gonna build you a cathedral
out of nothing but the rafters
I remember one day after cross-country practice, my freshman year in high school, I saw a sight to behold; the intricacies of dating in high school…
A senior from the football team, came walking across the parking lot. This guy was too cool for school, you know what I mean?
There was a group of cheerleaders splitting up the posters they were going to hang on the lockers, before the game on Friday. I would have melted even trying to say “hi,” to that flock, but this guy just walked into the middle of their circle.
Then, self-assured what the answer would be, asked one of the girls to the homecoming dance.
She eyed him over, blew a lazy bubble with grape bubble-yum, the gum of choice then. And, after popping that bubble, she said, “drop dead” and walked to her car.
For the way her words cut right through the guy’s cool, she could have said “Drop Dead, thus saith the prophet.”
“Drop dead” her word accomplished it’s goal.
And I suppose we have an idea of what that’s like, huh?
Perhaps you’ve been the one to tell someone to drop dead, maybe you’ve been on the other side of those words that do what they say, or perhaps you’re like me, and do whatever you can to avoid those words.
Either way, we know what a phrase like “drop dead” can do…
In today’s Gospel we meet another type of guy. He isn’t the arrogant jock of that fall afternoon, he isn’t that cheerleader with too much sense in her head to stay around that small town for long.
You know the type, though.
One of those guys who makes the rest of us look bad, even on our best days. He’s perfect…
This guy has his accounts diversified, his investments are doing well in the market. He’s a preferred member at the bank. And he’s been asked to sit on the board, but he’s already on too many charitable boards as it is.
Even better than his 850 fico score, though, is his standing at the local synagogue…
He’s president of the council, no doubt. Since his youth he’s been able to steer clear of the dont's, and get the do’s done.
And so, in keeping with his squeaky clean reputation, when he sees Jesus coming, he drops to his knees and asks what else he can do!!! As much as he has on his plate, he’s willing to do even more!
No wonder when Jesus sees this guy, he loves him.
Heck, I would too! I wouldn’t mind a congregation full of folks like this guy!
Only, when Jesus sees him and loves him, Jesus doesn’t give the guy a pledge card and ask him to consider supporting the shabbat school’s new wing.
No, Jesus tells this paragon of virtue he lacks one thing!
Lacks one thing?!?!
What at all could this guy lack? To every appearance, there is nothing he wants for! He has his flush account and his righteousness, he’s a regular Warren Buffet. There isn’t a thing he needs, there is nothing he lacks!
Jesus is insistent, though.
If this guy wants to have it all; really have it all. Not just the appearance of blessedness; but to actually inherit true blessedness, Jesus says this guy is going to have to take everything he’s ever accumulated, and then just give it away to the poor…
To be polite, Jesus is telling the guy to take his estate, and distribute it now. To be crass, Jesus is telling the guy to drop dead…
Drop dead; take everything you’ve been setting aside for the good life, and give it away. Consider that life you’ve been cultivating as, (to be polite) rubbish.
Buy the farm, drop dead…
Jesus’ word slays this guy too, of course.
He leaves, distraught. In fact, he’s the only person in the gospels to ever hear Jesus’ invitation, and then turn away. And we who have so many possessions, must admit that it was because of all this stuff we imagine we own…
This guy, he’s holding on to far too much, to even consider setting it aside to follow Jesus on his journey.
This guy has spent his whole career carving out a life; and honestly, he’s made a one any of us would admire; a life we’ve been trying to inherit ourselves.
Honestly, and I can only speak for myself, but I wonder if many of us aren’t even as righteous as this guy. After all, he wasn’t satisfied with appearances, he wanted the real thing. As much as he had, he knew Jesus had more.
Sadly, I worry many of us in North America would be perfectly content with appearances. We would be very happy with a little righteousness and something in the back, thank you very much…
So we cannot blame this guy for doing what all of us almost certainly would have done…
It’s no wonder that when Jesus tells him to consider himself dead, he can’t even entertain the possibility.
Why, it’s unthinkable for him!
His life, who he is; he’s invested it securely in his wealth, his righteousness.
He’s worked far to hard to just give all that up. He’s managed his funds so diligently, kept the commandments so meticulously, that he can’t go and kick the bucket like that. Not now, anyway! He’s made far too much progress!
So he walks away sorrowful, unable to bring himself to drop dead…
So what about you, then?
Do you want to have it all?
Sometime does all this stuff you have just get in the way?
Does this life you’ve made so far, seem so empty sometimes?
Do you wonder if there’s more, if you can inherit that eternal life yourself?
Well, drop dead.
Your reputation, your credit score, your position, your family history; they’re no good here.
Drop dead.
Everything you have, it won’t save you.
All those good works, all those pennies you’ve been saving for a rainy day, they can’t get you to the other side.
And you know what’s really the good news? Your lack of all that; your lack of righteousness, your lack of funds, your lack of willingness to take what you have and distribute it so all may have enough; none of that can keep you from the other side either.
Drop dead. The way we try to prove our worth to one another and even ourselves, isn’t how God deals with us. God doesn’t deal with you on those terms, because you belong to God.
You belong to God, and so you don’t live by any that anymore.
Your life, your identity, your security; it isn’t invested in the economy, or the Law for that matter. Those things can’t sustain life; not for the long haul anyway. They can’t inherit eternal life.
Drop Dead.
The only hope you have is with the one who, on the way to the cross, tells you to drop dead. Calls you to leave that life you’ve been making, that life that’s been breaking apart under the weight of it all anyway, and follow him.
The only hope you have, is in one who is a mirror image of this guy. The one who will gladly give away everything; so that you can have it all; Jesus. As Philippians says, he did not count equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself.
Jesus dropped dead, for you.
After all, that the absurdity of the man’s question, isn’t it?
What can do you do to inherit eternal life? Nothing, of course. Maybe wait for the old man to take a dirt nap, but that’s about it. To inherit something, someone has to die; and while the rich man wasn’t willing to, Jesus is.
Drop dead.
You’re life is now hidden Jesus’ life; so that just as you have been baptized into a death like his, much more surely will you be raised to a resurrection like his.
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