Rich Young Ruler

“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 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 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.”

- Mark 10:17-22

The rich young ruler came looking for some kind of validation of his own self-righteousness. He wanted a stamp of approval for all his good deeds that were within his comfort zone of doing. But then Jesus exposed his true God. The man walked away sad because he’d been asked to trade in his comfort, his real object of worship, for Jesus. He clung to the crazy notion of his good works being enough to purchase his way into the Kingdom of God. He wanted a ‘good teacher’ to excuse his idolatry, not a Saviour to crucify it.

Like Jesus asked of the rich young ruler, we have to be willing to lay our idols on the altar of sacrifice in order to experience the real life, satisfaction and joy that only He can bring.

In this sad story, there is also hope abundant hidden in verse 21. Despite the young man’s unwillingness to sacrifice, his insistence to hold onto the things that were killing him, Mark says that “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” Through the hardness of our hearts and the stubbornness of our disobedience to God’s call, His love never relents.

Finish the Job

I have recently undertaken the rather large DIY task of re-grouting our outside area. And boy, are there lots of tiles in that space! It’s looking great, but it’s been a couple of months already and I’m not even halfway. I have to keep telling myself that even though the going is slow, the work is tedious and a little back-breaking, it will be worthwhile.

And that reminds me of the work that our Father is busy with in me. Im so glad that it’s not DIY. I’m so grateful that He is so faithful to complete His work in me. Even though sometimes it’s like pushing through mud and my progress seems snail-like – He will bring it to completion. 

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
- Philippians 1:6

 

Karma vs Grace

“You see, at the centre of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics; in physical laws every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.”

― Bono

The gospel, rightly understood, teaches that we can’t earn forgiveness. We just simply can never be good enough. Even our best deeds are tainted by wrong motivations, and even our best intentions result in imperfect obedience. We cannot bring our own ‘righteousness’ to the negotiating table with God. Like Bono says, if all we had was ‘Karma’, it would be game over for all of us.

But thanks be to God there is a Grace to be held onto and that holds onto us!

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you…. So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Romans 11:5-6

We are chosen by grace, saved by grace and sustained by grace. The gospel of grace is power for our conversion (“you received”), the ongoing declaration of our unshakable right standing with God (“in which you stand”), and the daily sanctifying work we are undergoing until the future glorification (“by which you are being saved”).

While every other way says that change comes from within and we are ‘saved’ by our right actions, the way of the grace of God shows us that true change comes from outside of ourselves and that salvation is based purely on Jesus’ behaviour. Then, and only then, does this grace begin a work in us that starts to shape us more and more like Jesus as we grow in our obedience to the Spirit.

The law itself is never able to supply what it demands. The law will never cure the idolatry at the root of every disobedience. But through the grace of God, Jesus is able to supply what the law demands and cure the idolatry through replacing our hearts of stone with that of flesh. Then the good works we do are done in delightful response to the finished work of Jesus Christ. It’s not about earning or payback, but about honour and praise.

Our Own Image

In the beginning, God made man in His own image, and man has been trying to return the favour ever since.

The kind of god we want to worship is the kind who is pretty just like us – thinks like us, hates like us, feels like us – a projection of ourselves. But there is nothing more spiritually dangerous than a ‘safe Jesus’ that mirrors broken us. What we need is not another one of ourselves, but a God with power and might and knowledge completely beyond the bounds of human understanding and existence.

If you say that you can’t worship a God that you can’t totally understand, perhaps you’re only really interested in worshipping yourself. This started way back in Genesis 3, where the serpent suggested, and Adam and Eve accepted, that there was satisfaction, wisdom and beauty to be found outside of God. And since then, all of man has been deciding that some other thing or person will satisfy, enlighten and enthral more than God would.

But when we find the courage to take our eyes off ourselves, to stop digging around in the rubbish dump of our culture for any scrap that advertises such false satisfaction, and to turn our eyes upon Jesus, we will be transformed (2 Corin 3:18), made whole, and we will get all the satisfaction.

Means & Motive

Imagine the story of Ruth if Boaz was incredibly kind and gracious, but did not have the means or money to support Ruth and redeem her.

Or imagine he had all the resources at hand, but was completely indifferent to her.

It would have been an average, disappointing end. But the good news is that Boaz was good and he was able.

And Boaz being just a shadow of Jesus, imagine how good and able our God is. He has both perfect motive and endless means.

You see, God is so so good.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his love endures forever. Psalm 136
Gracious and compassionate, abounding in love and showing faithfulness to generations. Psalm 145:7-9

But if he only loved us and had these wonderful precious thoughts toward us, but no power to act or intervene, then it would be nice, but what good would it really be?

But the beautiful news, friends, is that he has absolute power and authority and resources: means. He holds the universe in his hands. He speaks stars and planets into existence. He alone holds the ultimate ability to give and take away. 

Have a read of Psalm 145:3-6.

He is perfectly good and absolutely able.

So because of that, verse Psalm 145:13 onward (faithful to all his promises) can be true.

He is good and able when it comes to your salvation. Your provision. Your sanctification.

Why is that goods news?

Because it means that every single thing that occurs in your life has come to you through the filter of God’s goodness and his power.

And in no way to belittle the terrible struggles that some of you are going through, but yes, even that. Even in the darkest of nights, God’s goodness and power hold true.

And though we don’t understand, we have to, by faith, cling to that truth all our days.

In 2 Chron 20, the Israelites are facing terrible armies, with no earthly hope of surviving. I love how Jehoshaphat prays - we don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you.

We cling to his promises. We cling to his character.

Though, on this side of eternity, we may not always FEEL God’s goodness (it is still true, but masked and hidden in the brokenness of our world), after a little while we will see goodness face-to-face.

And that is our hope.

Relax

Ma Mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight.
And now we invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents - your dinner!

An invitation to relax. To take a deep breath. An invitation to cast your burdens down on the only One truly strong enough to bear them all. A call to green pastures and quiet waters. To a restored soul.

Doesn’t that sound incredible? I know it’s definitely what I need. 

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” - Psalms 23‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭