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The Gospel of Mark - I cannot save myself
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The Gospel of Mark - I cannot save myself
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A rich young man asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him to follow the commandments, which the man claims to have done since childhood. Jesus then tells him to sell everything he has, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man becomes sad and leaves because he is attached to his wealth. Jesus tells His disciples that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples are amazed and ask who can be saved. Jesus explains that with man it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Peter says they have left everything to follow Jesus, and Jesus reassures him that those who give up worldly possessions for Him will receive eternal life. Jesus emphasizes that the first will be last and the last first. As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good? Jesus answered, no one is good except God alone. You know the commandment, 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. Teacher, he declared, all these I have kept since I was a boy. Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lack, he said, go, sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. At this, the man's face fell, he went away sad because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were amazed at his words. Jesus said again, children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were even more amazed and said to each other, who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, with man, this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God. Then Peter spoke up, we have left everything to follow you. Truly, I tell you, Jesus replied, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or filled for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and filled along with persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be lost and the last first. Well, if you'd like to leave that passage open, let me pray and ask the Lord to help us let's pray. First, thank you that the Lord Jesus tells us that the kingdom must be received like little children. Please, would you give us such childlike faith even as we come to your word now to be childlike, dependent, trusting, trusting what you say to us and receiving like little children. In Jesus name, Amen. But let me begin this morning by introducing you to a young man who you might well recognize. He's got everything going for him, a rich and gifted young professional. He's under up, well respected by so many. He knows the Ten Commandments like the back of his hand. He's kept them diligently all his life from childhood. He was the model student in Sunday school. In fact, when there was Bible quizzes, he always wins the prize. He treats Jesus with great respect. He even knows that Jesus holds the answer to eternal life. He's a young man we meet here in our passage this morning. Perhaps you're beginning to recognize him. If he lived in London today, you would label him, what would you label him? We know, don't we? We'll call him a Christian. Indeed, we'd think he was the most theologically sound and biblically learned person we've ever met. If he were here in our church, he'd be leading our Bible study group. He'd be on the eldership. He'd be teaching new life kids. He'd probably even be preaching the sermon this morning. But get this, Jesus says that this man will actually not enter the kingdom of God. Notice there in verse 23, how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Verse 24, children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. The awkwardly mobile, theologically sound, biblically learned, will not enter the kingdom of God. A well-educated, seemingly Christian man, respected by so many. This man, who has kept the commandments so diligently since childhood, will not enter the kingdom of God. Shocked? It's a tragic story. So tragic. Yet, the tragic nature of the story serves as a powerful illustration of verse 31. Just look with me. Many who are first, will be last. And the last, first. The principle Jesus is laying down. Here is a man, who in many ways is first. This in our eyes, rich, young, awkwardly mobile. Well, he's the kind of person we aspire to be, isn't it? Rich, young, awkwardly mobile. Got everything going for us. Yet on the last day, on judgment day, he'd be last. He won't enter the kingdom. Except for many of us, this is our aspiration, isn't it? To be first. First, young, awkwardly mobile, rich, got everything going for me. Because we assume that's blessing, that's God's blessing, isn't it? I must be close to God, if things are going well for me. I'm on God's side, God's on my side. And what we need to see here, is the danger of being first. And the blessing of being last. So let's unpack this story a bit more. And the first thing I want us to see is this. The first, will be last. First will be last. But the sin begins with Jesus, and the first will be last. And the first will be last. First will be last. But the sin begins with Jesus, about to head off, having taught his disciples, as we saw last week, the very valuable lesson about the simple trust and dependence of toddlers. And how we need to be like that. Suddenly, a young man ran and fell at his knees, in verse 17, did you notice? And he asked what seemed to be a brilliant question. Brilliant. Brilliant. Good teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? I mean, if there's ever a more important question to ask, I don't think there is one. But Jesus is not so impressed by this man's question, notice verse 18, look at me. Why do you call me good? Jesus answers, no one is good, except God alone. You can't help but wonder what was going on in this young man's heart. Is he calling Jesus good because he recognizes Jesus to be God? Has this young man fell on his knees before Jesus in a desperate sense of his need before the goodness of God? Is he recognizing that he needs to be like a child, as Jesus has been saying? Has he recognized his predicament before God and his need for God to give him the kingdom? Whatever was going on in his mind, Jesus stops him in his tracks. And whatever society thinks of this man, or what this man thinks of himself, Jesus needs him to face up to his real issue that he would otherwise avoid. So Jesus was, in fact, abrupt with him. Why do you call me good? No one is good, except God alone. Perhaps Jesus is being abrupt with some of us this morning. We call Jesus good, then why do you call me good? What are you on about? What do you really want? Is he falling on his knees in verse 17? This man seems to be a guy who is throwing himself completely on Christ without any reservation or hesitation, isn't he? But Jesus puts him to the test, perhaps, what he is doing with us this morning. And what would this man answer when Jesus does so? Look at verse 19, you 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, honour your father and mother. Teacher, he declares, all this I have kept since I was a boy. Beginning to see this man for who he really is, isn't it? He calls Jesus good, but you notice, he really thinks he is the good guy. He thinks back on his life, and instead of seeing himself for who he really is, and how far he is falling short of God's glory, he remembers his childhood. Perhaps, as he heard Jesus talking last week about trusting and depending on him like children, he thought to himself, I remember I was a good little boy. And I have always been good, I am not a bad person, I have always done the right thing. Surely, I deserve eternal life. Now when he is speaking, that appears to be the case, isn't it? At least to the disciples. You see, the disciples looked admiringly at the apparent outward devotion of this man, in verse 26, and they wondered, who then can be saved if not this man? Surely, these are the kind of people that go to heaven. But Jesus exposes, for all to see, the reality of this man's true spiritual state. See, this man believed that he was on the way to earning himself eternal life, because he had clocked up cookie points from his childhood. He kept the commandments. But if you go to New Life Kids, you probably notice there is something wrong in verse 19. Because Jesus cites only six of the commandments, isn't it? It was read for us earlier. I mean, Jesus, do you not know your ten commandments? But on this six that Jesus named, he seems to have scored very highly on it. But he has only completed half the exam paper. In verse 21, Jesus confronts him with the real love of his life and the true delight of his heart. Look at verse 21. Jesus looked at him. Look at verse 21. Jesus looked at him. This is a man who said, I've kept everything from when I was older. Jesus looked at him and loved him. You just have to stop. Jesus loved this guy. He said to him, one thing you lack. Go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. You can imagine how this man felt when he first heard Jesus say, one thing you lack. Jesus stopped there. You know, these people are thinking, hmm, I knew it. I knew I was a good guy. I just have one more thing and I'm on the home run to heaven. One more thing. I knew I was a good guy. One thing I lack. One thing I lack. Well, Jesus, what is it? One thing you lack, Jesus said. Everything. One thing you lack. Everything. Look again at verse 21. One thing you lack, he said. Go sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. The one thing Jesus speaks of is absolutely everything to this man. Notice. In asking him to go sell everything, Jesus was confronting this man with the first two commandments. You shall not have any other God before me and you shall not make an idol of yourself. And with these, the man felt catastrophically. See, you might be forgiven if you thought that this man's problem was legalism. That he thought he could earn heaven. He could earn eternal life by doing something. What must I do to inherit eternal life? But the real problem is verse 21. That when given the choice between Jesus and his wealth, he chose wealth. Look at verse 22. At this, the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. Now we see clearly what has first place in this man's heart. It wasn't God. It wasn't even keeping the commandment. It is wealth. It's true love and it's the love of God. It's true love. It's true love and the delight of his heart. It's God. It's his wealth. And he clearly didn't want to lose it. His problem is not that he tries to be good. But that when it comes to the crunch, he fails to be good. He is not good. That's what God is. And there lies our problem. God is good. We are not. And he comes to prove Jesus' statement in verse 18, isn't it? No one is good except God alone. This man probably didn't think that he loved his wealth until Jesus asked him to give it up. Imagine him at a Christian conference interview. And there is this wealthy guy and they are interviewing him like, Oh, you know, you are a rich guy. I mean, how do you manage? It's not really nothing to me. It's just money, isn't it? And this is good. Well, give it all up then. Oh, no. Verse 21. Jesus loved him. Yet, verse 22. He walked away. Hold on. He wanted eternal life. Yet, he forfeited it because of his wealth. He walked away from the one who would give him eternal life. Rich young religious. The first in our eyes. Verse 22. The last. No eternal life. He walked away from eternal life. He loved being first. The story is told of a man who stood up in a church to recount how God has blessed him in remarkable ways. He told how, as a young man, he was sitting in church after he received his first paycheck from his first job. As the offering plate was passed, a small voice inside said to him, Give it all to God. At first, he resisted, but the voice persisted until he signed the check over to the church and dropped it in the offering plate. He explained to the congregation that, from that point on, God had blessed him in immeasurable ways that he had become a wealthy man. After he sat down, a dear old lady sitting behind him leaned forward and whispered in his ear, I dare you to do it again. See, Jesus' request to this young man is not just a matter of giving some money away once. Jesus is asking him for everything. He said, I don't want your heart even. I want all of you. Complete devotion. Follow me. Become lost. Even let me ask you this one. What's the everything to you? What's the thing that you readily choose over Jesus? We all have one. Maybe yours is not money. Or what? But maybe it's your career. Or your reputation. Or your name. Or your name. Or your reputation. Or your education. Or your comfort. Or is it getting that property and finally saying, I'm a property owner. Or is it that relationship that you know is going to dishonor Jesus. You just want it. Or is it being liked by so many people? You just love being liked. Maybe it's your husband or wife. Maybe it's your children. Love for your family. What is your everything? That thing that you cannot imagine losing because it means being lost. If I give this all up, I'm just a loser. Just lost. To follow Jesus. To follow Jesus. And Jesus is saying. Give it all up. You have treasure in heaven. Come and follow me. The first to be lost. That's the first thing. The second thing is. I cannot save myself. I cannot save myself. This man's story, like I said, is tragic. But the irony is that despite his question in verse 17. This man cannot in fact inherit eternal life. No one can. And Jesus wants to show us why that's impossible. Look at me and notice the repetition from verse 23 to verse 17. In 27. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples. How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were amazed at his words. Jesus said again. Children. How hard it is. To enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples were even more amazed. And said to each other. Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said. With man this is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God. Notice the disciples' response in verse 24 and 26. They were amazed. At what Jesus is saying. Probably because in their mind. There's a perspective that. Riches were a sign of God's favour and blessing. If I'm rich and everything is going well in my life. God must be happy with me. We do that today don't we? We say of someone with a lot of wealth and social status. They are so blessed. Isn't that what we say? So blessed. Because it makes them first and important in our eyes anyway. And we want that. And to the disciples. If anyone can inherit the kingdom. It was this guy surely. He wasn't just rich. He was religious. Wasn't surely God on his side. But what we suppose a blessing. Being first and important. Jesus exposed as potential eternity altering problem. It is this man's riches that makes it hard for him to enter the kingdom. Notice verse 23 and 24. It's hard for the rich. To enter the kingdom. And Jesus uses an unforgettable absurdity. To ram the point home. Look at verse 25. It is easier for a camel. To go through the eye of a needle. Than for someone who is rich. To enter the kingdom of God. I mean needles. Needles eyes are very small. And threading them. With fine cotton. Is hard enough for most of us. Especially people like me. Let alone a large mammal. A camel at that. You get the point. Verse 27. It is impossible. What's impossible? To save yourself. Verse 26. To enter the kingdom. Verse 23 and 24. To inherit eternal life. Verse 17. You cannot. With man it is impossible. But not with God. All things are possible with God. In other words. I cannot save myself. Contrary to what this man thinks. Who must I do to inherit eternal life? Really? Yeah nothing. Salvation is essential. Is what Jesus said. But it is impossible. Wow. That's a problem. That's a scary combination. Essential but impossible. But why is something so essential impossible? Well this rich man's story tells us that. There are things that we value more than God. That's where the problem lies. What we cannot deny ourselves. To take up our cross and follow Jesus. Is our true love. And the delight of our hearts. They are the things that we value more than God. Like I said. Yours might not be money. But relationships. Career. And of course. We value more than God. And notice. What started as hard for the rich. Ends up as impossibility for everybody. No one can be saved. You then can be saved. His disciples asked. You then can be saved. If not this guy. Then surely no one else can be saved. Because it is impossible with man. Verse 27. What we are faced with. When we are faced with a choice between Jesus. And the things we value. Jesus said. We tend to choose the latter. That's the problem. That's why we can't be saved. It's impossible. And the irony is that. The things that we value. Wealth. And the desire for other things. Jesus has already said. In Mark chapter 4. They deceive us. And choke the seed of the gospel. So we can't be saved. They become rival gods. And we do not keep even the first two commandments. We have other gods. And we make idols. And they are the things I expose. We are not good. Because when it comes to the crunch. We can't be good. It makes it impossible for us to be saved. The solution. To this radical impossibility. Jesus is saying. You just give up everything. You become lost. A whole life to follow him. But even that's impossible. All things are possible with God though. He will make it possible for us to be saved. Mark hasn't told us yet. He's taking us there. But I can tell you now. That God demonstrates his goodness. His goodness. By giving up. What he values most. His son. To die for our sins. He is good. We are not. Because we cannot save ourselves. And the final thing. I want you to see it. The last will be first. The last. Will be first. See what made this rich young man walk away sad. Was because he stands to lose everything. He had great wealth. In the words of verse 31. He was first. But he don't want to be lost. But suppose he came. And gave up everything. How might this work out for him? What might be the impossibility. That God makes possible here. But look at me at verse 28. And Peter spoke up. We have left everything to follow you. This is quite interesting. You say okay. Peter has done it. And the disciples have done it. How did they do it? How did they end up giving up everything to follow Jesus? Because they did. Mark chapter 1. They left their net. All they knew. And they followed Jesus. Jesus said come follow me. They got up. Left everything. And they followed. How did that happen? What Jesus makes it possible. His death is going to accomplish that. But notice that. When Peter asked that question. Jesus doesn't contradict him. They have left everything. And they are walking the road of loss behind Jesus. So what does that mean for anyone who does? When we actually do. As perhaps some of us here this morning have done. Look at verse 29. Look at verse 29. Truly I tell you. Jesus replied. No one who has left home. Or brothers. Or sisters. Or mothers. Or fathers. Or children. Or filth. For me and the gospel. Will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age. Homes. Brothers. Sisters. Mothers. Children. And filth. Along with persecution. And the age to come. Eternal life. For many who are first will be last. And the last first. Verse 31 is the principle of this whole passage. The first now. Those who have it all. Like this rich man. Will be last on judgment day. I.E. not receive eternal life. And those who are last. Who give it up. All up for Jesus. And the gospel. End of verse 29. Now. Will be first on judgment day. I.E. verse 30. Receive eternal life. It's the same as the. Lose life and save life principle of chapter 8. Verse 35. Because the whole point of this section is that. We need to follow Jesus by denying ourselves. Take up a cross and follow Jesus. And what does that look like? It looks like. Losing your life now. And saving it later. Or be last now. And be first. When Jesus comes back. And Jesus promises. Notice. Persecution now. In exchange for eternal life. In the age to come. Notice. Verse 29. Verse 30. Verse 30. Following Jesus will mean. Devoting all that we are. Are. And all that we have. To Jesus. And his gospel mission. Which will feel like. Being last now. You see. As other people. Surpass us. In their aspirations. And dreams. Their life seems to be just working out. And you're like. Is it worth it following Jesus? I'm imagining these choices. And my peers are just. Flying past me. And my family is like. Oh look at your friends. What a new day of your life. But you will receive eternal life. In the age to come. You will be first. On that day. But notice that. There's some blessings received. Even in this life too. Jesus promises a hundred fold. Of everything you might lose. Verse 30. You're getting brothers and sisters. Verse 30 is an often misused verse. By proponents of prosperity gospel. Those who say that. God will boost your bank account. If you boost theirs. Surely Jesus can't mean that here. Because you will literally. Become a huge land owner. Unless. He also means that. You will literally have a hundred biological mothers. I don't think he's saying that. See I think Jesus is speaking here. In very practical and personal terms. See following Jesus is costly. It will cost. I remember a lady I studied with. Who was from a Muslim background. When she became a Christian. Her family disowned her. She had to flee. But you see. Surrounded by church families. She could declare with a smile. This is my family. That's what Jesus promised in here. If you lose father or mother. Brothers and sisters. And they happen to disown you. Jesus. You gain a new family. And guess what when you join the church family. You have all those women. They are your mums. All those guys. Your brothers. All those women. Your sisters. And but. But even if you lose your home. Some of those people will take you in. Yeah you go. You're now a land owner. Jesus promises. Far in excess of what we might give up for him. A hundred fold man. Maybe being a Christian is costing you a lot right now. You feel like you're estranged from family and friends. You just look. You feel lost. You just like. I don't like going to those family meetings. Everyone talks about how successful they are. And you feel lost. Look around the room. You got brothers and sisters. Mothers. And guess what. You are waiting for you eternal life. On that day. You'll be first. Even if you feel lost now. Let's pray. Amen.
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