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Mark 13:24-37

²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, ²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

²⁸ “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. ³⁰ Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³² “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. ³⁵ Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. ³⁷ And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

If you look around at everything happening in the world, it is easy to despair. Just think of the ride you have gone on this year watching the news: from Ebola; to Ferguson, Missouri; Boko Haram; Charlie Hebdo; the Supreme Court’s ruling on “gay marriage”; endless presidential primaries; Planned Parenthood’s calloused, soulless selling of aborted baby parts; the riots on college campuses; the attacks in Paris and several other places the past week.  It is easy to believe that things can’t go on much longer. It is easy to believe that the world is coming unhinged. It is easy to focus on all those terrible things and become worried, wearied, disheartened, and despairing. But don’t.

Jesus, your Lord and Savior, said that all sorts of terrible things are going to take place in this broken, sinful world. In Lk. 21:28, which is parallel to this text, Jesus says, “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Don’t focus on the evil that surrounds you. Instead, straighten up. Raise your head. Look for your redemption.

Jesus is very clear in v. 31 of our text, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” What is Jesus’ word to you? He says, “You are forgiven. You are My child. You are redeemed, holy, sanctified.” You belong to Jesus because He was willing to become man for you, to suffer the punishment of your sins, to hang on a cross and bleed out His holy and precious blood for you. And Jesus promises, He promises, that He is coming for you. So don’t let the bad and evil things that happen in this world distract you and lead you to despair. Jesus told you that they would happen, and He ascended to heaven where He is seated as king over the entire universe. He is with you always. He will never leave you nor forsake you. So don’t freak out when Chicken Little comes and tells you the sky if falling.

Chicken Little loved to walk in the woods, look at the trees, smell the flowers, and listen to the birds sing. One day while she was walking, an acorn fell from a tree and hit her on the head. “Oh my, oh my. The sky is falling. I must run and tell the lion about it,” she said.

As she ran, she met the hen. The hen asked her, “Where are you going?”

“Oh hen, the sky is falling and I’m going to tell the lion about it.”

“How do you know the sky is falling?” asks the hen.

“It hit me on the head, so it must be so.”

“Well, let me go with you,” says the hen.

So off they run to the lion. On their way, they met the duck. “The sky is falling, and we are running to tell the lion about it!” the hen says to the duck.

“How do you know that?” asked the duck.

“It hit chicken little on the head,” answered the hen.

“I’m coming with you,” responded the duck.

So Chicken Little, the hen, and the duck run along until they met the fox. “Where are you going?” asked the fox.

“The sky is falling and we are going to tell the lion about it,” exclaimed the duck.

The fox, licking his lips, asked, “Do you know where lion lives?”

“I don’t,” said Chicken Little. “I don’t,” said the hen. “I don’t,” said the duck.

“Well, I do,” said the fox. “Come with me and I’ll take you to him.” The fox led the three to his own den and said, “Come right on in.” The three go in, but never come out again.

I’m sure that acorn caused Chicken Little pain. But acorns fall, and bad things happen in this sinful world. Now, don’t think I’m comparing what happened in Paris to an acorn falling on someone’s head. But you and I shouldn’t be surprised when things like the terrorist attack in Paris happen. Frankly, we should be surprised that they don’t happen more often. Evil will always be present in this world, but don’t let the presence of evil cause you to despair. Don’t let yourself get so befuddled that you trust the fox. Stay awake.

Jesus says, “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.”  And Jesus tells this little parable about a man going on a journey. He puts His servants in charge and gives them all tasks to do, and He leaves. Where does Jesus go? Remember from last week, Jesus is now sitting at God’s right hand, the place of all power and authority. Jesus is there because His work as your High Priest, His sacrifice for your sin and the sin of everyone is done. Jesus is patiently waiting until the time when God says, “Ok, Jesus, it’s time for You to return.”

In the meantime, go about the work that God has given you to do. God hasn’t called you to stop ISIS or figure out the Syrian refugee situation. If you have opportunity to speak God’s truth into those situations, sure, do that. But God has given you important tasks to busy yourself with. Be the best spouse, parent, employer, employee, child, student that you can be. Remember that it is not up to you to save the world. Jesus has already done that. You don’t have to worry about this fallen creation coming apart at the seams and crumbling into dust. Jesus is in control. Don’t tire yourself out with anxiety over this fallen world. Heaven and earth will pass away, but His words to you of forgiveness, life, and salvation will not pass away.

Jesus has given you work to do. He has given you vocations to carry out. Just imagine the witness it is to those who do not have faith, when you calmly and dutifully go about the tasks that Jesus has given to you simply trusting that He has everything in control.

Stay awake. Do what Jesus has given you to do. He is coming again. He will gather you, His elect, from the corners of the earth. Even through the destruction of this creation, Jesus, your Savior, will bring you safely to the resurrection, the new creation, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Hebrews 10:11-25

¹¹ And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹² But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

¹⁶ “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”

¹⁷ then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

¹⁸ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Can you imagine the life of the Temple priests? They would go into the Temple every day and start slaughtering, hacking, handling blood, waving offerings, burning offerings. And on and on it went. When that priest finally finished his day of work, what do you suppose he would do when he finally got home? Probably what I will do after the service today – change into comfortable clothes and plop into a chair and sit. But those priests would be back at the Temple the next day standing to repeatedly and continually offer the same sacrifices which, as our passage says, “can never take away sins” (v. 11).

But now, the offerings for sin have stopped. Jesus has come and offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins. And now Jesus sits. His work is complete. “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30). Blood is no longer spilled in the Temple from bulls and sheep and goats. Sacrifices for sin are done, and yet the blood still flows. It is given to you in Communion where you are sanctified, made holy, by Jesus’ body which was crucified for you. You now have the purifying blood which flowed from Calvary poured into your mouth.

The one offering of Jesus on the cross was for you – for your sins. Because of that one-time offering, God remembers your sins and lawless deeds no more. Because of Jesus’ finished work, you have forgiveness.

Jesus, your Savior, now sits at God’s right hand because all the Law’s demands have been met. There is nothing left to accuse you. God remembers your sins no more. The angel of death sees Jesus’ blood on you and passes over you. You have forgiveness, so there is no longer any offering for sin. And because you have the perfect, complete, one-time sacrifice of Jesus for your sins, there is no longer any offering that Jesus has to do for you or that you have to do for yourself. Your sin is gone, done away with. You, brother and sister, are forgiven.

What does this mean, now, for you? Look at v. 19-25 of our text. Because Jesus’ work is done, you have full and complete access to God. Think of that for a minute. You are denied access to many things in this world. You do not have access to other people’s bank account. Generally, you do not have access to people’s homes. You do not have access to the president. Just try to waltz into the White House and say, “I’m here to see the president” (I’ll try to visit you in prison). Even though you are denied access to many things, you do have direct access to God.

The door to God doesn’t just stand ajar, it is wide open. You can confidently enter the Holy of Holies, the place where only the High Priest was allowed to go, and only once a year. To you, Jesus has opened the new and living way through the curtain of His flesh. Because you have this access, go!

But, maybe, you are still timid. You know that you have rebelled against God. You know that you have mocked Him. You have not feared, loved, and trusted Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You know that you are a sinner. Sinners do not want to be in the presence of a holy God. It makes you feel dirty, unclean, and ashamed. Too often for us sinners, we only hear a God who is critical, damning, and judging. We think God is only waiting for the right moment to zap us and burn us to a crisp.

But this text says the exact opposite. Jesus has completed His work as your High Priest, and He is sitting at God’s right hand. Draw near to God in full assurance of faith. You have been sprinkled clean from your evil conscience. God has washed you in the pure water of your baptism. He does not want you to run from Him and His presence any more. Jesus wants you to be with Him so He can serve you. So He can place His own body and blood in your mouth. You have access to God. You have a conscience washed clean in baptism. And you have one another.

So, come. Meet here together with God and with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Coming to church on Sunday is important for you, but it is also important for your fellow believers. Through meeting together here, we stir up one another to love and good works.

Missing church hurts this congregation. It tears this congregation down. But meeting together to receive all that God has to offer us through Christ builds us all up. By coming here into the Father’s presence, you encourage your fellow believers and your fellow believers encourage you. We need this. I need this. You need this because the Last Day is surly drawing near.

Brothers and sisters, because Jesus is seated at God’s right hand you have blessings beyond comprehension. You have access to God. You have confidence to enter the holy places by Jesus’ blood. You have a clean conscience. And you have one another. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 5:1-12

¹ Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³   “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴   “Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

⁵   “Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶   “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

⁷   “Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy.

⁸   “Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.

⁹   “Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In his vision (from our first lesson: Rev. 7:2-17), John sees what Jesus describes on the mountain. John sees those who are blessed. A great multitude that no one could number is there, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They are clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. John sees the poor in spirit who are made rich in the grace of Jesus which has given them the kingdom of heaven. John sees the comfort of those who mourn. He sees the satisfaction of those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness. He sees the pure in heart who now are before the throne and before the Lamb, the Son of God.

This great multitude has left behind all poverty, all mourning, all meekness, all hunger and thirst. Now, they are before the throne of God serving Him day and night. God shelters them with His presence. Nothing can touch them except the grace, love, and mercy of God. They are satisfied because the Lamb has freed them for eternity.

In his vision, John does not identify any one, particular person –  no apostle, no martyr, no prophet, no reformer, no faithful king or celebrity is named. They are all there, absolutely they are, but John does not notice them. The only individual who stands out is the Lamb. All John sees are saints, honored and loved by God. They are not all identical. John notices that they are from every nation, tribe, people, and language. But John’s attention, and the attention of the whole multitude is on the Lamb.

To the Lamb, and to the Lamb alone, belongs blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might forever and ever. Salvation belongs to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and He freely gives it to this blessed multitude beyond number. Even though every last one from this multitude had sinned against Jesus and rebelled against Him, He has purchased them all with His blood. He has brought each and every last one of them out of the great tribulation that is this world ever since the Fall into sin. He has made their robes white in His blood, and they suffer no more.

No one sins against them any more. But even greater than that no one in this multitude sins. They are all free. Jesus has cleansed their hearts and consciences. They are free of gossip, jealousy, anger, and fear. They are blessed; they are with their Savior.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it be nice to be like them? To be with them? You know what? You are.

The only difference between you and this multitude is that they have already passed through death. You and I still live in it. Our day will come. Our sins will end, and our toil will flee. One day.

But now you too are blessed. Jesus, your Lamb, is with you here in your midst. The kingdom of heaven is within you – even now it is yours (Lk. 17:21). You are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16). God commands His angels to watch over and protect you. You have been and are sealed for God in the water of your Baptism. God has placed His name upon you. In the waters of your baptism, your old sinful nature was killed and brought to nothing (Ro. 6:6). You were raised to everlasting life. And here you are today to receive the forgiveness of sins, to be absolved, to hear the Word, to pray and praise your God, and to join in the most intimate communion with Jesus – to eat His body and drink His blood. Jesus is here to come inside of you and join you to Himself.

Jesus says to you, present tense, here and now, “Blessed are you.” In his vision, John was transported out of time. John didn’t see only the Old Testament faithful. He didn’t see only those who had died before him. They were there of course, but there was more. John saw the culmination of creation. He saw the what comes after the resurrection on the Last Day. John saw people who weren’t even born yet. John saw his friends, the disciples. He saw Mary and Paul. He saw Augustine, Chrysostom, Luther, and he saw you, believer.

What John saw and what we read about from Revelation 7 is your future, and it is also your present. Jesus says, “Blessed are you, now.” So it doesn’t matter what happens a week from Tuesday. It doesn’t matter what others say about you. It doesn’t matter if this country and your life completely falls apart. The only thing that matters is what endures – the Lamb who was slain lives. You are His, and He is yours. He will bring you to Himself. Amen.[1]

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] I am thankful for a sermon by Rev. David Petersen as inspiration for this sermon.

Listen here.

Romans 3:19-28

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

²¹ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

In Medieval Europe, there was a plant that people desperately craved. This plant originally came from China, and it was expensive – more expensive than cinnamon, saffron, and even more expensive than opium. In Luther’s day, this plant cost more than silk, rubies, and diamonds. The plant was rhubarb, and it was used to cure you if you were constipated (or, as one of my children once said, “constellated”). Rhubarb would help you purge and relieve your clogged up bowels.

From our text, “Whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law,” that means everyone, that means you. You are under the law. You are accountable to God’s law. You are a slave sin. None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Ro. 3:9-12). The Law speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be stopped. Every mouth stopped.

“Well, I didn’t mean to do it.” “But it wasn’t my fault.” “I wouldn’t have done that unless he had done that first.” “I would have done better if I had a better upbringing.” Stop. STOP! When you hear the Law, stop your mouth. Quit speaking. Shut up. You have no excuse. You have no alibi. You have no defense.

The Law speaks to you and fills you up with sin. The Law plugs you up. The Law constipates you with the excrement of sin, and you cannot purge yourself. You cannot find relief. By works of the Law, no human flesh (lit.) will be justified in God’s sight, since through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Hear it again, through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. Lex semper accusat, as the church said in Latin – and when there is a Latin phrase for something in the Church, you know it’s important. Lex semper accusat, or in English, “the Law always accuses.” The Law is relentless. The Law points out your sin, stops your mouth, and fills and impacts you with the scat of sin that cements itself into you. Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin and you are completely constipated.

But, as Luther says, “Do not despair, there is a Rhubarb that is by far the best, namely Christ, lay hold of Him and you will live.” The righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

In the past, I have mentioned unfortunate places where the Scriptures are divided by chapters and verses. Ro. 3:23-24 is one of them. Notice that v. 24 does not have a subject. You have to go back to v. 23 to find it. The universal declaration “all have sinned” is followed by another universal “all… are justified by God’s grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus died for all the sins of the whole world. No sin falls outside of Jesus’ death and resurrection. All sinners are redeemed by Jesus. Jesus died for every sin of every sinner. All are justified by Jesus’ death. Does that sound too universal? Probably. But Scripture says it, so it is true. Go ahead and call me a universalist. I will wear it as a badge of honor.

All are justified by Christ’s death and resurrection, but not all are saved. Sadly, people do reject Jesus’ justifying death and resurrection. They reject Jesus’ atonement. They reject His blood because they want to justify themselves. Their mouths are not stopped by God’s Law. They deny that they are constipated with their sin. They think that by doing good they can purge themselves of their sin. They would rather stand before God on their own merits and works of the Law. In the end however, they will be bitterly disappointed.

Jesus has come, but He has come only for sinners. Jesus is the Rhubarb that relieves and purges your constipation of sin. Take hold of Jesus by faith and you will live. Do not try to run. Do not try to hide. Let the Law do its work on you. Let it stop up your mouth. Let it accuse you because you have Jesus for you.

You have Jesus for you. He justifies and declares you to be innocent. He sets you free. Jesus redeems you. His blood washes over you and makes you holy.

When you see that your salvation has been done completely by Jesus, you are free. You have been a slave to sin, but no longer. You have been set free by Jesus. Whoever Jesus sets free is free indeed (Jn. 8:36). Fight against your sin. Put your old, sinful nature to death every day. That is a life of faith. Faith is an active thing. Faith kills the old, sinful Adam and makes you a different person in heart, spirit, and mind (Luther).

Today, is Reformation Sunday. Be reformed by faith. Be transformed by the Gospel. Be changed by Jesus, your Rhubarb. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Mark 10:23-31

²³ And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Imagine you are watching a TV Drama: “Previously, from this pulpit.” A man, he was referred to as Mark last week, runs up to Jesus, kneels before Him, and asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “Good? Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” Mark replied, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth. What is still missing?” Jesus, looking at Mark loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Mark’s face clouded over and he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The things Mark owned, owned him. Mark wasn’t willing to give up his stuff in exchange for eternal life – even though he would lose it all once he died. Mark walks away, and Jesus doesn’t call out to him. Jesus doesn’t pursue him. Jesus simply lets him go.

Mark should have stuck around because Jesus continues to answer Mark’s question in today’s text. But Mark isn’t there, so Jesus turns around to His disciples and says, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples are amazed. Their jaws drop and they gasp. In their minds, wealth and riches and stuff were all signs that God was pleased with you and blessing you. In the conventional wisdom of the day, a rich, moral person such as Mark was thought to be especially favored by God. If Mark couldn’t enter the kingdom of God… than who could?

But Jesus piles an even more amazing statement on top of this: “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” This blows the disciples minds – they are exceedingly astonished. The disciples respond, “Then who can be saved?”

How difficult is salvation? Jesus tells us, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Mark should have stuck around to hear Jesus say this. Mark should have believed Jesus when Jesus said that the one thing Mark lacked was to get rid of all the things that owned him and follow Jesus. But Mark went back to his house, back to his stuff, back to his “trophy wife.” I wonder what was going through Mark’s mind when he was again surrounded by the things he valued more than Jesus’ words of eternal life.

Did Solomon’s words from our Old Testament text (Ecc. 5:10-20) ring in Mark’s ears? “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income.” And, “As a man come from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil.”

I wonder if Mark got home, looked at all his things, and realized this. He came into the world with nothing and he would leave with nothing. Now, there is a tradition (we don’t know from Scripture, mind you) that this rich, young ruler was Mark, the author of this Gospel. The four Gospels are different. But Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very similar, and John was written later and different than the other three Gospels. But Matthew, Mark, and Luke all have their own version of this rich, young ruler coming to Jesus. That is a clue that this text was important to the early Church. It is possible the first Christians knew the identity of that this rich, young ruler.

There is another passage in Mark (Mk. 14:51-52) where Jesus is being arrested. Mark tells of a young man who followed Jesus to His arrest with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. After they arrested Jesus, the soldiers seized the young man, but he left and ran away naked. To record this detail during the pivotal moments of Jesus’ arrest is odd. Some early church fathers identified this fleeing, naked man as Mark, the author of this Gospel. And some have suggested that the rich, young ruler was also Mark. The tradition goes something like this: Mark left Jesus because he wasn’t willing to get rid of his stuff. But Jesus’ statement, “Go. Sell all you have. Give it to the poor. And come follow Me,” stayed with Mark. And Mark did what Jesus commanded. All he had left in the world was this linen cloth, and that was stripped off of him as he did follow Jesus.

If that is true, that is a much nicer ending to the story. But the most important part of all of this is to see Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question, “Than who can be saved?”

Jesus says, “With man salvation is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” This is pure Gospel. Your salvation does not rely upon anything you have done. Your salvation rests upon God’s doing. God doesn’t leave anything incomplete. Jesus does the impossible – your salvation. Jesus goes to the cross, Jesus takes your sin, Jesus suffers God’s wrath, Jesus dies, and Jesus rises again – for you and for your salvation. And He does it perfectly.

Now, there’s the little matter of Peter’s observation: “See we have left everything and followed You.” Hold the horses, there, Peter. You still have a house (Mt. 8:14). You still have a boat (Jn. 21:1-3). But Jesus doesn’t correct Peter. Instead, Jesus does say that Peter and all Christians will be blessed – in this time. Jesus wasn’t speaking figuratively here. You have a hundredfold now, in this time. This does still take the eyes of faith.

Believer, if you only have one dollar, you have more than a billionaire who does not have faith. A billionaire who does not have Christ thinks everything he has is something he has earned, but they also think that they have to keep it because that is all they have. But not you. You know that everything you have is God’s good gift to you, and knowing that, you can truly enjoy it. The things you own, you really own. They are given to you by God, and you can delight in them as just a small portion of the blessings that God gives you now, and in the age to come.

So look around. See your blessings. See here your brothers and sisters in Christ. Look at your possessions and delight in them because you know that they are God’s good gift to you. And if God should so choose, you do not have to worry if God decides to take those things away from you because you know that your eternal life is something that God delights to give to you. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.