1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,427 In the name of Jesus, amen. Our Gospel 2 00:00:04,469 --> 00:00:09,166 text is the text that Tyler just read for 3 00:00:09,166 --> 00:00:13,843 us, Mark chapter 10. We don't know much 4 00:00:13,885 --> 00:00:18,366 about this man that came to see Jesus. 5 00:00:19,833 --> 00:00:23,245 Matthew tells us he was a young man. 6 00:00:23,287 --> 00:00:26,833 Luke tells us he was a ruler, probably 7 00:00:26,833 --> 00:00:29,896 very involved in his synagogue. However, 8 00:00:29,938 --> 00:00:32,966 the reason that he came is very clear in 9 00:00:32,966 --> 00:00:37,536 all the three Gospels. He came in search 10 00:00:37,578 --> 00:00:41,400 of eternal life. What must I do to 11 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:46,051 inherit eternal life? And the quest for 12 00:00:46,093 --> 00:00:50,433 eternal life is not only a concern in 13 00:00:50,433 --> 00:00:55,212 Jesus' days, but it's also a concern 14 00:00:55,254 --> 00:01:00,333 today in our culture. The Pew forum for 15 00:01:00,333 --> 00:01:03,418 religion in public life interviewed 16 00:01:03,460 --> 00:01:06,933 about 3,000 adult Americans and they had 17 00:01:06,933 --> 00:01:09,932 a question for them. They asked, what 18 00:01:09,974 --> 00:01:12,933 is the deciding factor for someone to 19 00:01:12,933 --> 00:01:15,476 obtain eternal life? And they gave three 20 00:01:15,518 --> 00:01:18,100 options for them to answer. The first one 21 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:22,633 is actions, works. The second one is 22 00:01:22,675 --> 00:01:27,866 belief, what you really trust in some God. 23 00:01:29,066 --> 00:01:32,746 And the third one is the option of 24 00:01:32,788 --> 00:01:36,933 combining the two, works and faith. The 25 00:01:36,933 --> 00:01:39,834 results are kind of interesting. 29% said 26 00:01:39,876 --> 00:01:42,466 that actions will lead you to eternal 27 00:01:42,466 --> 00:01:47,269 life. And only 30% says that belief will 28 00:01:47,311 --> 00:01:51,800 take you to eternal life. And then 10% 29 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,992 said that it is a combination of both. 30 00:01:55,034 --> 00:01:58,266 And then we had 10% of people that said 31 00:01:58,266 --> 00:02:01,186 other things are going to take you to 32 00:02:01,228 --> 00:02:04,033 eternal life. And 7%, they said they 33 00:02:04,033 --> 00:02:07,392 don't believe in eternal life. And then 34 00:02:07,434 --> 00:02:10,833 14% said, I don't know what to say. They 35 00:02:10,833 --> 00:02:14,792 refused to answer the questions. As you 36 00:02:14,834 --> 00:02:18,833 can tell, the quest for eternal life, it 37 00:02:18,833 --> 00:02:22,397 is indeed a big issue in our culture 38 00:02:22,439 --> 00:02:26,433 today. Only 7%, they said that they don't 39 00:02:26,433 --> 00:02:29,575 believe in eternal life. And 14% said 40 00:02:29,617 --> 00:02:32,966 they don't know what to say. Which means 41 00:02:32,966 --> 00:02:36,041 that 79% of people interview, they 42 00:02:36,083 --> 00:02:39,466 believe that eternal life is something 43 00:02:39,466 --> 00:02:43,663 important to them, as it was for that 44 00:02:43,705 --> 00:02:48,166 young man that came to talk to Jesus. He 45 00:02:48,166 --> 00:02:51,027 thought that following the rules, the 10 46 00:02:51,069 --> 00:02:53,900 commandments would do it. But it didn't. 47 00:02:54,966 --> 00:02:59,625 It didn't. He thought that following the 48 00:02:59,667 --> 00:03:04,366 rule to a T would do well for him. But he 49 00:03:04,366 --> 00:03:08,389 felt miserable because he was not 50 00:03:08,431 --> 00:03:12,733 sure that he had done enough to earn 51 00:03:12,733 --> 00:03:16,135 salvation. He was satisfied, especially 52 00:03:16,177 --> 00:03:19,533 what Jesus told him. Jesus told him two 53 00:03:19,533 --> 00:03:22,868 things. Jesus says, you sell everything 54 00:03:22,910 --> 00:03:26,200 that you have and give to the poor. And 55 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,704 Jesus is saying, you get rid of your 56 00:03:28,746 --> 00:03:31,566 mammon, your idol, and then you are ready 57 00:03:31,566 --> 00:03:38,561 to follow me. But no. He walked away sad 58 00:03:38,603 --> 00:03:45,466 because he had too many possessions. And 59 00:03:45,466 --> 00:03:48,243 now as everyone is wondering what 60 00:03:48,285 --> 00:03:51,766 happened here, the young man, I think that 61 00:03:51,766 --> 00:03:55,588 he started off really well. He had a good 62 00:03:55,630 --> 00:03:59,033 and serious question to Jesus. But in 63 00:03:59,033 --> 00:04:03,300 the end, he just got disappointment and 64 00:04:03,342 --> 00:04:07,433 frustration and sadness. The young man 65 00:04:07,433 --> 00:04:12,165 walks away and nobody wants to say 66 00:04:12,207 --> 00:04:17,933 anything. Everyone is quiet. And you heard 67 00:04:17,933 --> 00:04:21,121 this text before, at least this piece of 68 00:04:21,163 --> 00:04:24,233 the text two Sundays ago if you went to 69 00:04:24,466 --> 00:04:27,625 Lutheran Church or if you came here last 70 00:04:27,667 --> 00:04:30,866 Wednesday, our chaplain, Dean Gilbert, he 71 00:04:30,866 --> 00:04:34,250 preached about this section of the text. 72 00:04:34,292 --> 00:04:37,966 But however, the text doesn't end here. It's 73 00:04:37,966 --> 00:04:41,609 a connection with our text for today. So 74 00:04:41,651 --> 00:04:45,333 it's flowing together. You see this young 75 00:04:45,333 --> 00:04:48,900 man walking away in silence and nobody 76 00:04:48,942 --> 00:04:52,733 dares to say anything. Everybody is quiet 77 00:04:52,733 --> 00:04:57,811 but not Jesus. Oh, Jesus talks. He has 78 00:04:57,853 --> 00:05:03,233 something to say. And Jesus looked around 79 00:05:03,233 --> 00:05:06,942 to whom? To His disciples. He looks to 80 00:05:06,984 --> 00:05:10,733 them and he makes a statement. He says, 81 00:05:11,233 --> 00:05:13,775 how difficult it will be for those who 82 00:05:13,817 --> 00:05:16,466 have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. 83 00:05:17,966 --> 00:05:22,189 And the disciples were amazed at Jesus' 84 00:05:22,231 --> 00:05:26,600 words. But Jesus kept talking and He said 85 00:05:27,466 --> 00:05:31,027 again, children, how difficult it is to 86 00:05:31,069 --> 00:05:34,400 enter the kingdom of God. It is for a 87 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,581 camel to go through the eye of a needle 88 00:05:36,623 --> 00:05:38,566 than for a rich person to enter the 89 00:05:38,566 --> 00:05:41,587 kingdom of God. And now listen to this, 90 00:05:41,629 --> 00:05:44,766 the disciples were exceedingly astonished 91 00:05:47,533 --> 00:05:50,842 I'm not sure if you caught that or not, 92 00:05:50,884 --> 00:05:54,233 but the disciples were totally surprised 93 00:05:54,233 --> 00:05:56,894 with the outcome of this conversation 94 00:05:56,936 --> 00:05:59,566 between the rich young man and Jesus. 95 00:06:01,233 --> 00:06:05,596 They were amazed with His words. They were 96 00:06:05,638 --> 00:06:09,733 exceedingly astonished. And the question 97 00:06:09,733 --> 00:06:14,749 is why? Why the disciples were surprised? 98 00:06:14,791 --> 00:06:19,366 You see the cultural expectations was, 99 00:06:19,933 --> 00:06:23,689 and it still is, wealth is a sign of 100 00:06:23,731 --> 00:06:27,733 God's blessings. The disciples appeared 101 00:06:27,733 --> 00:06:30,924 to have that understanding. So they could 102 00:06:30,966 --> 00:06:33,966 not believe that Jesus turned away this 103 00:06:33,966 --> 00:06:37,340 rich man. They're thinking he's a big 104 00:06:37,382 --> 00:06:41,066 shot in town, he goes to the synagogue. I 105 00:06:41,066 --> 00:06:43,735 mean if he cannot be accepted in the 106 00:06:43,777 --> 00:06:46,266 kingdom of heaven, who then can be 107 00:06:46,266 --> 00:06:51,712 accepted? But you see Jesus sees things 108 00:06:51,754 --> 00:06:56,966 differently. Listen to what He says at 109 00:06:56,966 --> 00:07:01,668 the end of our gospel. But many who are 110 00:07:01,710 --> 00:07:06,333 first will be last, and the last first. 111 00:07:08,233 --> 00:07:12,447 Jesus, He turns cultural expectations 112 00:07:12,489 --> 00:07:16,966 upside down. The expectation that if you 113 00:07:16,966 --> 00:07:20,923 are rich you're blessed by God. That's 114 00:07:20,965 --> 00:07:25,166 the way the world work in Jesus' days and 115 00:07:25,166 --> 00:07:28,810 this is the way the world still works 116 00:07:28,852 --> 00:07:32,633 today. A culture that rewards lifestyle 117 00:07:32,633 --> 00:07:36,596 of the rich and famous and important 118 00:07:36,638 --> 00:07:40,966 people. Just pay attention to Hollywood, 119 00:07:42,300 --> 00:07:47,107 athletes involving sports, rappers, 120 00:07:47,149 --> 00:07:52,266 TV shows, even the so-called Christian 121 00:07:52,266 --> 00:07:55,481 preachers, sometimes they boast of rich 122 00:07:55,523 --> 00:07:58,533 as a sign of God's blessings in their 123 00:07:58,533 --> 00:08:03,754 lives. Rich and wealth can be a problem. 124 00:08:03,796 --> 00:08:08,800 It can indeed get in the way of eternal 125 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:15,388 life. This was a problem for the rich 126 00:08:15,430 --> 00:08:22,233 man in our text and as money also was a 127 00:08:30,366 --> 00:08:41,028 problem for the rich man in our text and as money also was a problem for the rich man in our 128 00:08:41,070 --> 00:08:52,233 text and as money also was a problem for the early Church. Remeber Acts and Ananias and Sapphira. 129 00:08:52,233 --> 00:08:53,185 They sold the land that they owned but in the way to go and bring the profit of the 130 00:08:53,227 --> 00:08:54,230 sell to Peter, they start to think about should we give all this money to the church? 131 00:08:55,730 --> 00:09:08,229 Maybe we can keep some and give and tell them that's the way we sold, that's the price somebody paid for 132 00:09:08,271 --> 00:09:20,333 it? And we know that story didn't end quit well. They dropped dead both of them, cause they're lying. 133 00:09:20,333 --> 00:09:23,101 So you think about after the disciples heard Jesus words and they saw this rich young man walking away they start to wonder. They start to wonder and 134 00:09:23,143 --> 00:09:25,933 say, if this young fellow who we thought was doing everything right and was a big shot in town cannot get into God's kingdom, who then can get there? 135 00:09:28,733 --> 00:09:31,133 So then they ask, who can be saved? 136 00:09:32,566 --> 00:09:33,533 Who can be saved? 137 00:09:35,633 --> 00:09:39,691 Now if you look to this text, Jesus looks 138 00:09:39,733 --> 00:09:43,733 at them, but the original word here is He 139 00:09:43,733 --> 00:09:46,166 looks them really seriously. 140 00:09:46,166 --> 00:09:51,866 You realize what you're asking, aren't you? 141 00:09:54,166 --> 00:09:58,912 And then Jesus says, with the man is impossible, 142 00:09:58,954 --> 00:10:02,666 but with God, all things are possible. 143 00:10:05,766 --> 00:10:07,584 As I said before, in God's 144 00:10:07,626 --> 00:10:10,200 kingdom, everything is upside down. 145 00:10:11,966 --> 00:10:16,571 It's not about us, it's always about Jesus 146 00:10:16,613 --> 00:10:21,366 and what He does and what He will do for us. 147 00:10:22,433 --> 00:10:25,533 You see, salvation is always a gift from God. 148 00:10:26,566 --> 00:10:29,166 Eternal life comes from God. 149 00:10:30,166 --> 00:10:31,966 Eternal life comes from above. 150 00:10:33,833 --> 00:10:40,072 But you almost can see, Peter, excuse me Jesus, 151 00:10:40,114 --> 00:10:46,000 we just left everything behind to follow you. 152 00:10:47,266 --> 00:10:48,533 What about us? 153 00:10:48,566 --> 00:10:49,566 What you gonna get? 154 00:10:53,066 --> 00:10:56,283 And we see many episodes in the gospel that 155 00:10:56,325 --> 00:10:59,433 Jesus was not really so nice to Peter, but 156 00:10:59,433 --> 00:11:03,833 here, Jesus is very kind and loving. 157 00:11:05,666 --> 00:11:08,933 And he directs Peter and all the disciples 158 00:11:08,975 --> 00:11:11,666 to bigger things, to higher things. 159 00:11:13,333 --> 00:11:16,555 I can almost hear Jesus saying this to Peter, 160 00:11:16,597 --> 00:11:20,000 hey Peter, do you think that you left everything 161 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:20,566 behind? 162 00:11:21,466 --> 00:11:24,100 You really think that you gave up everything for me? 163 00:11:24,766 --> 00:11:26,300 Oh, you got that wrong, buddy. 164 00:11:26,300 --> 00:11:32,033 No, I'm the one that left everything behind. 165 00:11:32,333 --> 00:11:35,600 I'm the one that gave up everything for you. 166 00:11:36,966 --> 00:11:39,559 And for that young rich man that walk 167 00:11:39,601 --> 00:11:42,233 away and for all of you, my disciples. 168 00:11:44,733 --> 00:11:49,343 I gonna say that one more time because I already 169 00:11:49,385 --> 00:11:53,466 said twice, the Son of Man, you're gonna go 170 00:11:53,466 --> 00:11:54,166 to Jerusalem. 171 00:11:55,633 --> 00:11:57,833 You'll be condemned to death. 172 00:12:00,566 --> 00:12:03,305 You'll be beaten up, you'll be flogged, 173 00:12:03,347 --> 00:12:06,266 you'll be spat on, then He will be killed. 174 00:12:08,666 --> 00:12:11,700 But on the third day, He will rise again. 175 00:12:13,133 --> 00:12:14,744 So you guys, you think that you 176 00:12:14,786 --> 00:12:16,333 left everything behind for me? 177 00:12:18,633 --> 00:12:20,100 Yes, maybe you did. 178 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:26,166 But let me tell you, you're gonna get even more than this. 179 00:12:26,933 --> 00:12:31,142 And then Jesus goes on and he says, truly 180 00:12:31,184 --> 00:12:35,433 I say to you, there is no one who has left 181 00:12:35,433 --> 00:12:35,933 house. 182 00:12:36,066 --> 00:12:39,448 You see, this is a singular, a house, brothers 183 00:12:39,490 --> 00:12:42,766 and sisters and mother and father or children 184 00:12:42,766 --> 00:12:46,866 or lands for my sake and for the gospel. 185 00:12:46,866 --> 00:12:50,866 You not receive a hundred fold now in this time. 186 00:12:51,666 --> 00:12:55,527 Then he goes to plural house, brothers and 187 00:12:55,569 --> 00:12:59,833 sisters, plural mothers and children and lands. 188 00:13:00,333 --> 00:13:02,133 But then Jesus had something else. 189 00:13:02,533 --> 00:13:04,666 He says with persecutions. 190 00:13:07,333 --> 00:13:10,533 In the age to come, eternal life. 191 00:13:12,766 --> 00:13:17,833 I imagine we all left many things behind to follow Jesus. 192 00:13:20,166 --> 00:13:23,433 How many things did you leave behind to come to this campus? 193 00:13:24,833 --> 00:13:28,101 To study, to be formed and serve one day as 194 00:13:28,143 --> 00:13:31,300 a pastor, as a deaconess in God's kingdom. 195 00:13:33,366 --> 00:13:37,966 I know some of you well, but I cannot speak for you. 196 00:13:38,966 --> 00:13:40,866 I can speak for myself. 197 00:13:43,466 --> 00:13:48,354 This leaving everything behind to follow Jesus 198 00:13:48,396 --> 00:13:52,800 doesn't happen just once in your life, but 199 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:56,103 we all happen constant every 200 00:13:56,145 --> 00:13:59,966 day, giving up to follow Jesus. 201 00:14:01,733 --> 00:14:07,196 I live in San Antonio for over 20 years and 202 00:14:07,238 --> 00:14:12,366 I never thought I would leave Texas, even 203 00:14:12,366 --> 00:14:14,033 though I was not born in Texas. 204 00:14:15,500 --> 00:14:22,200 But then in 2021, I got a call to serve here as a professor. 205 00:14:23,966 --> 00:14:30,833 In my life, my wife and I, we left our home that we own. 206 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,300 We left our children behind. 207 00:14:35,966 --> 00:14:37,266 My son just got married. 208 00:14:39,166 --> 00:14:41,966 We left, my wife left her job. 209 00:14:42,133 --> 00:14:45,702 I left my congregation, my friends, and 210 00:14:45,744 --> 00:14:49,533 we came here to Concordia Seminary campus. 211 00:14:51,433 --> 00:14:54,000 What did we receive when we got here? 212 00:14:56,400 --> 00:15:02,133 Well, we received new brothers, new sisters. 213 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:04,900 We found a new community. 214 00:15:06,366 --> 00:15:07,966 We found a new church. 215 00:15:09,566 --> 00:15:11,247 In fact, in our new church, we 216 00:15:11,289 --> 00:15:13,066 found a new mother in some ways. 217 00:15:13,933 --> 00:15:16,151 There is a lady and her husband that they 218 00:15:16,193 --> 00:15:18,666 adopted me and my wife, and they always invite 219 00:15:18,666 --> 00:15:22,133 us for Easter celebration, Thanksgiving celebration. 220 00:15:24,866 --> 00:15:27,733 What did you find when you got here? 221 00:15:28,966 --> 00:15:29,866 Just look around. 222 00:15:31,366 --> 00:15:32,433 How many siblings? 223 00:15:33,866 --> 00:15:34,633 How many sisters? 224 00:15:34,733 --> 00:15:35,500 How many brothers? 225 00:15:36,633 --> 00:15:40,000 Maybe some of your profs could be your father like me. 226 00:15:41,866 --> 00:15:44,200 And sometimes I see you like that. 227 00:15:47,466 --> 00:15:50,923 As I said before, when we leave everything 228 00:15:50,965 --> 00:15:54,300 behind to follow Jesus, it doesn't happen 229 00:15:54,300 --> 00:15:55,900 just once in your life. 230 00:15:56,533 --> 00:16:00,566 It's a constant act of giving up to follow Jesus. 231 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:03,833 And soon again, you're going to be moving. 232 00:16:05,333 --> 00:16:07,692 You come for two years, then you go 233 00:16:07,734 --> 00:16:10,133 into your vicarage, your internship. 234 00:16:10,933 --> 00:16:13,066 Then what do you find there? 235 00:16:13,933 --> 00:16:16,766 A new family, a new congregation. 236 00:16:17,666 --> 00:16:19,777 And when you're liking that, you 237 00:16:19,819 --> 00:16:22,100 have to come back for another year. 238 00:16:23,366 --> 00:16:24,737 And then finally you get your 239 00:16:24,779 --> 00:16:26,433 first call and you're so excited. 240 00:16:26,533 --> 00:16:28,300 What did you find when you get there? 241 00:16:30,133 --> 00:16:34,205 New mothers, new fathers, new brothers, new 242 00:16:34,247 --> 00:16:38,266 sisters, and maybe another call after that. 243 00:16:38,266 --> 00:16:42,900 And you leave everything behind and move again. 244 00:16:45,566 --> 00:16:49,010 Whenever you go, this hundred fold 245 00:16:49,052 --> 00:16:53,333 blessing of Jesus follows you, follows you. 246 00:16:54,266 --> 00:16:58,493 You have to understand this hundred fold blessing 247 00:16:58,535 --> 00:17:02,033 of Jesus is not a number, but it's a gift 248 00:17:02,033 --> 00:17:03,666 from God that you cannot count. 249 00:17:04,900 --> 00:17:06,633 That's what he's saying here. 250 00:17:08,433 --> 00:17:10,677 And we know, we all know not 251 00:17:10,719 --> 00:17:13,900 everything will be beautiful and easy. 252 00:17:14,866 --> 00:17:17,766 Jesus is very honest in our text today. 253 00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:20,200 He says, persecution will come. 254 00:17:21,766 --> 00:17:24,725 You're going to face challenges, difficult 255 00:17:24,767 --> 00:17:27,766 times, hard times, but you have to remember 256 00:17:28,833 --> 00:17:32,366 Jesus will be with you every step of the way. 257 00:17:33,833 --> 00:17:39,000 Jesus is the Savior that was condemned to death. 258 00:17:40,533 --> 00:17:43,866 He was flogged, he was spat on, he was killed. 259 00:17:45,466 --> 00:17:48,833 But on the third day, he rose again. 260 00:17:50,166 --> 00:17:55,266 He rose again to make sure that you have eternal life. 261 00:17:56,100 --> 00:17:59,300 And this is really what matters in the end. 262 00:18:00,933 --> 00:18:01,133 Amen. 263 00:18:02,866 --> 00:18:04,740 In the peace of God, which transcends all 264 00:18:04,782 --> 00:18:06,833 understanding, you guard your hearts and your 265 00:18:06,833 --> 00:18:07,966 minds in Christ Jesus. 266 00:18:08,833 --> 00:18:09,033 Amen.