Pentecost XVII, Proper 23, Year B

Amos 5:6-7,10-15
Hebrews 3:1-6
Mark 10:17-31

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Often on Sunday afternoons, not today because I'll be here to listen to Haig's recital, but often I slouch on the couch reading the paper and surfing through various sporting events on the box. I confess that I sometimes pause at the NASCAR race with those garishly painted cars plugging various products: Cheerios, Budweiser, AOL, Kodak, M&Ms, Tide. . . Part of the appeal, if not the main appeal of car races, is the crashes. One Sunday as I clicked by a race, I fell off the couch laughing when the Hooters' Restaurant car smashed into the Viagra car.

The team owner of the Viagra car is Jack Roush. Last summer The New York Times had a story about Roush, who appears to be one of the bigger characters in NASCAR. Roush had a terrifying experience last year. He is an avid pilot, and while flying a small, open cockpit plane over a lake he accidentally hit some power lines. The plane tumbled upside down into the lake. Fortunately, Larry Hicks saw the crash, and Hicks, a former Marine, had training "in the underwater recovery of downed pilots. Hicks went into the water and pulled Roush free of the plane, lifting him to the surface. Roush was not breathing. Hicks grabbed the wing of the plane to hold himself up and, with his other arm around Roush, managed to resuscitate him." Fifteen minutes later paramedics arrived, but the prognosis was not good. I'll spare you the gruesome account of his numerous injuries.

The doctors didn't think that he'd make it. Roush, however, rallied. Now he has no lasting effects of the crash – except that some of his parts are held together by a lot of hardware and that he's a changed man. Roush says that he's kinder, gentler, but still a risk taker. "I've got extra days now that I might not have had," Roush said. "I'm cognizant of that and respectful of that and appreciative of that. People say [to me]: ‘Gee, after what you've been through, has that changed your lifestyle? Are you more conservative?' To the contrary." For Roush, the gift of extra days seem to have impressed upon him the richness and possibilities and joys of life.

What is even more heartening is Larry Hicks. During the rescue, Hicks "sustained burns to his skin from aviation fuel in the lake; the fuel also burned his lungs and left permanent scarring." He's also had surgery to repair damage to a tendon in his finger. He may have more lasting effects of the crash. Roush, a man of some means, has offered Hicks money, but Hicks has steadfastly refused. Hicks explains: "I asked him one time, ‘How much money can you put on a human life?' The only thing I want is friendship, and I've got that."

I like the story in part because of Hicks' tremendous dignity. If he had accepted money, might not he in some way have demeaned his relationship with Roush? Human relationships are not about barter and financial gain. We don't do humane acts to receive money. We become more human and we love more perfectly when we don't allow selfishness and self-interest to mold relationships. There's no price for his sacrifice, for his bravery. It's a gift, a pure gracious gift. Jesus hung on the cross, suffered great agony, died for each one of us, so that we could have eternal life. We can't pay for that. Life is a gift without a price.

And that is exactly what the rich man in today's gospel did not understand. He thought that we can buy or earn eternal life. We can't. God gives it to us. It is not a matter of merit. In today's gospel, the rich man comes and kneels before Jesus and asks how he may inherit eternal life. Jesus quotes the last six commandments, our duties toward other human beings, not our religious observance, but fundamental obligations we have to one another: don't commit adultery, don't commit murder, don't steal, don't lie, don't defraud, honor your parents. These are basics of moral behaviour, but most of us know that we haven't perfectly lived up to them. We praise God because he is merciful and forgives us. That's the Good News.

The rich man is a rare person who has kept these commandments – at least outwardly kept them, perhaps his heart is not as pure. Apparently he has kept the commandments without pride or smugness, but he knows instinctively that keeping the commandments is not enough. Otherwise, why would he ask Jesus how to have eternal life? He's dissatisfied, and he wants something more. Jesus is moved by this. S. Mark says that Jesus loved the rich man, and so Jesus challenged him to give of himself, to make a total commitment to God. "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." In other words, go away from what you think you possess, and come toward me.

The rich man approaches religion as a barter. What do I need to do to possess eternal life? The rich man follows the commandments as a matter of self-interest, not as a matter of zeal for life, not as a matter of love of God. He does good works out of selfishness, out of desire to possess eternal life, not because he loves God and is grateful for life. Larry Hicks didn't sacrifice and risk his life out of self-interest; his reward is the act of giving. He's a powerful, honorable, rich man because he gives, because he sacrifices, because self-interest does not entirely rule him.

In the eyes of God, the rich man in the gospel is a poor man. For while he thought he had many possessions, in reality the possessions own him. The reality of the rich man is that his possessions control him, that the one thing he lacks is himself. Sadly, that reality most of us know to some extent. Most people have a messed up relationship with money. Our desire for it, our fear of it, our uncomfortableness about it, warps our behaviour. Sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and follow me. What's the worse thing that could happen to us if we did that? In our heart, we know that Jesus is right.

Of course the world does not live up to our Lord's challenge, but neither does the Church. We'd prefer to trust in possessions, in money, not God. Most Christians recognize that our wealth is not really ours, but God's; that everything we have we hold in trust; that we should use all things to glorify God. We also know that we do not meet that standard. But God is merciful, and forgives, and he helps us to grow. God constantly gives us invitations to break free of the grip of our possessions and to know more of his love and joy. The parish's stewardship campaign is one of those opportunities, a way for us to give and to be powerful, and there'll be more about that next month.

At the heart of today's gospel is that Jesus wants us to give not only because it helps other people, but because it helps us. Giving money, giving time, giving energy – giving is essential not only for eternal life, but for a rich life here, for our sanity, for our emotional, mental, even physical well-being. Giving is the way of heaven. Remember what Larry Hicks said, "The only thing I want is friendship." What gives us more joy and happiness than friendship? Friendship only comes through giving of ourselves.

I have one last word. Christian stewardship does not only involve our material resources. God has entrusted us with something else, something more vital that we need to use to his glory. He gave us his Son and the gospel. We have a stewardship responsibility to share Jesus and his good news, and we do this at every mass in hearing the Word and receiving the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus. That is why this parish exists. Our sacred work is to bring people to God, into God, and that requires us to be good stewards of all that we have – stewards of wealth, stewards of the Good News. God calls us to share all good things. That is why we welcome here everyone – everyone – who seeks God. We extend hospitality to them wanting nothing in return, only praying that they will find God here as we have found him here. We offer: an accepting fellowship, the beauty of worship, friendship, service to one another and to the world, the good news that God loves you and wants you to have eternal life. That is our great possession, and we eagerly give it away.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.