Instruction
Scripture: Mark 10:17-22
While Jesus was seeking to teach His disciples privately, He
was approached by a rich man who wanted to know how to inherit eternal life. As
Jesus spoke to him it was clear that he did not see how he had broken God’s
commandments, nor did he see his attachment to earthly goods. The passage
serves to open our own eyes to see where earthly blessings lay hold of our own
hearts.
Teaching
Martin Luther wrote in the Large Catechism, “Idolatry does
not consist merely of erecting an image and praying to it, but it is primarily
a matter of the heart, which fixes its gaze upon other things and seeks help
and consolation from [them].” As Jesus spoke to the young man, He discerned
that this sin against the First Commandment was in the man’s heart. His call to
him was to cut his bondage to earthly treasure so that he might receive the
heavenly treasure of forgiveness, love, and eternal life by faith.
Life
As U.S. Americans we are the wealthiest people in the world.
That might seem strange to us as we hear words of doom and gloom in the
economic news, or as we think of our bills and bank accounts, but it is
nonetheless true. Have you ever paused to wonder how such wealth impacts your
soul? It is not that the wealth itself is evil, or that it is bad to have
wealth, but if the earthly comforts we enjoy keep us from following Christ then
there is a problem that we should confess, and we should change the way we live
in regard to our earthly wealth. Besides, Jesus has promised a much more
permanent and more valuable treasure in heaven.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we have inherited eternal life because You died
for us and You have risen to break death’s hold on us. We now strive to keep the
Commandments as people who have eternal life, not to earn it. Yet we are also
people with wealth, and we do not want that wealth to interfere with following
You. Your treasure is greater than anything this world can offer.
Thank You for loving the man who felt he had kept God’s
commands. Thank You for loving us in the same way. We give You thanks for
making us think about our attachment to earthly things, and consider how we
live in a right relationship with our Heavenly Father and our earthly
blessings.
Forgive us, Lord, when we mix that relationship up and we
love our things more than we love our God. Forgive us for breaking the first of
all the Commandments; that we have no other gods before You. We ask that You
would forgive us for the times that we deluded ourselves into thinking that we
had kept the Commandments, while we never made it past the First.
Change our hearts, O God, and move us to love You above all
things and to place all of our hopes and confidence in You alone. Let us live
in this life using the earthly blessings You have poured out on us in such a
way that we are ready to leave them all behind to follow our Lord Jesus even as
we rejoice in them as signs of Your love and providence. Amen.
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