Following in the Way of Jesus

We continue this morning in the season of the church year known as the time after Pentecost – ordinary time. We mark this season with the color green – the color of growth – as a reminder that this is a season for growing in our life together as people who follow in the way of Jesus in the world today.

Pentecost, you may recall, was the day that the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus’ disciples, gathered together in Jerusalem, in the days after witnessing Jesus ascend back to God, and the Holy Spirit filled the disciples with power to go out into the world and share the good news of Jesus Christ with all the world. In sharing the good news, they were growing the church.

In these last few weeks, in this long season of the time after Pentecost, we have been hearing gospel stories about Jesus and his disciples traveling together, on the way down to Jerusalem from their homeland in the north. As they journey, Jesus is speaking with his disciples to prepare them for his upcoming death and resurrection. He is teaching them how they can continue to follow in the way of Jesus even when he is no longer physically present with them.

Jesus’ teachings are hard for the disciples to hear and understand.

Jesus’ teachings are no less challenging for us today, living 2,000 years after Jesus, in a culture and society that is more secular than sacred. We may wonder how we can continue to faithfully follow in the way of Jesus, even when his teachings are counter to the expectations of the world in which we live.

Consider today’s gospel reading – another example of how hard it can be to follow in the way of Jesus.

A man comes up to Jesus and bows down before him and asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”.

This is a rather odd question. In general, there is nothing anyone can do to inherit anything; inheritance is a gift, from one person to another; it is freely given; it is not earned.

And the man addresses Jesus in a rather odd way, calling him ‘Good’ teacher. Jesus responds “ Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” Humans are not good by nature; we are good only through the love and mercy and grace of God, given to us in the name of Jesus, and flowing through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus reminds the man that he knows the commandments; the law of Moses; the man has studied scripture all of his life. As Jesus names each commandment, the man checks each one off in his head; he has kept them all since he was a youth.

Then, we’re told, Jesus looks at him and loves him…Jesus looks fully and attentively at the man and loves him, with compassion and mercy. He can see how hard the man has been trying to follow the commandments, to be a good person, to live according to the law.

Jesus looks at him and loves him…and tells him he lacks one thing. “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

These are hard words for the man to hear and he goes away from Jesus, grieving, because he has many possessions.

Let’s be clear – It is not the possessions themselves that are the problem; it is not wealth itself that prevents one from entering into the kingdom of God.

The problem is that possessions and wealth can distract us from focusing on what is most important in this life that God has given us – following in the way of Jesus and trusting in the grace of God to save us.

These are, indeed, hard words to hear and harder words to follow.

Following in the way of Jesus means we are willing to change our behavior and live in a new way because we love Jesus more than we love our old way of living.

Jesus calls us to change how we live, individually and communally; to change our thoughts and feelings and behaviors; to give up our old ways of focusing only on ourselves (our possessions and our wealth) so that we can seek to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Following in the way of Jesus means we…

• Look fully and attentively at each person we meet, with love and compassion, recognizing that each person is created in the very image of God.
• Love each other and speak well of each other, using our words to build up and encourage each other to follow in the way of Jesus.
• Give up our stubborn reluctance to try something new; we give up thinking that our way is the best way because, you know, “We’ve always done it that way”.
• Welcome new ideas and new leadership from new people who join us on this journey.
• Share our wealth and possessions – our treasures and our time – freely and abundantly with those in need – physically or spiritually.

Following in the way of Jesus is hard for humans to do on their own; in fact, Jesus tells us it is impossible for mortals.

Fortunately, we are not “on our own”.
Thanks be to God for the good news of Jesus Christ that we hear today – the good news that “for God all things are possible”.

Thanks be to God that Jesus looks at us and loves us, with compassion and mercy and calls us to follow in his way.

Thanks be to God for this community of faith, as you continue together in your transition journey – giving up old ways of being – trusting in God’s grace to save you and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, following Jesus into the kin_dom of God, where God reigns over all people in love and justice.

For with God all things are possible.