The way Mark’s gospel tells it, Jesus is just about to leave on his last journey; his ultimate destination is Jerusalem. A person runs up, and gets in Jesus’ way. They have an urgent matter, a big question that must be answered. Kneeling in front of Jesus the person asks, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Inherit eternal life.” What does that even mean? Why ever would someone ask a question like that unless inheritance is what drives their life? Jesus sees this man is buttering him up, calling him Good Teacher. He sees that the man knows how to play the system: if one can inherit wealth in this life, why not inherit even the afterlife? Jesus sees through this man with his posturing and big praise.

And so he says, you know all the things you are supposed to do. The commandments are what you do, they tell you how you live your life now.

But this man wants a different answer. He may be kneeling but he is rich, he is exceptional. He wants to receive a unique answer, something different from the commoners. (C’mon Jesus, let him have it. He is an imposter, an infiltrator.)

Jesus sees that the man has been struggling with this question for some time. It is important enough that it brings him to his knees in front of the traveling rabbi. Mark’s gospel includes a little detail in his version of the story that Luke does not include when he records this incident. (Luke 18.) In Mark we read: Jesus, looking at the man, loves him. Jesus looks with love at this man at his feet.

Jesus knows this man may be a schemer, may be looking for shortcuts, yes and – Jesus has compassion for him. It is with love that Jesus comes up with a very personal, specially crafted action plan for the person to do: go sell what you own and give the money to poor people. Then you will have treasure in heaven – or maybe, then you will have your inheritance in heaven.

Though the response may be given in love, this is not what the man is looking for at all. What Jesus recommends would be akin to work, selling what he has, and then interacting with the common folk by giving them money? Inheritance means waiting, not stepping out of your comfort zone. This is not at all what the man had in mind when he asked about inheriting eternal life.

It is with love, Jesus tells the man the hard truth that if he truly wants to inherit eternal life, he will have to make some big changes. Some really big changes. And it is just too difficult. So difficult that it seems impossible. So impossible that the man grieves. Not because he cares about all his stuff that much but because he just can’t imagine a different way to live. The change, the effort, the interaction with poor people he doesn’t know. It is all too overwhelming.

As the person walks away in shock and grief, Jesus shares a little commentary with the disciples. “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the Reign of God!” Now the disciples are shocked. How could there be something that is difficult for wealthy people? Life comes to rich people on a silver platter, every day. It cannot be true that it is hard for those with wealth to enter the reign of God.

Jesus sees their bewilderment and breaks it down for them. “Children, how hard it is to enter the Reign of God! This time Jesus addresses the disciples as children. It might remind them, and the readers, that right before this story, is the scene where Jesus says, “Whoever does not receive the kindom of God as a little child will never enter it.” Jesus reminds the disciples they already know this. It should not come as a surprise.

But since the disciples are surprised, Jesus gives them a silly image, maybe even a childish image, to visualize. Maybe this will help them understand just how hard it is to enter the reign of God holding onto wealth, something that children don’t have, don’t need.

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kindom of God.” Does this hyperbole clarify the answer or make it seem even more impossible than before. Perhaps the disciples are already so grown up that they lack the imagination to understand exaggeration? Are they imagining an actual camel trying to go through the eye of a sewing needle? Or a camel loaded with goods trying to get through the city gate called “the eye of the needle?” Either one is impossible.

The disciples begin to worry. If it is impossible for rich people to enter the Reign of God then how is there any hope for them? They have already given up everything to follow Jesus. They have left their families, they have given up their fields, their livelihoods. They feel like they are all in with Jesus and yet he makes it sound as if they have to do even more. They say, “Then who can be saved?”

Jesus says, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

This is still an urgent question for many people today. “What do I need to do to get to heaven?” Or maybe “What can I do to avoid hell?” If we listen carefully we can tell that the person who blocks Jesus’ way is Jewish. He asks, “What must I do…?” (Judaism is about acting right, about doing.) Contemporary Christians (or those who might be entertaining the idea of joining a church) are more likely to say, “What must I believe to get to heaven?” This person in front of Jesus does not ask about belief. They ask about action. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Do any of us here think about inheritance? Maybe sometimes. But I wonder if some of us might have a related question for Jesus, a question that might bring us to our knees and has us crying out? “What must I do – to achieve work/life balance? What must I do to find meaning in life? What can I do to bring more joy to my life?”

“Well,” Jesus might say with love as he did to the person in front of him, “Well, surely you are following all the rules that you learned in church, all the wisdom you get from self-help books.” Jesus, You know we try. We know the commandments – “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your parents.” We try to keep the commandments. Almost anyone with enough money and common sense can follow these. Don’t you have anything more for us Jesus?

The hard truth that Jesus shares about wealth and inheritance is that if we are truly serious we will have to make some changes and decisions. They might be hard changes, drastic changes. It might feel impossible. And it will mean different decisions for each of us. It might involve money if we hold it tightly. It might involve time if that is what is most precious to us. It might involve emotional energy if that is what holds our imagination hostage.

This is the week that we send out the pledge letter and I found a note on my calendar that today is the day that I am to preach the “sermon on the amount.” I promise, I did not choose this gospel for this Sunday. People in churches all over the country, even around the world, are hearing this lectionary text from Mark today. I would never have the nerve that Jesus has, even passive aggressively, to tell you to sell all you have and give the money to poor people – or give it to the church. In fact, the older I get (and the more money I have) I am pretty sure that this whole thing must be Jesus at his hyperbolic best. But calling this hyperbole, is that a way to let those of us who have money off the hook?

In a scene soon after this, in the same chapter, the brothers James and John ask Jesus if they can sit on either side of him when he “comes to glory.” James and John may have given up their money to follow Jesus but their thirst for power and prestige travels with them. Like the rich man, they are asking the wrong question.

If James and John want to be great, Jesus says, they are in for a surprise. Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.

It may seem like hyperbole but Jesus addresses money and power, head on. It’s almost as if he knows how to push the buttons of those who ask audacious questions in their quest for power and an easy life. Because Jesus isn’t totally against having money, at least in Luke’s gospel. In Luke, Jesus has followers who have money, who fund his ministry: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, (the wife of Herod’s business manager) Susanna and many other (women) contribute from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. (Luke 8:1-3) Jesus doesn’t totally spurn people with money. He looks with love on people with money, he sees their dilemma. He depends on women with money (but less power) to help him spread his message. Jesus seems to say it is how you hold the money that is the issue.

So what might this mean for us, a congregation that is, in comparison to the rest of the world, even in comparison to the rest of Allegheny Conference, a wealthy, even powerful, congregation. Maybe we ask a question similar to the one in the gospel story but with a twist: what can we do to be part of the Reign of God – now? We shift the focus from “eternal life” to where we live now, here in the Anacostia Watershed. Here where we share life with our families and our neighbors. What can we do now? What does it look like to contribute to the work of this congregation and the larger community? What does it look like to catch a glimpse of the eternal, here and now?

To truly feel part of the community that is reaching toward the kindom, it might mean making some changes that feel hard, that feel impossible. It might mean putting yourself out there where it feels uncomfortable: participating with Life After Release as they greet people coming out of jail; or digging bamboo with the back swamp crew; or hanging out with a bunch of us – who are in the second half of life, as we gather around the quilt frame… These strange churchy actions might seem unglamorous, even servile, given the grand achievements in other parts of our lives. But I promise you, these strange actions can bring joy and sometimes yield a brief window into what we imagine heaven might be.

And, we will take your monetary pledge too, absolutely, because we all have gifts to share and just like in Jesus’ day, it takes money to make the ministry happen.

There is enough room for all of us, children of God, in this surprising Kindom of God: where the first will be last, and the last will be first and whoever wishes to become great must be a servant. For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.