal life as your very own. That is what makes us truly rich, that Jesus was rich toward us. He overcame greed by teaching us the truth and by doing the impossible. Let us praise him with our lips and through our lives. We have true riches, now and forever.

The Text: Mark 10:17–27 (EHV) 17As

Jesus was setting out on a journey, one man ran up to him and knelt in front of him. He asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18Jesus

said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God. 19You know the commandments. ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’ ” 20The

man replied, “Teacher, I have kept all these since I was a child.”

21Jesus

looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22When

he heard this, he looked sad and went away grieving, because he had great wealth. 23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The

disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in their riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They 27Jesus

were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

looked at them and said, “For people, it is impossible, but not for God, because all things are possible for God.”