Mark 10:17-22 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, 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.
We often read this passage assuming that the man isn’t willing to give up his wealth because he enjoyed the benefits of being rich more than having eternal life. But maybe he wasn’t willing to give up his wealth to poor people because he didn’t believe they deserved it. Maybe he looked at poor people and assumed that they were lazy and that giving them his wealth would be a disincentive to find employment. Maybe he thought they would only spend his wealth on drugs and alcohol. Maybe he thought of his wealth as God’s reward. These are classist ideas. When have classist ideas shaped your response to people who are struggling financially? Do you make distinctions between “deserving” and “undeserving” poor people? How do you know which is which?
Prayer: God, we struggle over the things we have and the things we want. We don’t want to be consumed by consumption. We don’t want our bank account to control our days and nights. We don’t want to listen to the siren call of accumulation and it’s false promises of satisfaction. But the song is loud and it is difficult to see that your invitation to let go of what we have and what we want isn’t a threat to our wellbeing, but is an invitation to be free. Help me loosen my grip on the things that cannot satisfy so that I can enter into the fullness of eternal life. Amen.
Tongue on Fire 