“And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come follow me’” (Mark 10:21).
Most of us grew up reading the New Testament story about the Rich Young Ruler, which is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. I began this article with a verse from Mark’s Gospel because it indicates the affection Jesus felt for this man. Unfortunately, this man left with much grief because he was wealthy.
Earl Chappell
Here are five things this encounter with Jesus might teach us:
First, the man indicated he had followed since his youth every commandment Jesus mentioned. Yet he still lacked something in his life.
Could it be he lacked compassion for the poor? Did he lack love for his fellow humans? Was he all about the business of acquiring wealth, regardless of its effects on others? This is the only example of Jesus making such a requirement on another person seeking eternal life.
“Jesus does not say there are various categories of poor people.”
Second, Jesus prioritizes the poor in this encounter. In other encounters, he indicates widows, orphans and strangers are important. Jesus does not say there are various categories of poor people.
We like to categorize poor people by suggesting some deserve help and others do not deserve help. Jesus does not ask us to judge why a person exists in a certain economic circumstance. He does indicate those who have means should give financial assistance to the poor.
Third, whether in government service, ministry or other employment, Christians should be about the work of Jesus by advocating inclusion of those Jesus considered needy in the distribution of financial and other resources.
In our society, there is way too much emphasis on amassing wealth and letting amassed wealth determine the value of an individual. Jesus looked beyond the conventional wisdom of his day when he choose his 12 disciples.
Fourth, Christians should severely criticize any government or government program that would prioritize the wealth of the few above the needs of the many.
Many Americans proclaim America is a “Christian nation.” We are neither a Christian nation by Constitution nor by example. When we went about the business of trying to become the “more perfect union,” we were more in a line to achieve many Christian ideals.
During the past three months, our nation has become a pariah to Christian principles. Yet many well-known professing Christian brothers and sisters tell us we are on the path Jesus would follow.
“We are behaving contrary to the teachings of Jesus.”
When the self-proclaimed wealthiest nation on the planet terminates its assistance to the neediest countries and populations around the globe, we are behaving contrary to the teachings of Jesus. When the wealthiest person on the planet is given the strings of government to terminate the jobs of tens of thousands of government workers without any due consideration of expertise, value and service to the hundreds of millions of citizens who count on these services, and when the multiple-times indicted and convicted felon who now holds the highest political office in the land is all about exacting retribution on his perceived enemies, we are not following the path of Jesus.
Fifth, whether religious or not, whether Christian or not and whether political or not, some billionaires in our country demonstrate by their deeds where they stand on the giving-versus-taking spectrum.
One such billionaire during the 2007-2008 economic upheaval in our country reportedly gave $1 billion directly to the U.S. Treasury. He is said to be a major philanthropist. Another billionaire has not only contributed more than $100 billion in philanthropic donations toward improving world health, but he has announced a commitment to contribute $200 billion during the next 20 years toward reaching major goals in the health of those much in need around the globe.
Compare these financial achievements to the wealthiest person on the planet who is not a known philanthropist and has given hundreds of millions of dollars toward political causes with no known objective other than to purchase influence and power, to acquire more money and to put tens of thousands of hard-working people out of their jobs without any consideration of the importance of the tasks involved.
Millions of professing Christians seem to be divided between these two extremes of human behavior — those who believe it is more blessed to give than to receive and those who believe God bestows wealth on those whom God loves and approves.
As a Southern Baptist who grew up in a religious atmosphere where Roman Catholics were not believed to be “real” Christians, I confess had I been old enough to vote, I would have voted for John F. Kennedy. His oratory and stated principles appealed to me. I have been impressed with the movement within the Roman Catholic Church toward an increasingly ecumenical approach within the Christian community during the past 50 or so years. The recent selection of Pope Leo XIV seems to continue the progressive movement of the Catholic body toward a more inclusive, loving and welcoming fellowship of all believers.
It would seem this outreach should help the body of Christ as it attempts to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Christian brothers and sisters should support each other in the furtherance of the kingdom of Christ and his church. We should demonstrate agape, not envy, hostility and divisiveness.
There is little about the Christian church in America today that would attract nonbelievers aside from those congregations that are making purposeful acts of including and disciplining all those who come from whatever backgrounds and traditions.
Earl Chappell is a longtime Bible study leader and teacher at First Baptist Church of Norfolk Va.
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