Greed

Taylor Mertins

Matthew 26.14-16 A rich man comes up to Jesus and he says, “Teacher, I follow all of the commands of God. What more must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus, looking on the man with compassion, says, “Because I love you, how about you try selling everything you have, give the proceeds to the poor, and then you can follow me” The man walks away from Jesus, grieving, because he has many possessions. As far as I can tell, this is the only time in the strange new world of the Bible that Jesus invites someone into discipleship and they turn it down. The story doesn’t end there, of course. Jesus goes on to talk about how difficult it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven. As difficult, in fact, as it would be for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. What a wondrous moment in the Gospel! It is quick to makes us squirm sufficiently in our seats. It is an uncomfortable word to hear because we, compared to the rest of the world, are rich beyond imagining, and then Jesus drops this word on us. And yet, there’s still more to the story! Peter, wondrous Peter, raises his hand after Jesus rebukes the wealthy, and says, “If that rich guy can’t be saved, even though he follow the entire law, then who can?” And Jesus says, “What is impossible for humans, is possible for God.” In the end, we worship the God who saves sinners, who can raise the dead, who can even diminish our greed, because nothing is impossible for God.