Pastor Tim Patoka Pentecost 20C (CW ’21 Proper 25) Lord, Increase Our Faith: Faith Demonstrated Through Total Dependence October 23, 2022 Depend on God for the Impossible Luke 18:18-30 1) To Inherit Eternal Life 2) To Leave All for the Kingdom of God Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. We expect the rich and famous to do what is impossible for the average person. Jeff Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon, who launched an astronaut into space with his company Blue Origin. We hear of celebrity philanthropists like Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie, and George and Amal Clooney whose humanitarian efforts are equal to some countries’ entire foreign aid. And let us not forget athletes like Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady who capture the nation’s attention because of how they have redefined their sport and blew past what’s normal. Why, if anyone is going to do the impossible, it’s the rich and famous! It certainly won’t be little old you and me. Yet there are limits to what even they can do. Blue Origin only scratched the surface of outer space. To go to the moon or another planet, that requires an organization like NASA. Celebrity philanthropists can help many people, but not all seven-plus billion people in the world. Athletes can only do so much until their bodies eventually give out. A rich ruler can only be so good in a vain attempt to inherit eternal life. In Luke chapter 18, we hear the people conclude that if this rich ruler couldn’t inherit eternal life on his own, then no one could! They were correct! So Jesus teaches us to depend on God for the impossible. Whether it be the impossibility of inheriting eternal life or leaving all for the kingdom of God, there’s only one way to accomplish it: by depending on God. To Inherit Eternal Life This rich ruler was quite the role model. Besides being rich, he was in a position of respect and authority and had an outwardly moral life. Having accomplished all this, he then turns his attention to what comes next: eternal life. So he goes to Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18 EHV) Jesus replies with five of the Ten Commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, and honor your father and mother. Jesus does this to show the rich ruler that it’s impossible to inherit eternal life because only God is good enough. Yet the rich ruler doesn’t get the lesson; he fails to grasp the full extent of these commandments. For the Ten Commandments aren’t just about words and actions, but also the underlying thoughts like lust, hate, coveting, envy, and discontentment. The rich ruler also fails to realize that the Ten Commandments require constant vigilance for we are to obey them at all times in all places without any exceptions. So Jesus delivers the final hammer blow that crushes the rich ruler’s hopes to inherit eternal life on his own, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:22 EHV) It sounds so easy! Yet it was not for this rich ruler. His heart delighted in his riches and he evidently depended on them. When he finally realized how impossible it was for him to inherit eternal life, he left in great sadness.
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Pastor Tim Patoka Pentecost 20C (CW ’21 Proper 25) Lord, Increase Our Faith: Faith Demonstrated Through Total Dependence October 23, 2022 At first glance, we don’t think we have much in common with the rich ruler. Yet we identify with him more than we wish. Despite our outwardly moral life and honestly looking to Jesus to answer our religious questions, we too have our one thing that is holding us up. The one thing we turn to so as to assure us that we will inherit eternal life. What’s your one thing? Is it your riches and accomplishments that visibly prove that you’ve done something right? Perhaps it’s your good intentions and earnest actions to do what’s needed. Maybe it’s your respectable track record of keeping the Ten Commandments. If Jesus were to say to us, “You still lack one thing. Forget what you have to your name and done in your life. Put aside your good intentions and earnest actions. Realize how sinful you actually are. Get rid of it all. Then come, depend on me to inherit eternal life.” would we walk away with much sadness? Would we realize that there is only one who is called good? Sadly, yes. Including we who are fit to be Christian role models. We have not and do not totally depend on God to inherit eternal life. There’s a part of us that still depends on that one thing. As it’s impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, so it’s impossible for any person, even the rich and famous, to inherit eternal life. Yet what is impossible for us is possible for God. To see how that’s true with our inheritance of eternal life, we look to Jesus who did what is impossible for us. His perfect life obeyed all Ten Commandments in thought, word, and action all the time. His perfect life was then sacrificed on the cross when his death paid for the sins of all people. To prove that the impossible had actually happened, God raised Jesus from the dead and left behind an empty grave. Having done the impossible, we depend on Jesus to receive the impossible: our inheritance of eternal life. It does not depend on us; it depends entirely on Jesus. Through faith in him as our Savior, he gives this impossible truth to you. As he does, he says to you, “My child, you are forgiven of all your sins. Eternal life is yours and heaven is now your home. And that will never change because it depends on me.” Listen to what Jesus says. Don’t depend on yourself to inherit eternal life. Because even if only one thing, it’s as impossible as a camel going through the eye of needle. Rather, depend on God to do the impossible and on Jesus who did the impossible so that you have may have the impossible. Because when you believe in Jesus for salvation, this impossible truth is your guaranteed certainty: your sins are forgiven and you will inherit eternal life. To Leave All for the Kingdom of God When the Apostle Peter heard what one thing Jesus had commanded the rich ruler to do, he realized that he and the other apostles had done it. Seeking assurance that they would inherit eternal life, he pointed this out to Jesus. Jesus replies by telling us a second impossible act: to leave all for the kingdom of God. Jesus speaks this timeless truth when he says, “Amen I tell you: Anyone who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will most certainly receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30 EHV) Our Catechism (2017 edition) defines the “kingdom of God” in this way: Christ’s rule in the hearts of his believers through the Word of God. To leave something or someone for the kingdom of God means to leave them so as to remain in Christ’s rule or to better follow Jesus. Jesus assures Peter, the disciples, and us that whoever does this will receive God’s blessings many more times both in our current time on earth and the age to come in heaven. 2
Pastor Tim Patoka Pentecost 20C (CW ’21 Proper 25) Lord, Increase Our Faith: Faith Demonstrated Through Total Dependence October 23, 2022 Now, let’s not misunderstand Jesus. Jesus isn’t giving us a vow of poverty or telling us to commit willful abandonment of our families. To do that goes against clear passages where God tells us to wisely manage our material blessings and to lovingly provide for our families. Yet, when these earthly treasures come between us and the kingdom of God, then we are to leave them. Like when the upkeep and comforts of our home have us abstain from worshiping God or living for him. Or when our cherished connections with loved ones have us stay silent when we should speak up for the truth or choose them over God. It’s not easy to leave these earthly treasures for the kingdom of God. In fact, it is quite impossible! We know them firsthand and rely on them. It hurts to show our loved ones that God and his kingdom is more important than they are. Perhaps it’s made even more difficult because we don’t depend on God to bless us as he has promised. If you find it impossible to leave all for the kingdom of God, let me remind what Jesus promises, “Amen I tell you: Anyone who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will most certainly receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30 EHV) Remember what God says you can depend on him for: to receive his blessings many more times both now and forevermore. God does not say that these blessings will be the same as to what we left. If we have an estranged child because we lovingly rebuked them of their sinful lifestyle, God does not promise to give us two more children. Nor does God promise us free maid service if we allow our homes to get a little messy because we’re too busy serving him. Instead, these blessings can take any form God chooses whether they be material, emotional, or spiritual. Some of you have already seen how this is true. If you excel in the gift of generosity, you know how God has more than made up for your time, knowledge, and resources with his blessings of peace, joy, contentment, providence, and Spirit-driven results. If you have a deep divide in your family because of a refusal to listen to God’s Word, you hopefully know how God soothes that heartfelt wound with his blessings of a church family that will last for all eternity. If you’ve faced persecution because of your refusal to enjoy the world’s sinful pleasures or your habits that publicly mark you as a child of God, you know how God’s blessings have counted you worthy of your calling as he sustains you with his love, care, and attention. These are not one-off blessings. They are a sampling of God’s many blessings. So depend on God so that you may do the impossible: to leave all earthly treasures for the kingdom of God. Remember, the Lord isn’t telling us to take a vow of poverty or to commit willful abandonment of our families. But if we find ourselves in a situation where our earthly treasures come between us and the kingdom of God, then we know what to leave: those earthly treasures. Depend on God to do what he has promised: to bless you many more times in whatever form he chooses both during your time on earth and in the age to come in heaven.
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Pastor Tim Patoka Pentecost 20C (CW ’21 Proper 25) Lord, Increase Our Faith: Faith Demonstrated Through Total Dependence October 23, 2022 Concluding Encouragements We’re not too surprised when we hear the rich and famous doing what’s impossible for you and me. Yet there are limits to what even they can do. A rich ruler discovered this when he asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. To show him how this is impossible, Jesus told him get rid of his one thing. We too need to hear this for we often depend on our one thing. Rather, we should depend on God whose Son, Jesus Christ, did the impossible so that the inheritance of eternal life is our guaranteed certainty. We also depend on God for a second impossible act: to leave all earthly treasures for the kingdom of God. It’s hard and painful to do this as we remain and grow in God’s kingdom. Yet here again we depend on God’s promise that he will bless us many times more both now and forevermore. We need an increased faith to carry out these impossible tasks. As such, may we pray to God for this increase of faith so that we totally and always depend on God for the impossible. Amen. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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