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Mark 10:21-22
Jesus, looking at [the man], loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

To ponder
We are called to be anchored, above all, to the ethics of the kingdom of God. And when worldly understandings of respectful behavior preserve the power of some by silencing others, we must question whether those worldly understandings match ethics to which God calls us and which Christ embodies. - Layton Williams, Holy Disunity

Too much of a good thing
I once read a graphic-novel version of the Gospel of Mark, and my favourite illustration was one for this story. The rich man approaches Jesus, deeply bent over because he is literally weighed down by a ridiculous number of items piled high on his back: surf boards, bowling balls, a couch, a convertible. As Jesus talks to him, the man slowly sinks into the sand under the weight, until he completely disappears.

How much is enough? This story makes us nervous because we wonder if Jesus is speaking specifically to this man’s situation as a potential follower, or to all potential followers (meaning us). Maybe both can be true at the same time. We hold onto things in case we might have use for them; we buy things to fill real and imagined needs. Our accumulation can prevent or hamper our efforts to care for one another. Having things is nice, but things do not give life. We forget that with Jesus, we will never experience lack. Instead we will experience abundance of life, love, grace, forgiveness, relationship, and community.

Prayer
Gracious Lord, empty our hands and open our hearts to serve one another. Amen.

(from: “A Story to Tell: Devotions for Lent” Bekki Lohrmann, Harvard Stephens Jr., Lydia Posselt, David L. Miller; Augsburg Fortress, 2020)

 

photo by Anne Nygard on Unsplash