“What’s Holding You Back?” – Mark 10:17-31 – October 11, 2009
Recently we were watching an episode of “Antique Road Show.” People were surprised to learn that objects they had purchased in a garage sale were actually worth a lot of money. Of course many of them received nothing because they were going to hold on to them instead of selling them. We live in a society that likes to hoard things. Like the man in our story, we are unwilling to give anything away. When Jesus challenged him to let go of his wealth and give it to the poor, he went away sorrowful. He simply could not part with his stuff.
I believe that this story is not just about material goods, although our obsession to stockpile things really holds us back. The same can be said for our loyalties to activities or groups, our attitudes of entitlement or the unrealistic expectations of others. When we can’t let go, we become overwhelmed, depressed and sometimes just plain stuck. Those who are holding on to a grudge, or bitter feelings toward someone will never be free until they let go.
The man in our story thought he had done everything right. He was good and obeyed all the commandments. Unfortunately he was leaving out the love ethic of giving to one’s neighbor. As a result his life was unfulfilled and void of happiness. Unless his action changed he would never experience eternal life.
Jesus promised him that “eternal life” was obtainable as long as the man was willing to let go and give his wealth away. But, he couldn’t do it. Giving up his possessions would have caused him overwhelming grief. It’s not difficult for us to put ourselves in that man’s shoes. Giving away what we have worked hard for doesn’t seem fair. On occasion we will give money to some worthy cause, deliver some clothes to Goodwill, drop off a sack of groceries at the local pantry and even set an old piece of old furniture by the curve on trash day. But give away all our possessions?
Does the challenge that Jesus gave to the man in Mark “to sell what you have and give the money to the poor” apply to us? Apparently it is up to each individual to decide for themselves. After the man left, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age, houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”
The disciples in fact had left their homes and jobs and followed. Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Notice that Jesus did not take issue with their claim. Instead he promised that they would be rewarded.
For me the story implies that when we let go or give something away, that void will be replaced a hundred times. It’s a hard lesson to understand. It’s also even more difficult to do. Leaving family and/or homes seems harsh. Does being a follower of Jesus really require us to sever relationships with relatives or walk away from that place we call home? Again, each person has to decide for his or herself. The point of the story is that we can’t possibly experience a reward until we take that first step.
One time a bus driver became annoyed with what he saw in an open field at the end of his run. It was littered with trash. It had become the unofficial dump in the community. The bus driver grew tired of seeing the mess every day and since he had a seven minute layover, he decided to spend a few minutes picking up bottles and cans. The next day he took some trash bags and a pair of gloves. After a week of using his layovers to collect trash he decided to come back on weekends and clean up the entire site. He worked through the winter months and in the spring he planted some flower seeds. By the end of the following summer, some of his regular riders traveled with him to the end of his run to see what he had accomplished. The bus driver had turned a dump into a beautiful meadow.
I believe that “eternal life” is possible for us too, as long as we are willing to let go of those things that are holding us back. By eternal life I mean, liberation, peace of mind, being one with God, being in the kingdom of God, both now and in the future. Jesus was encouraging his followers to redirect their energy and resources to a greater good. That requires a change in an attitude of “surviving” to one of “loving our neighbors.”
As you know there is a growing awareness of the need to recycle all those plastic and metal containers that we used to put in the trash. In the past year my wife and I have added cardboard products to our recyclables. Once a month I make a trip to the recycling center and deposit our cardboard and magazines. For me, it’s a good feeling to know that something I am getting rid of will have a new life.
Did you know that one recycled aluminum can power your television for 2 and ½ hours? That’s right. All steel products, for example, contain at least 25 percent steel scrap, which requires 75 percent less energy to produce than "virgin" steel and that explains why scrap metal has become a valuable commodity.
If recycled material can have new life, we too can have new life by giving part of ourselves away.
For the past eighteen years my wife has been commuting to her job in Springfield, about 40 miles from Sidney. In the last few years I have worried about my wife traveling, especially on icy roads. Unfortunately, my mother in law is seriously ill. And because of her recent illness, my wife he has been living at her mother’s home in Springfield. Consequently I have been commuting from Springfield to Sidney.
That has meant getting up earlier and eating breakfast on the road. I have had to adapt temporarily to a new way of living. So far I have been able to keep all my commitments plus assume some new ones because of the need to do maintenance at my mother-in-law’s home. As a result I have been meeting her neighbors, getting acquainted with her friends and making some improvements in her home. For the moment I don’t have to worry about my wife traveling. Letting go of my short commute and getting up a little earlier has been a small price to pay for having “peace of mind.”
Imagine the feelings of assurance, liberation, or sense peace we all could feel by letting go of those things that hold us back. By forgiving someone who has wronged us we no longer have to live with feelings of resentfulness or bitterness. By rearranging our priorities we can walk away from that club, organization or activity that consumes our energy and resources. By being grateful for what we have instead of thinking we deserve more, our souls will be refreshed and we can feel closer to God.
Dr. Keith Wagner