Sermon Audio

Today’s text follows last week’s text, and in truth, found it’s way into last week’s sermon. As a result, what you hear today will, in some parts, be a rehash of what you heard last week. This is not all bad; as children often need to hear the same things over and over again from their parents, so children of the Heavenly Father need to hear the same thing from Him over and over again.

“Good Teacher,” the man asked Jesus, “what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Essentially, Jesus replies, “If you’re looking for something ‘to do,’ keep the Law...all of it.” “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth,” the man boldly states. “One thing you lack,” Jesus replies, “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” And the man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. (cf. Mark 10:17-22)

Jesus tells the rich man that keeping of the entire law hinges on the First Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) What does this mean? “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” All things means everything—everything created by God and given to you out of His Fatherly divine goodness and mercy, which includes your money and possessions. These all whither and die or rust and decay—they are temporal blessings which will not last unto eternity when God creates the new heaven and new earth. (cf. Revelation 21:1) These things cannot gain you entrance into the kingdom of God; they do not make it so that you inherit eternal life.

So, after the man left, Jesus explains it to His disciples:

How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

The rich are prone to trust in their riches over and against God for entrance into His kingdom. Or, to put it another way, when things are going well, when times are prosperous, it is easy to make God an afterthought, so to speak, to think that you have done great things that have somehow earned God’s favor so that things have gone well for you.

Therein is the meaning of the phrase “rich man” when Jesus uses it. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Generally, today, the rich are seen as villainous. Recently, especially, we see the protests of what is called “The Occupy Movement,” where the rich 1% are vilified and their riches are demanded of them in order that they be given to the poor and needy, the 99%. It’s even seen in the campaigns this election year, where terms like “class warfare” are being used and one candidate is running on the idea of asking the evil rich people to pay a little more in taxes, calling it their fair share.

In opposition to the general modern view of the wealthy is the view of the wealthy in Jesus’ time. There existed in that time a disdain for those who amassed wealth illicitly or unscrupulously. Luther mentions this in his catechisms as he covers the Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Commandments. However, while the modern view still looks down upon the wealthy who achieved their riches through hard work—they are still part of the 1%—these were seen to have the favor of God in Jesus’ time.

So, when Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” you can imagine the confusion on the part of the disciples. If it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich man who is favored by God to enter the kingdom of God, who can be saved? If it is easier for the impossible to happen than for the favored of God to enter His kingdom, who can be saved?

This flies in the face of all of those who would like to believe that heaven is filled with people who are good. He was a good American, so God must have loved him and granted Him entrance into His kingdom. She helped the poor and downtrodden with what little she had—such a good work—so she must be in heaven, now. No, if they are with Christ after death, if they are in His kingdom, it’s not because he was a good American or that she performed such good works even to her detriment. These have the favor of God not because of what they have done. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Trust in riches or in one’s goodness does not grant entrance into the kingdom of God—on the contrary, they displace the fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

“With men it is impossible,” Jesus says. Why is it impossible with men? Well, you may recall that I once quoted article 26 of the Heidelberg Disputation: “The Law says, ‘Do this,’ and it is never done.” The corollary is also true: the Law says, “Do not do this,” and it is done anyway. In this manner, the Law of God shows you your sin. It shows you how much you fall short of His glory. It reveals to you that you do not fear God, that you hate Him, and that you would rather trust in yourself or the temporal gifts He gives you than in Him.

We spoke on this on Wednesday night as we covered the Close of the Commandments in the Large Catechism. What does God say about all these commandments?

He says, “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6)

As Luther wrote of the First Commandment, so he repeats as he writes on the Close of the Commandments, all of the other commandments flow and proceed from the first and chief commandment. This is demonstrated in the fact that when Luther teaches the other commandments, they all begin with, “We should fear and love God so that...”

So, it follows that whenever we do not keep the Law, we demonstrate a lack of fear and love of God. Now, I don’t mean to say that you, who live under the grace of God, would ever express a lack of fear and love of God, but your sins express it for you. Whenever you lust after another who is not your spouse, you show a lack of fear and love for God. Whenever you strike another person without God-given authority or call him an air head, you show a lack of fear and love for God. Whenever you take what isn’t yours or do not help to improve and protect your neighbor’s possessions and income, you show a lack of fear and love for God. Whenever you gossip about your neighbor or speak ill of him, you show a lack of fear and love for God. Whenever you scheme to get what belongs your neighbor in a way which only seems right, you show a lack of fear and love for God. Whenever you do not honor your father, mother, or God-given authority, you show a lack of fear and love for God.

Again, you would never utter such words, “I don’t fear God, what can He do to me?” Or, you would never dare say, “I hate God!” At least, I would imagine that, especially as you are right now listening to me, the thought of saying these things and meaning them is despicable, deplorable, and detestable. For I’m sure you would say that you delight in the law of God according to your inward man. But, you see another law in your members, warring against the law of your minds, and bringing you into captivity to the law of sin which is in your members. In other words, the good that you will to do, you do not do; but the evil you will not to do, that you practice. So, you cry out like St. Paul, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:19, 22-23, paraphrased; Romans 7:24)

“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” “The law says, ‘Do this,’ and it is never done”—it says, “Do not do this,” and it is done anyway—“grace says, ‘Believe in this,’ and everything is already done.” “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Therefore, trust not in your riches or works—these all do not save you; trusting in them is eternal death. Believe in Jesus Christ, for He has worked out your salvation, and He has given you faith to believe and trust in Him.

“With men it is impossible, but not with God.” It is impossible, because you cannot do what the Law of God demands to make reparation for your sin—you cannot die and rise again as payment for your sin. If you die for your sins, you are dead in your trespasses and sins for eternity. But this is not impossible with God, for He was born of the virgin Mary in the person of His Son, taking on our mortal nature, and was given the name Jesus, which means, “YHWH saves.” He shed His blood and died in your place with your sin—He is the propitiation for your sins—and He rose again from the dead to give you eternal life. His love covers the multitude of your sins, (cf. Proverbs 10:12, 1 Peter4:8) a love which is demonstrated to you in the death of Jesus (cf. Romans 5:8), in the shedding of His blood.

Therefore, dear sinners, look to your Baptisms, where your hatred of God is forgiven, and you are justified. There, at the font, you were joined to the death of Jesus Christ. There at the font, you first died to yourself and your robe was washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. Now, you daily live in your Baptism as through God-given confession of your sins, you drown Old, hard-hearted Adam, and rise again to newness of life as absolution is pronounced over you, even as in your Baptism you were joined to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:3-11)

Dear Baptized, your hatred and fearlessness of God are covered in the perfect love of and submission to God found in the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, your Lord and Savior. He has rescued you from the body of death by His bodily death and given you new life in His resurrection to life. He is now seated at the right hand of God, pleading for you before His Father and your Father in heaven, “I died for that one; their sins are covered.”

Jesus has taken all of your sin into His flesh—all of your lack of fear and hatred for God—and exchanged it for His perfect life, death, and resurrection. His righteousness is accounted to you—you receive the love God shows to the thousand generations of those who love Him, because Jesus kept His commandments for you. For it all, He received the full wrath of God—the punishment of the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate God who is jealous for you.

Now, you may have great wealth or you may live on the edge of poverty; you may do some pretty good works, as we are wont to judge them, or you may see your every action being one of sin. Either way, by the grace of God, you do not trust in these for your salvation, for you have been given faith to believe in Jesus the Christ, who died to forgive your sins and took you with Him, giving you new life. With men salvation is impossible, but not with God. Therefore, by that faith, you receive these words: You are forgiven for all of your sins.