First Reading: Isaiah 53:4-12

 ⁴Surely he has borne our infirmities
  and carried our diseases;
 yet we accounted him stricken,
  struck down by God, and afflicted.
 ⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions,
  crushed for our iniquities;
 upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
  and by his bruises we are healed.
 ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray;
  we have all turned to our own way,
 and the Lord has laid on him
  the iniquity of us all.

 ⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
  yet he did not open his mouth;
 like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
  and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
  so he did not open his mouth.
 ⁸By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
  Who could have imagined his future?
 For he was cut off from the land of the living,
  stricken for the transgression of my people.
 ⁹They made his grave with the wicked
  and his tomb with the rich,
 although he had done no violence,
  and there was no deceit in his mouth.

 ¹⁰Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.
 When you make his life an offering for sin,
  he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;
 through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.
  ¹¹Out of his anguish he shall see light;
 he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
  The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
  and he shall bear their iniquities.
 ¹²Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
  and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
 because he poured out himself to death,
  and was numbered with the transgressors;
 yet he bore the sin of many,
  and made intercession for the transgressors.

Psalm: Psalm 91:9-16

 ⁹Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
  and the Most High your habitation,
 ¹⁰no evil will befall you,
  nor shall affliction come near your dwelling.
 ¹¹For God will give the angels charge over you,
  to guard you in all your ways.
 ¹²Upon their hands they will bear you up,
  lest you strike your foot against a stone. 
 ¹³You will tread upon the lion cub and viper;
  you will trample down the lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴I will deliver those who cling to me;
  I will uphold them, because they know my name.
 ¹⁵They will call me, and I will answer them;
  I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue and honor them.
 ¹⁶With long life will I satisfy them,
  and show them my salvation. 

Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10

¹Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; ³and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. ⁴And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
  ⁵So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
 “You are my Son,
  today I have begotten you”;
⁶as he says also in another place,
 “You are a priest forever,
  according to the order of Melchizedek.”
  ⁷In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. ⁸Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; ⁹and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, ¹⁰having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45

³⁵James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” ³⁶And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” ³⁷And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” ³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” ³⁹They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; ⁴⁰but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
  ⁴¹When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. ⁴²So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. ⁴³But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. ⁴⁵For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  A Sans story:  How the Zebra Got His Stripes

Long ago, when animals were still new in Africa, the weather was very hot, and what little water there was remained in a few pools and pans.  One of these remaining water pools was guarded by a boisterous baboon, who claimed that he was the ‘lord of the water’ and forbade anyone from drinking at his pool.

One fine day when a zebra came down to have a drink of water, the baboon, who was sitting by his fire next to the waterhole, jumped up and barked in a loud voice. ‘Go away, intruders. This is my pool and I am the lord of the water.’

‘The water is for everyone, not just for you?,’ The zebra shouted back.

‘If you want some of the water, you must fight for it,’ returned the and in a moment the two were locked in combat.  Back and forth they went fighting, raising a huge cloud of dust, until with a mighty kick, the zebra sent the baboon flying high up among the rocks of the cliff behind them. The baboon landed with a smack on his seat, taking all the hair clean off, and to this very day, he still carries the bare patch where he landed.

The tired and bruised young zebra, not looking where he was going, staggered back through the baboon’s fire, which scorched him, leaving black burn stripes across his white fur.  The shock of being burned, sent the zebra galloping away to the savannah plains, where he has stayed ever since.

The baboon and his family, however, remain high up among the rocks where they bark defiance at all strangers, and when they walk around, they still hold up their tails to ease the smarting rock-burn of their bald patched bottoms.

Let us pray:  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today we are still on the road to Jerusalem and Jesus has just told the disciples for the third time what to expect – they are going to Jerusalem and he, Jesus, will be turned over to the chief priests, condemned, killed and will resurrect three days later.  The disciples heard, “We are going to Jerusalem…” and their ears turned off and their minds filled in the blanks.  Yes!  Jesus is going to do his thing.  He is going to become the long awaited Messiah and deliver the Jews from the Romans.  Israel’s days of glory are soon to be restored! 

         Will the disciples never have ears that hear?  Will we never be able to wait for Jesus to finish his sentence, to finish his work in our life?  We open our text today with James and John, speaking like two small boys, coming to a parent and making a request.  “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  James and John boldly ask for blanket approval before requesting for positions of authority in the new kingdom they are sure is about to arrive. We are going to hear words about the kingdom but are our ears listening and more than the disciples did?

         How many of us can remember writing our wish list for Christmas?  Seldom did I receive what I wanted.  Instead of a car at college, my parents gave me a bicycle.  When I got married I was sure “happy ever after” was next..  But marriage is work.  I finally had the first grandchild and my parents were so pleased.  That baby cried all the time.  Life is a bit like that.  We have our dreams, expectations and wants that we bring to Jesus and probably much like James and John, we want approval before we ask. We want that healing we are praying for.  We want that spouse that seems so right.  Or perhaps a job that will take us places.  OK, we just want and for sure God answers prayer if we have enough faith.

          “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 

Let’s look at that request.  I suspect, hidden within this request is an unspoken request for love and affirmation.  If you love me, you will fulfill my request. We may not admit it but often we ask, believing that the other’s love will grant the request. If Jesus loves us, surely he will not want us to feel pain and so we ask for healing. We do not see the whole picture but jump to our heart’s desire, not what God is trying to impart to us.  Do what we ask, not what you know is best.

         Jesus redirects the two apostles.  You do not know what you are asking.  Did I hear an “AMEN!”  I suspect not.  Jesus tries to explain that their request for seats of honor and power has hidden trials and testing.  They will have to go through experiences, the baptism and cup of suffering like what Jesus is about to face.  James and John believe they can do it but I suspect that even as Peter denied that he would desert Jesus, the truth is that we are all weak and only succeed with the Spirit’s help.  The other ten realize this conversation is going on and they too want to be part of the ruling hierarchy in the new kingdom.  All the disciples want positions of influence. None are truly innocent.  None of them truly understand what is about to unfold.  None of us know what the future holds. 

         Jesus refuses to cement the future in place with promises that mean nothing.  He did not promise them and he does not promise us positions of power, or freedom from suffering, or even to give us wealth.  Jesus promises to be with us, to send the Spirit that guides and comforts us.  He promises to be a refuge we can run to when we are weary, a source of wisdom when we encounter trials, and so much more.  He does not promise his followers the goodies of this world.  The disciples have not listened closely and Jesus again turns their attention to the nature of his kingdom.

         God is building a kingdom that is not like the kingdoms of the Gentiles!  The kingdom of heaven will not be like the Romans or even like the American government.  There will not be leaders who are tyrants.  We certainly look at world leaders today and ponder the power they carry, whether we speculate on China displaying nuclear weapons this week, Russia and the reign of Putin or the USA where we throw back and forth comments on the leadership of Biden vs. Trump and where Mitch McConnell will land…oh my goodness. It is enough to give us a headache or heartache.  Jesus is saying that heaven will not be like leadership as we experience it in our world today.  Leadership is not about domination.

         The flip side of this coin for those who feel invisible to leadership, who feel oppressed and overlooked, there will be equal voice and justice.  They will not be taxed into poverty or beaten into subjection and certainly will not experience themselves as “the conquered” or “the slave” of a power that is foreign to them.  The kingdom of heaven will not be like our politics today with powerful leaders and refugees seeking a haven.  That is not the model we are to live as followers of Jesus.  Jesus victory will not be a military victory. It will not be a show of force. But I do suspect there will be a victory dance.

         Jesus continues, “but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant.”  We have coined the word “servant leadership.”  We hear these words but they are so counter-cultural that it is just hard to imagine. How do we understand what Jesus is saying?  For me, I look to the Gospels that describe the type of life Christ lived among us.  He healed the sick that often did not even make a profession of faith.  He associated with all levels of society and often was critiqued.  He enjoyed fellowship in homes of the rich and the poor.  No fancy chariot for Jesus but lots of walking and a donkey to enter Jerusalem.  I do not read of one power encounter with the Roman invaders subjugating the Jews.  Even in the Garden of Gethsemane he did not use power.  He had words for the religious hierarchy but he also met with them.  He taught whenever and wherever and not just on Sabbath nor just at the Temple.  He taught from a boat, on a mountain, by a well, and next to a bath.  Flexible and humble might be words we would use to describe how “servant” is lived out in the life of Christ.

         Tyrannical leadership will not characterize the kingdom of heaven.  Servant leadership will characterize the kingdom.  And, lastly the Apostle Mark says that Jesus came “to give his life a ransom for many.”  Jesus is not just an inspiring example of an innocent death by a holy person. Jesus is not an inspiration.  He is a redeemer. Mark indicates that Christ’s death will liberate us from a dominating power that has us enslaved and deceived.  By breaking the power of death, Jesus makes an ultimate statement of the difference between the kingdom of earth and the kingdom of heaven.  The kingdom of earth has tyrannical leaders, enslaves people and its followers end in death.  The kingdom of heaven has servant leadership, is characterized by fulfilled and meaningful lives, and ends in eternal relationship with God.

         The text today challenges us to ponder our concept of the kingdom and how we live it’s foreshadow in our lives today.  Are we looking for power and honor and goodies that prove to us that Jesus loves us?  Are we willing to be last and to serve?  I suspect for many, we see Christianity as seeking those seats of recognition like James and John.  Lord, open our ears that we may hear!

         So let us go back to the story of how the zebra got his stripes.  I like this story because like the zebra, Christians are a bit of a black and white affair.  We have our feet in two worlds, the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of heaven.  I would like to think when we become Christians we are then white zebras scarred by the black soot from the trials with evil.  Some days we ask silly questions like James and John – give me what I want and prove you love me.  We fight with evil over the pool of goodies that we need to survive in this world.  But like that zebra we fight so that all animals can come and drink the living water that is meant for all.  The saying in Kenya is that you never see a think zebra.  They survive on the plains.  They are beautiful.  Christians too may face trials and battles with that ole baboon that likes to sit up in the rocks and bark at us and we may be scarred by the battles and be a bit stripped but ultimately we know we have been ransomed.  Christ cared and walked through death, conquering its power that we may live with him forever drinking the water of life.  Thank you Lord!  And the people of God said, “Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus!”

First Reading: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15

 ⁶Seek the Lord and live,
  or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire,
  and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.
 ⁷Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,
  and bring righteousness to the ground!

 ¹⁰They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
  and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
 ¹¹Therefore because you trample on the poor
  and take from them levies of grain,
 you have built houses of hewn stone,
  but you shall not live in them;
 you have planted pleasant vineyards,
  but you shall not drink their wine.
 ¹²For I know how many are your transgressions,
  and how great are your sins—
 you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
  and push aside the needy in the gate.
 ¹³Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
  for it is an evil time.
¹⁴Seek good and not evil,
  that you may live;
 and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
  just as you have said.
 ¹⁵Hate evil and love good,
  and establish justice in the gate;
 it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
  will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Psalm: Psalm 90:12-17

 ¹²So teach us to number our days
  that we may apply our ^| hearts to wisdom.
 ¹³Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry?
  Be gracious to your servants. 
 ¹⁴Satisfy us by your steadfast love in the morning;
  so shall we rejoice and be glad all our days.
 ¹⁵Make us glad as many days as you afflicted us
  and as many years as we suffered adversity.
 ¹⁶Show your servants your works,
  and your splendor ^| to their children.
 ¹⁷May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us;
  prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork. 

Second Reading: Hebrews 4:12-16

¹²Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

  ¹⁴Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Gospel: Mark 10:17-31

¹⁷As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹You 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 father and mother.’ ” ²⁰He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” ²¹Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²²When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
  ²³Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
  ²⁸Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” ²⁹Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:

The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse

A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of that, and by her manner making it very plain that she ate the simple food only to be polite.

After the meal the Town Mouse talked about her life in the city while the Country Mouse listened. They then went to bed. In her sleep the Country Mouse dreamed she was a Town Mouse with all the luxuries and delights of city life that her friend had described for her. So the next day when the Town Mouse asked the Country Mouse to go home with her to the city, she gladly said yes.

When they reached the mansion in which the Town Mouse lived, they found on the table in the dining room the leavings of a very fine banquet. There the most tempting foods that a Mouse can imagine. But just as the Country Mouse was about to nibble, she heard a Cat mew loudly and scratch at the door. In great fear the Mice scurried to a hiding place, where they lay quite still for a long time, hardly daring to breathe. When at last they ventured back to the feast, the door opened suddenly and in came the servants to clear the table, followed by the House Dog.

The Country Mouse left:  “You may have luxuries and dainties that I have not,” she said as she hurried away, “but I prefer my plain food and simple life in the country with the peace and security that go with it.”

PRAYER:  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our Rock and our Redeemer.

SERMON

         We are nearing the end of Pentecost and Jesus is continuing his journey to Jerusalem and the cross.  We seniors understand “coming to the end of the journey.”  The questions are no longer what car to buy or whom to marry or which job will be the most fulfilling.  We want the world to be better for those who come behind.  “Legacy” is a word that is tossed around and perhaps the question, “What more can I contribute?”  Mark tells us that “a man” runs up to Jesus and kneels like others who approach Jesus desperate for healing.  We learn from other gospels that the man is wealthy and young.  He has youth, wealth, and a good character.  Odds are he was handsome too, princes usually are.  And yet he runs up to Jesus and asks a question that often is in our hearts, that overshadows our text today, and that subtly lies under our social, political, environmental and economic dilemmas in the USA.  We don’t call it eternal life but we quest for the good life, for salvation from the problems that plague us.

“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

We are going to look at the request, the reservation, and the rewards for “eternal life”, for the good life.

1. Request

         Good Teacher:

         Our man approaches Jesus as a “good teacher.”  Jesus, as he often does, throws the request back to the man – and us.  Why does the man call Jesus, “good teacher” for only God is good?  Is eternal life or the good life for the good people only?  Must we become good to deserve the good life?  So often it seems that the goodies of life go to the “good” whether that be vaccinations or an easy life style. That is certainly human philosophy.  The law punishes those who are “not good” and perhaps rewards the good with rebates or tax breaks.  One of the questions through out Scripture is this tension of God blessing the good versus the suffering of the innocent and often undeserving.  The book of Job tackles that question as well as the Psalms of Lament.  Somehow we believe that if we were only good enough, God would reward us.  And so the man approaches Jesus as the “good teacher” or perhaps the teacher of good.

         Jesus says point blank:  only God is good.  Ouch.  That’s a bit blunt.  We are all sinners!  I’m not sure I heard a loud “Amen” to that.  I know you are a sinner but I’m trying hard to do life right! Right?  All have sinned.  We have all gone astray.  None of us see God face to face.  With God, it is not the hierarchy of who is better and who is best to determine the degree of blessing. We say, the ground at the foot of the cross is level.

         So did the man come to Jesus as a good teacher or as God?  We must look in our hearts and ask ourselves that question as we start today.  Are we here looking for a good sermon, a good teaching, or are we coming to Jesus as Son of God, involved in all aspects of our life, walking with us, working for our best?  We forget.  We come to worship today to remind ourselves that we are the creation and God is the creator.  We come to center ourselves on this truth.  Only God is good.

         What must I do…

         The man continues to ask what he must do.  What is my end of the deal?  Can we do nothing to procure our salvation?  We understand that “good” is a gift available to all because of Jesus on the cross.  I do nothing to receive the sunrise and sunset but open my hands in appreciation.  My husband would say, I receive it with two hands!  Our works are an outgrowth of our appreciation and love for the gifts of God.  I do not need to buy indulgences.  I do not need to tithe.  I do not need to sing in the choir.  I do not need to do great deeds of faith.  It is not what I do but what God has done.  A bit humbling!

         The apostle James in his epistle reminds us, though, “faith without works is dead.”  Faith that does not impact our lives is cognitive assent.  I may agree that Biden is our President but in reality, it makes little difference in my life.  I believe Jesus is God and my life is changed.  The principles that govern my life shift from self-centered, passion driven to God centered and blessing others.  What must I do?  Receive with both hands open and respond.  I open my hands to receive the good and I open my heart to trust that the hard days, the trials of life, come to me with a God who helps me cope, gives me wisdom and strength and walks with me to eternity.  The hard part is staying focused on God!

         …to inherit eternal life.

         The man wants to secure his inheritance.  The word “inherit” is a bit tricky.  We talk about what we receive from parents when they die, physical blessings.  Many of us can share our stories about the family squabbles over who got what and if the money was split fairly.  It seems our man sees eternal life as a reward in proportion to his actions in life.

          It makes me think of the man who gets to the pearly gates and is questioned by St. Peter.  I don’t see that you attended church, St Peter remarks.  The man replies that his wife did that.  St Peter asks about this and that and the man always replies that his wife took care of this and that.  You can guess who got through the pearly gates, the wife, not the man. We chuckle but for many this reasoning is real.  I often hear people say they feel they have lived the commandment to love neighbors and they believe that will be good enough.  Relationship with God is not the issue and they do not want to choose a church that might offend someone or worst yet, be boring or ask for money.  Eternal life is not a benefit of baptism or confirmation, for passing a test, or for coming from a long line of Lutherans. Having more things does not guarantee happiness. 1 Peter 1:3-5 shares:

            ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his      great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the      resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for    you, ⁵ who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a          salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Only God is good.  We are sinners.  Salvation, the “good life,” is not about works but about faith.  Inheritance comes from relationship, relationship with God, and will be received in heaven.

2. Reservations, the “but”:

         Jesus then turns to the disciples and tells them that it will be hard for the wealthy to inherit the kingdom of heaven.  The disciples are perplexed and discuss further with Jesus.  If our blessings are a sign of God’s blessing then how can blessings be a big stumbling block to heaven?  The problem is not the blessings but that they become like a huge burden that a camel is trying to carry into Jerusalem. We begin to focus on our burdens and our progress.  It is not because of assets but because of the impact of those assets.  I know we are having a big – to be spelled capital BIG – debate about the Reconciliation Bill that is going to spend trillions without raising taxes because we are going to tax the wealthy to give a better life to the poor.  It sounds somehow reasonable and may work on paper but obviously half the country, or half the Senate anyway, is a bit dubious about this plan.  This sermon is not to be political but to point out that the confusion of the disciples resonates with us.  The good life and eternal life does not come from wealth or physical blessings.  The country mouse will not be happier by moving to the city.  It would seem that Jesus is saying that wealth is not a reward for our good behavior but a blessing to be used to bless others.  Let’s go back to the analogy.

         Jesus shares that it is easier for a camel to crawl through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter heaven.  Now, I don’t know if that is a picture or a gate into Jerusalem but it makes me wonder what needle we are trying thread today.  Perhaps we are pulling our hair out with health issues and the medical system.  Perhaps we are struggling with the limitations of aging.  The young are trying to figure out jobs and spouses.  There is no end to the dilemmas we face.  Often we feel like that camel with a load on our back, trying to crawl through the present mess for surely tomorrow will be better if we can get through today!

“Then who can be saved?” 

         The disciples respond, “Who then can be saved?”  How can we find the right answer that will bring us good?  Jesus is again very blunt, we on our own can’t do it.  We’ll botch it up every time.  What is impossible for us, only becomes possible with God.  Bethany is looking for a new pastor and we hear the feedback, no pastors coming out of seminary, finances are low, what and what, and it is possible to throw our hands up in the air and pull out our hair.  Are we factoring in God?  God can help us thread that needle.  God reminds the Israelites in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  We like that verse and it reminds us that when the clouds are the darkest, the impossible is possible with God, if we put our hand in his.

         Only God is good.  We are sinners and our world is corrupted with sin and death.  The good life that we strive for looks impossible to achieve by our own efforts but we must never forget that God is working, and often outside our boxes we put around him.

3.  Rewards

         Peter speaks out the question of our hearts, “What’s in it for me?”  Often following Jesus feels like loss and frustration as we face the trials of life and make choices we believe honor God.  Peter has left home and family.  We have refused bars and fudging on income taxes.  We have tried.  So many times we see in a glass dimly and we are not sure as we step into an unknown future. Can you hear that little evil voice in your ear, whispering, “Have you really done enough?”

         Jesus looked at the man kneeling before him and saw the sincerity of his heart and our text says, “Jesus loved him.”  WOW.  Jesus does not tell Peter, “Get behind me Satan.”  Jesus looks at how hard the man and Peter are working to do life right and has compassion.  Our rewards are not in the goodies of this world but are being held in the future and in a place where they will not become corrupted by sin and decay and old age.  Nor will they be taxed or lost in a stock market crash.

         “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or      sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for    the sake of the good news, ³⁰who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and      fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. The country mouse hears about the wonderful life in the city with all sorts of goodies.  The mouse forgets the blessings of its life as it focuses on its cousin’s life.  So often we are like that little mouse or like the man kneeling before Jesus.  We know Jesus is the source of good and so we run to him.  What more must we do to get the good life?  Somehow we think that blessings come because of who we are and we forget that it is because of who God is.  God is good.  God is on the journey with us.  God is helping us thread the eye of the needle with our loads on our backs.  One day we will be rewarded with eternal rewards.  Jesus looks on us with love and says, “Don’t worry, I am with you, leading, guiding and rewarding. “  And the people of God said, AMEN!