Matthew 19:16-22 (NRSV)
Treasure in heaven .
Then someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Then someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; what do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Not my favorite version of this story, I have to admit. And interestingly, not the one that pops up in the lectionary. When we get this story of the "rich young man" it comes from the Gospel of Mark - the first gospel written. It's a story that's well known and is the one that gives us the famous image about camels going through eyes of needles (not given to us today). It's a story that appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
But the one thing that is missing from Matthew and Luke's versions may be (I am guessing...without any inside knowledge whatsoever!) the one thing that causes Mark's version to be the one we get in the lectionary.
In Mark's version, after the young man says to Jesus that he has kept all the commandments, Jesus "looked at him and loved him."
Jesus looked at him and loved him.
It's easy to use this text as a threat or a club to tell people they aren't giving enough or doing enough to help the poor or giving enough through stewardship to the church. A lot easier when using Luke and Matthew's versions.
But we need to remember that what Jesus is offering this young man isn't a nice cushy cloud in an eternal heavenly life...one that comes not until he's dead.
Jesus is instead offering him a kingdom life that is rich and full both now AND not yet. One that will give him a freedom from possession and slavery to his "stuff." He's opening the possibility of a life of love and fulfillment from that moment on.
And he's doing so because he loves him.
I'm not sure why Matthew and Luke left that part out. But I'm going to guess it's a big part that we always want to remember.
Generous and loving God: Help us always remember that the love you bear for us is the love that we are meant to share with others. That letting go of the baggage that gets in the way of that love not only frees others, but frees us as well! Amen
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