Sun Kwak, “Changing Zip Codes”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMAjZtUNMYY

TEXT: Mark 10:17-31

[17] And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [18] And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. [19] You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” [20] And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” [21] And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [22] Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

[23] And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” [24] And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! [25] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” [26] And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” [27] Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” [28] Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” [29] Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, [30] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. [31] But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

SERMON: “Changing Zip Codes”

So, whenever Judy and I have an opportunity to surprise the kids with something fun and unexpected, being the mature parents we are, we take this as clarion call for a good troll opportunity. And we usually line them up on the sofa, get really stern with them, and make the situation and scene really serious. And what we’re looking for is a reaction. All to be reversed by the truth of why we’re making them sit on the edge of their seats. And so this past week, we sat them all down, lined them up in front of us in the living room. And we looked sternly at them and told them — We have something to tell you guys. And they’re all asking and wondering — What? What is it? And after a little bit, our oldest Kalen starts looking really concerned, and then her eyes get big, and she blurts out — Are we moving? No! I don’t want to move! And honestly, I loved that reaction from her. Because in her mind, at that moment, that was the most devastating thing that could happen to her — for her to have to move, have to change zip codes. Because she has friends here, she loves our town, she loves our church. She gets to win art contests and play flag football. And so, to move was not only disorienting but debilitating. And I want us to think about that for a second. Not the look on Kalen’s face. But more so the prospect of moving. Because when we make a move, we move laterally. When we decide to move somewhere, it’s when it’s equal or better for us to move. But Jesus doesn’t move laterally. He moves vertically — from up to down, high to low, from heaven to earth. Now, that’s a whole different kind of zip code change. And it’s only when we understand that where we can truly grip and embrace Jesus’ call for us to change zip codes, to follow him. To leave what’s familiar to venture into what’s unknown. Not because we know what’s coming but because we know who’s with us and carrying us.

Because there’s something so raw and honest about what Peter tells Jesus today in verse 28 — See, we have left everything and followed you. Because to follow Jesus, to be his disciple, means leaving what you hold most sacred behind. It’s leaving everything you’ve built up to go to something foreign and unfamiliar. It’s to leave your former life, your former allegiances, the comfort of everything you’ve stacked up and built to this point. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrote extensively about discipleship, writes about how discipleship is adherence to Christ. And to adhere to something or someone — this is about sticking onto. And the visual I’m getting here is not just about sticking onto Christ but at the very same time unsticking from something or someone else. Because that’s what discipleship entails — to leave your former life, your former allegiances, in order to commit to following Jesus. And you think about the offensive nature to this call — because you’re inherently deeming this new way with Jesus as superior to what you once held dear.

And so, Peter is telling Jesus — See, we have left everything and followed you. They’ve unstuck themselves to what they once held dear, and they’ve stuck onto Jesus. But the way Peter says it is almost like — We thought it was worth it. But something about this interaction between Jesus and the rich young ruler makes Peter exasperated. In a way, here’s Peter asking Jesus — Make it make sense. Because the context here is that Jesus has essentially turned down this rich young ruler from eternal life. Whether this was just in the moment or for eternity, we don’t know. And it’s not the point of the story. But here’s a man who was reputable, who was morally upright, who was generous in his giving, who was popular amongst the people. The composite of Matthew, Mark, and Luke tells us that here is a rich young ruler, meaning he was wealthy, he was advanced for his age, and he was morally upright — most likely a ruler of a synagogue. This is a truly exceptional guy. And to this man who seemed to have it all and to have it all together. To this man, Jesus says — It’s not enough. And Peter, is likely flabbergasted, asking in essence — If he isn’t, then who is? And maybe there are some in here who are wondering the same thing about Christianity today — Make it make sense. Whether it’s with the demands of the faith or if it’s with the unreconcilable leap of faith, we look at what Jesus asks of us. And we’re asking him — Make it make sense. I don’t know if this story alone will help make sense of Peter’s question. Peter himself needed to see a whole lot more. But my prayer has been that it would open up a window into our hearts to come to know and to understand and to make sense of the call to believe in Jesus. And like Peter, it’s my prayer that our God would show not the lateral movement of followers of Jesus but first and foremost the vertical movement of Jesus who drew near to his friends, by leaving all he had to come to us.

I’ve mentioned him before. But when Bryan Stevenson, author of book Just Mercy, which documents his work of representing those who can’t afford legal advocacy in impoverished areas pro bono. When he was at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, after having presented his work as a lawyer, was asked in a panel how rich people who are outside of the places of poverty can help the poor and the underrepresented. And you might expect him to say — Well, take out your checkbooks. Or, your Zelleaccount in today’s age. But without wincing and within a second, he said — Proximity. That drawing near is the most effective thing that rich people can do to help the poor. Because proximity develops empathy.

Because here’s where it starts breaking down for this man, this rich young ruler. Jesus looked at him, and he told him that he’s lacking one thing, to this man who has it all. And by his own recitation of the Ten Commandments, one who thought he had moralistically done it all. And yet, what did Jesus say, once again? In verse 21 — Sell all that you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. That this prerequisite to becoming a disciple of Christ was to empty himself and to give up his wealth. And how did this rich young ruler react to this statement? We’re told of his devastation in verse 22 — that he went away sorrowful. And why? Because he had great possessions. And that word great is something that’s not just representing quantity but also diversity. It’s a word often used to talk about the many. Like the many made righteous. It wasn’t just that he had a lot but he had a lot of everything.

So, when Jesus asks him to give up all he has, what he’s demanding is not that he give a part of his life, a tithe. This isn’t ten percent or twenty percent. This is 100 percent, meaning everything he had. The first thing that Jesus is calling upon this rich young ruler to do is to empty himself. On a monetary level, this must be hard. But from a social perspective, it was exponentially difficult for a man like him. Because he would not just have to give to the poor. But in doing so, he himself would have to become poor. This rich young ruler is likely one who had never even had to identify with or be in community or proximity to anyone among the poor. And yet, here he’s asked not just to give to but to become one of them, to share in their status. And then, having been one of them, he would not just share in their poverty. Because he not only would have to give but it first necessitated that he trade places, exchangewith them in this status change of becoming poor in order to enrich them. And for this rich young ruler, this is all way too much. And for this rich young ruler who held tightly to his possessions and to his status, and to us who do likewise with the things in our lives — whether it’s money or social status or jobs or family or tradition or national identity. Whatever it is that we’re unwilling to give up, to this Jesus shows us through the rich young ruler that we won’t be able to give up unless we take our eyes off of ourselves.

And here’s how the plane lands. Because while this rich young ruler couldn’t ultimately follow up with what Jesus demanded of him — to empty himself, to identify with the poor, to empower them with his wealth. While this rich young ruler couldn’t do these things, we know the one who did. He who not only had great possessions but eternal possessions. He who was not just the ruler of a synagogue but the ruler of heaven and earth. And it was from his Father’s palace and from the comforts of his throne where he would draw near to his people, making true the words of Psalm 34:18 — that The Lord draws near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit. For here was Jesus, who according to Philippians 2:7 not only left everything he had but emptied himself. And to do so, he became one of us. He became flesh, he dwelt among us. And so, we read in 2 Corinthians 8:9 that Christ though he was rich became poor so that we by his poverty might become rich. And this is not Jesus becoming less poor, while he gave of himself. Because Jesus didn’t tithe his life. He gave all of it. And this is him experiencing the ultimate status change. And because his wealth was so ultimate that when trading places with us who are utterly spiritually destitute and impoverished due to our inability to save ourselves and to change our status as guilty sinners, he not only shares in this status but lifts us out of it completely. And friends, this is the good news of the gospel.

For we come back to that conundrum of Peter’s, wondering how all this makes sense. That Peter himself had left his family, he had left his business, he seemingly left everything to come and follow Jesus. And here, he’s telling Jesus — See, we have left everything and followed you. Wouldn’t Petercome to know? And won’t we know? That it’s ultimately Jesus who would say that to Peter — Peter, I have left everything to go after you. To pursue him, to find him, and to save him. Even when Peterwould leave him, he would follow him and pursue him and bring him back. May the gospel and the upside down kingdom of God compel you to leave what you have and to follow after Christ. We read of how this rich young ruler asked Jesus — What must I do to inherit eternal life? And when Jesus told this man who trusted in his own abilities that he lacked one thing, as he proceeded to tell him to leave all he had to follow Jesus. That upon this request, he was, in the words of verse 22, disheartened by the saying, and that he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Because he knew what Jesus was demanding — to leave all his inheritance, to leave all his belonging, to leave all his accomplishments and accolades. All to wholly lean into a new life and a new identity. And this word sorrowful surfaces again later in the Gospel. And it happens to this true rich young ruler who had great riches and treasures, who was called upon to take on a new identity and to leave the comforts of what was. We read in Mark 14:34 the words of Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane — My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. And there, he would enter the Garden and in excruciating pain, he would cry out to his Father — Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. To which there was no response. Because of the very next words — Yet not what I will, but what you will. That it was their unified will, their commitment and agreement that at the right time, the righteous would die in the place of the unrighteous, the perfect would die for the imperfect, the holy one would die for the sinful. Where on the cross, Jesus would lose his identity. His Father’s approval and favor, which he’s always had, would suddenly be removed from him. As Tim Keller explains, on the cross, when Jesus cried out — My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? This was not just the recitation of Psalm 22, fulfilling the Scriptures. But it’s also the first and only time where Jesus refers to and directs his words to God not as Father. Because he had lost his place as his Son at the moment, when he had become covered in the sins of his people.

And here’s how we’ll begin closing our time. Because we’re all here today, in some way, shape, or form with similarities to what we’ve heard in our passage. Whether it’s questions about the faith and us asking Jesus — Make it make sense. Or, if we’re feeling a lack and unsure what to do about it. Because what we’re told in our passage is that this rich young ruler comes to Jesus. And this isn’t just to come. But he kneels before Jesus. Presumably because he needs something. But what does he need? He seemingly has it all. Because even with all that he had, he knew that there was this lack in his life. And if you feel that emptiness or longing, and if you’re looking for something more. Or as C. S. Lewis has so memorably put it — the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited. That this longing simultaneously places our hearts toward something that’s both foreign and proximate. That we were made for heaven but are in this fallen soil. And so, Jesus left it all and came for us — bridging heaven and earth and bringing heavenly realities for us who know of our lack and learn to trust in his sufficiency. Put your trust in Jesus this morning. Even with your doubts and insecurities. Because Jesus has heard from doubting hearts before. And by the power of the gospel, he reminds us and makes it make sense for us who are weak in our faith. And even before we come to him, he’s come to us. For the Son of Man came not to save the righteous but sinners.