Matthew 19:16-22
I keep turning over the parable of the rich man in my head. Here was a man who had ostensibly EVERY reason to feel good about himself – he was wealthy in the world (no need to worry about clothes, food, possessions or status) and was obedient to God’s laws. From the outside, there was nothing he or anyone could claim against him as a fault. Even Jesus doesn’t disagree with him when he claims that he has kept God’s law: “All these I have kept.” This person is still alive today – we know one or two of them ourselves – they are the wealthy paradigms of virtue that we encounter; those people who just seem to have everything together and do and say all the right things… They are secretly exactly what I want to be.
And, yet, this man wasn’t happy. He was in private torment, crying out for help. He could not understand why he was still unhappy – there was nothing to complain about and yet he intuitively understood that something was wrong. Why?
Jesus simply tells him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
My traditional reading of this parable (and therefore answer to the “Why”) has been “Oh, well that’s obvious, he just needs to give up his wealth. This is just Jesus making the point that we shouldn’t cling to possessions. Stuff can’t make us happy.” After thinking about it some more, I realize that while, superficially, that is correct, Jesus is actually imploring him to do something much more radical. Jesus is offering the advice that only He, because of His righteousness, is in a position to offer -- the key to the peace and joy that this man is seeking – GIVE UP.
See I think Jesus loves him deeply. Jesus appreciates that this man knows that he needs help. The rich man is not content with himself even though the world would tell him he should be – this is what warms Jesus’ heart to him. Jesus knows that he has a willing spirit, but God also knows that it is this very spirit that is keeping him from the peace and joy that he desires. The man is trying too hard and he is still relying on himself. Jesus is really telling him to give up the fight. Give up on material things. Give up on tasks. Give up on your claims to righteousness. Follow me.
This is the OPPOSITE message that I have always taken away from this passage. I have been reading this passage too quickly (surprise, surprise) and with my prideful heart. My heart wants to follow Jesus, but it wants to follow on my terms. I have always stopped paying attention after Jesus tells him to “dump everything.” I think I understand why… See “dumping everything and giving to the poor” is a task. I love tasks. I can accomplish tasks. Tasks speak to EVERYTHING in my heart that yearns to make itself whole and make itself better. It even says right there in the scripture “If you want to be perfect.” It is a conditional statement followed by a command!” My hope in myself can still be preserved, right?!?!? RIGHT?!??! Wrong.
I willfully don’t read what is next. Jesus says “then come, follow me.” It is a demand and a call to obedience. My ears are closed to it. It isn’t enough to fulfill the tasks. Jesus is telling the rich man (and me) that MY DEEDS are not sufficient -- they will never measure up. I don’t want to hear that. Isn’t that a violation of everything that this world tells me? Doesn’t this world tell me to ‘try harder’ and ‘you can do it’? Doesn’t it load me up with demands? All those self-help books complete with plans for how to make myself feel better.
Jesus tells me, gently, “give up and follow.” He is calling out my prideful heart – telling me that I can’t ever hope to save myself. See the reason that this man is secretly so unhappy is that his wealth and his law following are efforts to earn his righteousness. Yet, somewhere in his heart, even this man (seen by the world as ‘perfect’) is willing to admit that there is something wrong with that. Because of his human condition, he will never be able to cure himself. Only Jesus, because He IS perfect; because He IS the perfection that this man (and my heart) desire can tell someone that truth (and be believed) and then command him to follow. There is no debate with perfection -- we are simply called to obey. Stop thinking, stop trying, just follow. It is a message that no self-help book could ever credibly deliver.
As Bonhoeffer observes:
“There is no need of any preliminaries, and no other consequence but obedience to the call... Follow me, run along behind me! That is all. To follow in his steps is something which is void of all content. It gives us no intelligible program for a way of life, no goal or ideal to strive after. It is not a cause which human calculation might deem worthy of our devotion… The only answer to his [rich man’s] difficulties is the very commandment of God, which challenges him to have done with the academic discussion and to get on with the task of obedience... He refuses to take those difficulties as seriously as the young man does. … Not only do the followers of Jesus renounce their rights, they renounce their own righteousness too. They get no praise for their achievements or sacrifices… The only honor and dignity they know is their Lord’s own mercy, to which alone they owe their very lives… Works are dead, fruit is alive, and bears the seed which will bring forth more fruit.... Fruit is always the miraculous, the created; it is never the result of willing, but always a growth. The fruit of the Spirit is a gift of God, and only he can produce it.”
In brief, Jesus tells him (and me) – this isn’t a career, stop trying to make it one. There is nothing to do but accept my brokenness, love Him and love others. Pray for forgiveness each day and Have mercy. Let Jesus do the work through the Holy Spirit in my heart. This is the good news.
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