His Death for Our Life

As [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark 10:17 ESV Appreciating the moment is something we all need to do. Here at International Lutheran Church, we have been reading through the Gospel of Mark. The question of this young man forms the focus of our meditation today as we move closer to the cross. Coming face-to-face with our own idols is the first and necessary step in following our Savior as our very possessions can so easily end up possessing us.

Certainly, the young man that came to Jesus that day was not thinking about idols! In fact, we know that he was keen to know the very deep questions about God, who He is and how we can be in a relationship with Him. To his polite greeting – “Good teacher!” Jesus’ initial response – “Only God is good” might surprise us. Yet this is the truth of why Jesus is there and where He is going. No doubt this young man was familiar with this truth as it is one of the most repeated phrases in the Psalms – “O give thanks unto the LORD for He is good! And His mercy endures forever!” (Psalm 136:1 ESV) But sometimes frequency can breed contempt. We too frequently use these words at the close of our meals or the close of the day, but do we ponder how they point to a life that is more than the possession of many things? Do we see in them the good news that life itself is a gift of an Eternal God?

Now, eternal and eternity are beautiful concepts. Years ago, Chenhsi and I had a neighbor who was a dentist. Besides caring for the teeth of many people – including my own, as was his profession, he also had a tremendous love of the human smile and took great care to help those who by accident or by natural birth, felt a sense of self-consciousness at their own appearance. I discovered his aesthetic talent when he shared with me his favorite character in the Chinese traditional calligraphy system – the word “eternal” (永 - yong). My dentist friend noted how each of the eight different kinds of strokes in the Chinese calligraphy system could be found in this one character. While we have no way to fathom the depth and breadth of eternity, still we understand its beauty and goodness and long for a personal connection. Just as the preacher of Ecclesiastes has said in reference to God, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)

This unfathomable work is of course the very heart of God’s work from beginning to end. When the young man in Mark’s gospel connected the word “inherit” or simply “receive” with the idea of his own work, Jesus looked at him with love. He needed to see first-hand just who had become his god. Our works are never enough because in the end they only serve ourselves. We need to be completely free to hold only on to God. Jesus is there to complete the work of God. He forsakes all to embrace us on the cross. While our possessions often end up possessing us, He becomes our inheritance in His death to give us life. Jesus gave Himself to us so that we would not walk away sad but would gladly forsake all and follow Him.

As Jesus moves closer to the cross, His actions and even the questions of others point us to the most wonderful news of all – His death for our life!

Pastor Carl