In Jesus’ time, wealth, productive flocks of animals, and abundant fields were seen as a blessing from God that showed God’s favor. People with lots of money and other resources were believed to have better standing with God than those with fewer (or no) resources. In this week’s gospel, a man who clearly is excited about Jesus and respects him, asks what he “must do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus mentions five commandments (ones that describe how people of God are expected to treat other people) and the man tells Jesus that he has followed these expectations all his life. Jesus then tells the man to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. The man went away, shocked and grieving, for he had many possessions.
It is unsettling for followers of Jesus in wealthy societies like the US to read Jesus’ next words: “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” Despite the fact that there are people who have more resources and money than you and I can begin to imagine, we are still very wealthy by world-wide standards. We can’t help but wonder what it is about wealth that gets in the way of being part of God’s kingdom, God’s reign, God’s hopes for the world.
Economic injustice is an issue all across the world, and it has been ever since there have been resources that could be unequally distributed. In the gospel readings the last several weeks, we’ve heard Jesus tell the disciples and the crowds that the world is changing, that what they expect is not what they will soon see. God is turning the world upside down, changing priorities and systems, bringing love for all as well as justice. His listeners might expect that the powerful and wealthy will benefit first, like they always do, but instead, Jesus says the first will be last, and the last will be first. In the past several weeks, our gospel readings tell of Jesus inviting his followers to draw near to God in vulnerability, like children or ones without power or resources.
Followers of Jesus do not earn God’s favor by faithful living or economic productivity. Welcome into God’s kingdom and participation in God’s reign are based in God’s unconditional love. God welcomes us all with open arms, particularly as we bring our vulnerability and our limits. When we realize it is not what we have or what we do that makes us matter to God, we can finally see that God loves us in our vulnerability and shortcomings. God enfolds us in love and invites us to be part of changing the world into a place of love and justice, even as we are changed ourselves by God’s unconditional love and welcome.
Peace,
weekly prayer | Jesus talks about wealth and the reign of God in Mark 10