INHERITORS
OF HEAVEN
SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON OCTOBER 15, 2006
Mark 10:17 "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
What must I do?
The story is told of Groucho Marx, the Jewish comedian, who once applied to join an exclusive country club. To everyone's surprise, his membership application was accepted. He immediately sat down - so the story goes - and wrote a letter thanking the club. However, he added: "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't want to belong to an exclusive club that would have somebody like me as a member."
The Jewish man in today's gospel was similar to Groucho Marx.
But he wanted something more. Did he in fact want to join Jesus' exclusive club?
But there is something more going on here - for his question is: 'what must I do to inherit life?' This is a very strong question for this man to ask, for he was a faithful Jew keeping all the commandments. No doubt worshiping in the synagogue Saturday by Saturday and going to Jerusalem for the great feasts. He had everything: money, power, confidence, security and religion. Yet he knew there was something missing.
And Jesus is not slow to point it out.
All these things seemed to satisfy his every want but they came between him and God. How true is that! So Jesus challenges him directly - and bids him join his band of followers. And the scripture says: "At that saying he countenance fell; and he went away sorrowful.”
So near and yet so far. What he needed was not only eternal life, but new life. He needed newness of life. Thus today's gospel is a parable for the sacrament of baptism, which we will celebrate shortly. As Episcopalians know, the quick answer to the question "What must I do to inherit eternal life," is to get baptized. And the new life which the man needed and wanted is what we receive when we are baptized.
New life in Christ. Being a member not of an exclusive club, but an inclusive community. What Hebrews 3 describes today as a house. The household of God.
The gospel story tells us something else about baptism. It reminds us that baptism is a personal interaction between Christ and the person being baptized. Jesus meets us in a personal way and relates to us individually, just as he did to that young man.
I'm sure Jesus didn't say to every young man who came to him: "go sell all you have and give to the poor”, because not everyone was rich. What he said to that man was what that man had to hear. In the same way, when Jesus meets us in baptism, and for the rest of our lives, he meets us in a personal way that is appropriate only to us. And this relationship established in baptism remains forever.
St. Mark says: 'Jesus looking upon him, loved him.' Jesus is always looking upon us and loving us. That is what is beginning today for Bryn Nora. She not only becomes a member of the Christian household and family, but becomes, in the words of the Book of Common Prayer, "the child of God, a member of Christ, and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven."
When I was young I used to ponder at the words 'the Child of God.' How could a baby being baptized be the child of God when she had other brother and sisters who were children of God? What it means is that in baptism she is the only child of God in Jesus eyes. His love for her is complete - and it applies to all of us who are the children of God. We are the child of God, a member of Christ and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.
That’s what the young man wanted today. But when Jesus offered it he turned away.
So today we truly rejoice with Joe and Tamela in the baptism of their child Bryn Nora. And we rejoice because not only because they have decided they want their daughter to have all the good things that the world offers, not only to bring her up with all the love and hope and encouragement that lies in their hearts - but also because they want her to have the promise of eternal life, and all the blessings that Jesus brings.
For without that particular promise all the other things will just lead to the young man's question: 'what must I do'.
In baptism we ask that question ourselves and Christ embraces us. What a pity the young man never got as far as that embrace.