Pr. Eric Kaelberer
IN NOMINE IESU

Beloved Sheep of our Good Shepherd,
It is so good to be back in the I.E. and here at Good Shepherd – here with you! You hold a special place in my heart and I dearly love not only you but your dear Pastor and his family. I am honored to be here!

We have a grand lesson before us in this dear Gospel. It is the continuation of the lesson from last week, and yet it is not merely “part b”, indeed it is a huge shift from “inheriting eternal life” to now what it means to truly enter the Kingdom of God.

Yes, a rich young man comes to Jesus and he has a very sincere question for the God in our flesh whom he calls the good teacher. He doesn’t want a Savior, for he thinks that his own righteousness will be good enough… except… deep down this rich young man knows that he is lacking something. So, approaching Jesus who has healed the sick, raised the dead, multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the 5,000, and again, to feed the 4,000, deaf are made to hear, the blind now see. You may recall how John the Baptist’s disciples came to Jesus and asked if He was the One who was promised or if they should look for another. In Matthew 11 and Luke 11 where Isaiah 61 is quoted and more to the point where at Jesus reads and comments on this as He begins His public ministry in the Synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus is the One who is claiming to be the full Son of God and redeemer of all flesh.

This rich young man is confronted by these facts, these miracles, and so coming to Jesus his own self-righteousness which has been his comfort now has a been shown to have a huge dent, some rust, and a hole in it. In sincerity I believe, this young man approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to INHERIT eternal life? This dear young man sees Jesus as a teacher, yes, a good or righteous teacher, but that Jesus is not the giver of heaven to sinners. There is so much more to that lesson which I know Pastor Stirdivant covered beautifully last week.

This young man went away deeply saddened because he had great wealth – he couldn’t, at this point, give up all his wealth and follow Jesus. That wealth for you and me may be money or it may be a thousand other things. Now our text opens with Jesus telling His Apostles how wealth in all its forms makes it so difficult TO ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM, yes, more difficult than having a camel being able to go through the eye of a needle. Here is the Law in its fullness. Jesus is not saying that money is evil. He does say that the love of it is the root of all evil. This is something that Paul echoed to Timothy:
ESV 1 Timothy 6:10 For the LOVE OF money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Jesus is setting up the impossible standard that self-righteousness will not allow anyone to enter into heaven. Ah, but this is not something that is impossible for our Savior God. You see, the setting here is the week just before the Triumphal Entry of Jesus on Palm Sunday. Things are coming to their sweet conclusion. To skip to the end of our reading we find that Jesus – He will become the last that we become the first. Yes, this Gospel, this continuation of the encounter with the Rich Young Man is all about pointing to the full effect of sin and its only and true answer is found in Jesus, God who is perfect and sinless, eternal and loving, to be emptied out, to become the last and the least, all to lift us up. The Cross is now lifted before the Apostles, lifted before the Church, lifted before you this morning, beloved!

Entering into the Kingdom of God as an adopted child is the key. How do you enter the Kingdom of God? It cannot be by what you do. In the Ecclesiastes lesson this morning King Solomon tells us that we bring nothing in and we take nothing out of this world, that all our labors mean nothing… nothing that is that can earn our way, nothing that can pay for our sins. It is not an indictment of those works done in Christ, the times when we love others with His love, when we serve from the strength of His service. It points to the fact that all our Good works are indeed wrought in Christ (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:13). Yes, the Kingdom of our Lord comes to us purely as gift. Any and all other means of entry will not work. There is very clearly a cross shaped key to heaven and it is faith in Christ and His finished work, a faith that is God’s gift to us and nothing less!

Ah, here is some good news: To know that our efforts in salvation do indeed amount to nothing is so freeing. Going back to the rich young man and his wealth, we see our sinful selves reflected clearly, or at least we should. We know that there are many things that distract us, things that we put first before our Lord. We are indeed children of Adam and Eve. The leaves we have sown to cover our sins grow dry and hard, and when the wind blows, we are exposed. We need the covering of shed blood, the shed blood of the Son of God for us.

We are children of the Fall… and yet, amid the misunderstanding of the Apostles, their worry that entering the Kingdom of Heaven is impossible by our strength, Jesus calls them CHILDREN! Jesus names them children of God. How is this child to be named? Then comes the joining of the child’s name with the Name of the Triune God. This name change is huge.
As we said earlier, but now to repeat: Jesus is headed to the Cross. Indeed, the timing of all this encounter with the Rich Young Man in Capernaum is something that takes place perhaps a week or so from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem where He will die, where He will care for His children, for the Church, yes, for the World.

“Children,” Jesus said, “it is harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a man with wealth to enter the kingdom!” The rich young man could not then let go of his wealth to follow Jesus. Ah, but you and I beloved, wear his sandals. We have so many things that matter to us that are not the blood of Jesus. I don’t need to point the finger at you. It is true for me! I am indeed that son of Adam. And yet… in His Baptismal grace I am a child of God. So, beloved, are you! That Baptismal grace you celebrate each and every time you confess your sins and receive His Holy Forgiveness, His sweet absolution. Yes, with man this is impossible, but all things, including your forgiveness and welcome into the Kingdom of God, all things are possible with Jesus!

If we cannot save ourselves, this is a grand thing, indeed! Children of the fall are now called children of God. What is impossible for us, entering the Kingdom, this is His gift to you, yes, and it is for all. John 3:16 should be echoing in your heart about now. What is impossible, than anyone could be able to enter into the Kingdom of God, even as a visitor, this God has done through Jesus, not to have us visit His Kingdom as an outsider, but that we would be welcomed not only into the Kingdom, but as children of the King! Dear Princes and Princesses of the King, behold His Kingdom here in this place where we gather around His gifts of Word and Sacraments, where fellow sinner/saints confess our need, our sin, and confess His amazing grace toward us!

Ah, these Apostles are starting to get the impossibility of self-justification. Peter reminds Jesus that they have given up all to follow Him. Now Jesus’ answer is so sweet. Here I am reminded of something that happened earlier in Mark’s Gospel. You may remember how in Mark chapter 3 that Jesus spoke of the forgiveness of sins, something that only God can do! Then someone showed Him that His mother and brothers were present just outside. His answer is that “here are my mother and brothers for whoever does the will of My Father is my brother and my sister and my mother!” (3:34-35) You see, those who gave up house or brothers or sisters, mother or father, children or field will through much struggle, distress, or persecution receive in this life 100-fold of whatever they have given up.

Look around this place, this Holy House of the Lord where His family gathers to confess our sins, to receive His absolution, to eat and drink His true Body and Blood, where young are taught and the elderly are comforted, where those in distress find peace, even if the boat is filling with much water from the tempestuous sea. He surely though seemingly asleep on the cushion in the stern of the boat is none the less with you in the boat. Because the payment was made for your sins on that awful Tree atop Golgotha, you are His own and so are these, your brothers and sisters, your mothers and father, in this amazing house and out there in that vast open field where we are planted.

I gave you the full meaning of first being last and last being first as fulfilled in Christ. This passage ends though with Jesus giving us the reality that giving up house and family for the Kingdom means that all we have done is to take our wealth, all by His strength and His Word of forgiveness and life, and putting it all in His nail-pierced hands, we who have given up our rights and our firsts, who serve as He has first served us, these, yes, you, who are last He now calls first.

Do you want to be great in the Kingdom? What must you do to inherit the Kingdom? How about this: Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! How about this: Rejoice not that the spirits bowed to you, but that your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Even so, to Christ belongs all the glory forever and ever. Amen!

SOLI DEO GLORIA

Readings:
Eccl. 5:10–20 the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep
Ps. 119:9–16 Your word have I hidden in my heart
Heb. 4:1–16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace
Mark 10:23–31 easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle