What Are You Doing with Your Inheritance?

October 14, 2018

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a sermon on this text, Mark 10:17-31, that didn’t trash this rich man.  Since this text usually comes up while many congregations are in the midst of a stewardship campaign, trashing the rich man often becomes the preacher’s way to arm-twist members into increasing their monetary giving.

Now don’t get me wrong, this text is about money and how what we do with money can get in the way of our kingdom living.  But more than that, I think this text is Jesus’ fundamental critique of how religious people understand what it means to be in relationship with the head of the Kingdom, and the kind of life those who belong to the kingdom will live when that relationship is ordered appropriately.  Put simply, Jesus is making a very obvious point about how we’re going to think, decide, behave, pray and relate, when we remember – all the time – Whose we are.

At our 9:30 A.M., Sunday worship, in prayer, Word, song, sermon and Meal, we’ll be reminded that the question we ask, in faith, isn’t “what must I do to inherit eternal life.”  Our question – while we’re on the way to living into the inheritance we’ve been given is, “Now that I have a share in eternal life, what’s different?”

What’s different for God?  What’s different for everything and everyone God is so eager to create, to save and to bless?

Pastor Jeff