God’s grace, peace
and mercy be with you. My sermon title is M & M. My focus is our Gospel (Mark
10:17-22). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist
wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of
the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to
hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our
hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity.
Amen.
Today is the 64th
Anniversary of Bill Mazeroski hitting the only walk-off home run to win a World
Series Championship in the bottom of the 9th inning. Now, because my
sermon title is M & M, maybe you are wondering if I am going to discuss the
famous Yankee home run hitters – Mantle and Maris. Nope. Neither that nor
candy. Today, my points are Man and Money, Messiah and Man, Mandates and the
Man. First, Man and Money.
If you search for
the phrase Man and Money, you will find books with that title. One is about a
market economy where liberty and social justice can coexist, and another
subtitled A Survey of Monetary Experience. Sadly, both are out of print.
Happily, you can listen to The M in Man Is for Money: How to Get It, Use It,
and Make It Work for You! There are also advice books on how women can
attract men and money.
If you search for the
news, you will find stories about two women who drove an 80-year-old dead man
to a bank in Ashtabula so he could be seen by its staff and then withdrew money
from his account. There’s a guy who poses as “Aaron Rogers” on a dating site
and dupes women into giving him personal information which he uses to steal
from them. If you are looking for an entertaining movie, there’s Easy Money,
The Money Pit and Moneyball.
I mention these to
illustrate how society sees money as opposed to how the Bible sees it. There
are over 400 verses in the Bible that mention money. In the historical books,
we read that you could not charge interest when you loaned money to your
brother;[1] and that money was paid to
all those who repaired the House of the Lord.[2]
When we get to the
Psalms and Proverbs, money is portrayed differently. What is more valuable than
money is the Law of God, the Word of God. For example, those who trust in their
wealth and boast of their riches should keep in mind that even when wise people
die – like the foolish or stupid – they leave their wealth to others.[3] Proverbs teaches “Why
should a fool have money in his hand to buy wisdom when he has no sense?”[4] “Take my instruction
instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better
than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.”[5] “Riches do not
profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”[6]
This wisdom is
influential in the latter part of Isaiah where we read this: “Come,
everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy
and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you
spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which
does not satisfy?”[7]
When we get to the
New Testament, we get a clear sense of how God sees money through the teachings
of Jesus and the Apostles. For example, after Jesus warned his disciples about
scribes who devoured widows’ houses, he sat opposite the treasury and watched
the people put money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums
while a poor widow put in a penny. He said to his disciples, “This
poor widow put in more than all those who contributed to the offering
box. For they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her
poverty put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Is this a
comment on her generosity or on the burden placed on poor widows by the scribes?[8]
Before he
dispatched the Twelve to proclaim the kingdom of God and gave them power and
authority over demons and diseases, Jesus said, “Take nothing
for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two
tunics.”[9]
And clearly the Parable of the Talents is not about investing money, but
being invested in the Kingdom of Heaven?[10]
As we move through
the rest of the New Testament, we read about Simon the magician who saw the
power of the Holy Spirit working through Philip, John and Peter. He begged them
to give him the power so that anyone on whom he laid hands would receive the
Holy Spirit. Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you
thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!”[11]
Instructing his
protégé, Timothy, Paul reminded him that we brought nothing into the world, and
cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, we
will be content. “Those who desire to be rich fall into many
senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is
through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with many pangs.”[12]
In short, in
comparison to the Good News of the free Gospel of Salvation and the Kingdom of
Heaven, money ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. And so, we move from Man and
Money to Messiah and Man, my second point.
By Messiah and
Man, I mean our passage. As Jesus journeys towards Jerusalem where he will face
the sufferings of his mission, this man runs to him. The man’s zeal, sincerity
and respect preface his question about eternal life. The concept of eternal
life was a late development in the Old Testament,[13] and it would have been
natural for the man to assume that observance of the law was the way to go
because the dialogue that followed his original question suggests that since
the age of twelve, he had been a faithful Jew. Yet, he must have been
dissatisfied with this traditional answer, and sensed that there is more to it.
The key to the
passage is verse 21, for it is the only time that Jesus is recorded to have
looked at someone with love. This word is at the heart of the early Church’s
message. We read in John, “For God so loved the world, that he gave
his only Son.”[14] Paul wrote, “Christ
loved us and handed himself over for us.”[15]
This gaze of
divine love would have captivated the man’s heart and moved him to surrender
all his earthly attachments – if he saw it. But sadly, preoccupied with his own
thoughts, he did not notice Jesus’ gaze. Jesus put his finger on the source of
the man’s dissatisfaction, and despite his fidelity to the law, he lacked the
one thing necessary.[16]
Did this man’s
money make him independent or did it hinder him from grace freely given? Jesus’
command to sell all of his possessions was not an abstract or hypothetical one.
In becoming one with the poor, Jesus asked him to make himself as dependent on
God’s grace as the poor, as the children to whom the Kingdom belongs.[17] His follow-up command, “Follow
me,” meant unconditionally giving his life to Jesus. It meant his love
for God would be lived out when he accepted Jesus’ invitation.
It is only at this
point in the passage that we discover the tragic truth. This man was rich but could
not bring himself to pay the price for the eternal life that he so passionately
desired. He was unwilling to deny himself earthly possessions in order to embrace
the self-denial that leads to true wealth. For the Church, it was the first
time that Jesus’ invitation to discipleship was directly refused.
As Church, we
consider my third point, Mandates and the Man. The word mandate popped up in
the news lately. As I pondered the words of a speech interpreted by some as a
mandate, I reflected upon Jesus’ directive to the rich man as a requirement to
seeking eternal life. Jesus did not ask all disciples to sell their
possessions. Initially, Peter kept his house and boat.[18] Joseph of Arimathea, the
women of Galilee and the Centurion had access to material possessions and
military power.[19]
Many of those he healed, Jesus sent back to their families. Paul wrote that the
rich are to be generous and ready to share, but he did not require Christians
to forsake all.[20]
So, why did Jesus not make the same demand on everyone else in every time,
culture and society? What other mandates does God give? Before I explore those
questions, a little research.
On its website Meriam-Webster
asks the question: When should you use mandate? It offered this. A
mandate from a leader is a command you can't refuse. But that kind of personal
command is rarely the meaning of mandate today; much more
common mandates are connected with institutions. The Clean Air Act was a
mandate from Congress to clean up air pollution—and since mandate is
also a verb, we could say instead that the Clean Air Act mandated new
restrictions on air pollution. Elections are often interpreted as mandates from
the public for certain kinds of action. But since a politician is not just a
symbol of certain policies but also an individual who might happen to have an
awfully nice smile, it can be risky to interpret most elections as mandating
anything at all.
The word mandate
is defined as a command or a judicial or legal order. It is directly from
Latin mandatum meaning commission, command or order. Literally,
it means to give into one's hand. Its root words are manus (hand)
and dare (to give).
Sometimes, we
phrase mandates as mission statements. Our synodical mission statement reads, “In
grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word
and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously
to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches,
communities and the world.”[21] That mission statement
rests upon our beliefs and teachings.[22]
Going away from
our Gospel today, what mandates do we find in the Bible? The first is found in
Genesis, and I think it is too late in life for some of us, including me, to
obey because God commanded us to “be fruitful and multiply.”[23] There are, however, over
2,000 appearances of the word command throughout the Bible, and the commands of
God are not burdensome, but good.[24] We read in Deuteronomy, “I
have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the
commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord
your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his
statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God
will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.”[25]And in John, Jesus said, “If
you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my
Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to
you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”[26]
As Christians, we
are not to add to or subtract from God’s commandments. We read this in
Deuteronomy, “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take
from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that
I command you.” In Matthew, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you,
until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the
Law until all is accomplished.”[27]
Scripture does not
address everything in our lives. There is nothing about my choice of morning
beverage or afternoon snack, the color of my tractor or the breed of my dogs.
In short, Scripture is silent about many things in our daily lives.
Early Lutherans
living amidst Catholics and Calvinists in the Holy Roman Empire of the 16th
century, cheerfully maintained the old traditions made in the Church for the
sake of usefulness and peace. Good order is very fitting in the Church, and is
for this reason necessary. Yet, Lutherans also recognized that these traditions
were not necessary unto salvation, but because of the need for good
order for our brother’s and our sinful flesh’s sake, we accepted some.[28]
The word which addresses
these traditions found in the Book of Concord is adiaphora.[29] It is a Greek word
meaning matters not regarded as essential to faith, but nevertheless
permissible for Christians or allowed in the church. If you search for adiaphora
others relate it to many topics that touch our lives, including mandates, but
primarily it deals with worship. Because early Lutherans used adiaphora
to discuss customs that were not necessary unto salvation, we do not practice
exorcism, confirmation by bishops, extreme unction and Corpus Christi
processions. They are not necessary for salvation.
As Christians, we
enjoy freedom. Luther wrote in Concerning Christian Liberty. “A
Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian
man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one…. We conclude
therefore that a Christian man does not live in himself, but in Christ and in
his neighbor, or else is no Christian: in Christ by faith; in his neighbor by
love. By faith he is carried upwards above himself to God, and by love he sinks
back below himself to his neighbor, still always-abiding in God and His love.”[30]
Without being vilified
as a criminal or crackpot because one accepts or does not accept an executive
order,[31] we realize that many
religious practices – like mandates – are not necessary for salvation and that
we can embrace or reject them as long as we live in Christ by faith and in our
neighbor by love. A well-formed Christian conscience can lead one to object not
only to this mandate,[32] but others as well.
For example,
during the Second World War, more than 72,000 men conscientiously objected to armed
military service. Most of these served in noncombatant roles or in the Civilian
Public Service.[33]
United States Army Corporal Desmond Doss served as a combat medic. Twice
awarded the Bronze Star for actions in Guam and the Philippines, he further
distinguished himself in the Battle of Okinawa by personally saving 75 men,
becoming the only conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. His
life is depicted in Mel Gibson’s 2016 Oscar-winning film Hacksaw Ridge.
Doss’ refusal to
carry a gun caused a lot of trouble among his fellow soldiers. They viewed him
with distain and called him a misfit. One soldier warned him, “Doss, as soon
as we get into combat, I'll make sure you won't come back alive.” His
commanding officers saw him as a liability. They intimidated him, scolded him,
assigned him extra tough duties, and declared him mentally unfit for the Army.
They attempted to court martial him for refusing a direct order—to carry a gun.
They failed to find a way to toss him out, and he refused to leave. He believed
his duty was to obey God and serve his country. But it had to be in that order.
His unwavering convictions were most important.[34]
A well-formed
Christian conscience can lead one to refuse military or civilian orders not
necessary for salvation. We can embrace or reject them as long as we live in
Christ by faith and in our neighbor by love. In short, I am more concerned
about people’s eternal salvation or damnation than whether or not they follow executive
orders. Like the rich man in our Gospel, what sometimes gets in my way of
following Christ is not money, but being attached to my ideas and opinions.
Yet, unlike that
man, I know that the way to eternal life is not to do things my way but His,
and His way I am willing to accept. Friends, I pray that whatever it is that
gets in your way of following Christ is something you can relinquish, and when
you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1]
Leviticus 25:35-37; Deuteronomy 23:19.
[2] 2
Kings 12:10.
[3]
Psalm 49.
[4]
Proverbs 17:16
[5]
Proverbs 8:10.
[6]
Proverbs 11:4.
[7]
Isaiah 55:1-2.
[8]
Mark 12:38-44.
[9]
Luke 9:3.
[10]
Matthew 25:14-30.
[11]
Acts 8:9-25.
[12] 1
Timothy 6:3-10.
[13]
Daniel 12:2.
[14]
John 3:16.
[15]
Ephesians 5:2.
[16]
Mary Healy, The Gospel of Mark. Baker Academic, Grand Rapids MI (2008), p. 203.
[17]
Mark 10:14.
[18]
Mark 1:29; John 21:3.
[19]
Mark 15:40ff; Matthew 8:5ff.
[20] 1
Timothy 6:17-19.
[21] https://www.lcms.org/about
[22]
You can read the Synod’s doctrines and beliefs here: https://www.lcms.org/about/beliefs/doctrine
[23]
Genesis 1:28.
[24] 1
John 5:3.
[25]
Deuteronomy 30:15-16.
[26]
John 15:10-11.
[27]
Matthew 5:18.
[28]
See https://lutheranreformation.org/theology/adiaphora-in-the-lutheran-confessions/
[29]
See https://bookofconcord.org/formula-of-concord-solid-declaration/article-x/
[30]
Martin Luther, “Concerning Christian Liberty,” R. S. Grignon, trans., The
Harvard Classics, vol. 36, New York: P. F. Collier & Son, 1910, pp. 345,
372.)
[31] Executive
Order on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for
Federal Employees, September 9, 2021.
[32]
See https://www.concordmonitor.com/My-Turn-A-Conscientious-Objection-to-Mandates-42517913
[33] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientious_objection_in_the_United_States#American_Revolutionary_War
[34] https://desmonddoss.com/bio/bio-real.php
