Readings for Proper 23:B:
Amos 5:67, 10-15; Psalm 90; Hebrews 3:1-6; Mark 10:17-27
October 12, 2003
The Rev. Mary B. Blessing
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
"Go, sell all you have and give the money to the poor"
What an amazing week in California! Our Governor has been recalled. Hollywood is now in Office. It is amazing what fame and fortune can buy these days. The quote I found the most amusing this week was from a radio commentator, wondering how in the world this could have happened. He said, quoting from Mark Twain:"You know, the earth is on its Axis at a tilt, so that everything loose falls to California."
And so, we have watched this Democratic process occur in which a Hollywood star rises up to reach a childhood dream: to be somebody important. Regardless of what you may think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, he did do a good job of playing the "rags to riches" role-living the quintessential American dream. "I came to America with nothing and now I have everything." Now, as our Governor, he promises to make the American dream come true for all Californians. As Gray Davis suggested on the Dave Letterman show, if Schwarzenegger wants to solve the budget deficit problem, all he needs to do is "simply donate his salary from 'Terminator 3." Swarzenneger doesn't have to sell all he owns and give it to the poor, just give some of it.
There is another historic figure of an immigrant who lived the American dream, going from rags to riches--Andrew Carnegie. Usually people consider Carnegie to be the quintessential philanthropist. But let's take a close look at his giving.
Carnegie came from Scotland with nothing, and retired with $250 million. Carnegie came to the U.S. in 1848 at age 12, penniless. He lived to be the richest man in the world-the Bill Gates of his day. Carnegie's first job in the U.S. was as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, making $1.20 a week. Later he worked his way up through the Pennsylvania Railroad, then in the steel industry. He soon learned how to invest money to make money. At age 33 (1868) he had an annual income of $50,000. In 1868 $50,000. a year made you filthy rich. That year he wrote a memo to himself which said, "Beyond this ($50,000) never earn, make no effort to increase fortune, but spend the surplus each year for benevolent purposes." [Many Lives of Andrew Carnegie, Milton Meltzer] Carnegie was not a deeply religious man, but his memo to himself went on to say, "…the amassing of wealth is one of the worst species of idolatry-no idol more debasing than the worship of money." [Ibid, p. 64]
Andrew Carnegie had no formal education. He used his wit, his drive to reach the impossible dream, to become the richest man of his time. He knew the dangers of his obsession with gaining wealth, yet he did not have the faith to give it all away. As a self-made man--he valued books and education, so he gave a generous portion of his wealth- to free education. During his life-time he gave more than $350 million to various educational, cultural, and peace institutions, including 1700 libraries. It seems as if the more money Carnegie gave away, the more he made, allowing him to be a generous philanthropist. But his generosity was offered not as a sacrifice to God--it was a way of showing the world he cared for his fellow man. The word "philanthropy" means "love of mankind," not "love of God." And for all his apparent generosity, some biographers saw Carnegie as hopelessly obsessed with wealth, refusing to give financial support to the very people who gave him a start in the first place [Meltzer, p. 67.], and insisting on naming everything to which he gave his wealth after himself. He was heavily criticized for seeking publicity and attention to his philanthropic projects. As one critic wrote: "He would have given millions to Greece had she labeled the Parthenon "Carnegoplois." [Ibid, p. 125]
Last week we remembered the life of St. Francis, a man born into a rich family at the turn of the 12th Century. But Francis shocked his parents and his town by turning away from riches, and the "playboy" lifestyle offered him. This was an empty life for Francis. His longing for something more in life led him to reach out to the poor not as a way to show off his wealth, but by coming poor like them. Francis fell in love with God, and gave all that he had in the service of God's children. Francis' love for God was so profound it motivated him to abandon everything to live a life in service to the poorest of the poor, the alienated widow, the outcast leper, the untouchables.
What is it about humankind that one will fall in love with God and give all to His service, and another, who believes he is righteous in every way, cannot love God enough to give up self?
In today's gospel, we hear an agonizing story of a rich man, righteous in every way. In Jewish culture of 1st C. Palestine, it is probable this man was born into his wealth. People simply could not gain riches by hard work alone; they rarely moved from one social class to another. This rich man probably never had to work as hard as Andrew Carnegie or Arnold Schwarzenegger to achieve his wealth. Yet he was seen as righteous. In Hebrew tradition, the sign of your righteousness was in how many of God blessings you received. If you were rich, you were righteous-you could prove this by how much stuff you had. This man claims he is righteous, also, because he has "kept all the commandments"-he is eager to let Jesus know this, interrupting the list of 10 after Jesus only mentions 5 or 6 of the 10. He is eager because he desperately wishes to inherit eternal life. I suspect this man had all that any person could ever want, yet felt a deep emptiness within his soul. Jesus knew this. Jesus loved this man deeply. Jesus offered the man a profound grace, to inherit eternal life, to live in peaceful joy right now. But the rich man, who has everything, was not willing to make the one sacrifice asked of him, and he leaves in deep grief.
What was that like for this rich man? He craved eternal life, he knelt before the One whom he believed could give him eternal life, he met Jesus face to face, and Jesus loved him. But this rich man did not fall in love with God. His obsession with possessions was too great. His obsession blocked him from God. He could not part with his possessions. He could not leave his stuff and follow Jesus.
I know what it is like to get down on my knees and ask Jesus to be present to me. I know what it is like to feel Jesus' presence. I know what it is like to fall in love with Jesus. But Jesus didn't asked me to sell all I own and give the money to the poor. Or at least, I haven't heard Jesus tell me this. Rather, like Andrew Carnegie, I heard the call to beware of turning money into an idol. My parents taught me to give a portion of my earnings to help the poor. The church taught me to give 10% of my earnings to God's work. But I have never been told to sell all that I have and give the money to the poor.
Perhaps that is because I am not obsessed with making money or having money. I am not motivated by money. (I once made the mistake of telling a boss this, and soon my salary was decreased. Some things are better kept to yourself.) Jesus didn't ask all his followers to sell everything to follow him. He did ask Peter, James, John and Andrew to leave their fishing nets to follow him. He did ask Matthew Levi to leave his tax collector's business and follow him. He did ask Nathaniel to leave his navel gazing philosophizing under the tree and follow him. Jesus asked people to stop what they were doing and follow him. I believe God asks us to stop whatever distracts us from being fully present to Him in this moment. By so doing, we free our lives to we invite the opportunity to fall in love with God, and follow Jesus.
What is it that keeps you from following Jesus? What is one thing you lack, the one thing that is your block? Is it your job? Is it over much concern for your children? (This is the one block I have been challenged with-over and over again, God reminds me to stop being overly concerned for my children. God reminds me that if I am truly to trust in God, I will entrust my children to him, for then not only will I be able to be fully present to God, so will my children.)
Perhaps it is your concern for your riches that keeps you from being able to follow Jesus. If that is so, I invite you to take some time this Autumn season prayerfully to consider how you might let go of your riches. If so, sell at least some of your treasures on earth and give them to the poor, allowing you to "have treasure in heaven", and then, go, follow Jesus.
AMEN
| Updated 10/15/03 |
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