Title: Divesting Ownership
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: Mark 10:17-31
Human beings have a peculiarity not shared among the rest of creation. We have the notion we can own things. We make property claims over all sorts of things. We structure the larger part of society around those ownership claims, giving them over-sized importance in our legal and judicial systems. We grant personal property claims greater value than human life. We give stronger property rights to those who already claim more property than others. How do we justify our ownership claims while also claiming God's rule over our lives?
Mark reports today's main character as a rich man. Matthew says he was young. Luke adds him being a ruler, possibly of a synagogue. Being rich and a ruler, as well as young set him apart as something special within his religious community. They regarded wealth as God's blessing. Akin to some of our prosperity gospel preachers, many around Jesus held the wealthy in awe, living the ultimate life, and basking in God's blessing made visible in that wealth. This rich man, at least, understood his wealth was not quite the stamp of God's approval many considered it. He asks Jesus what is still missing for him to be sure to enter the Messianic age.
Jesus' response is surprising. He questions the use of the term, "Good," with the reminder that only God is good. Then he recalls some basic commandments given through Moses. The man answers he has kept all of those commandments, so Jesus tells him he lacks yet one thing. Along with this statement, Mark mentions that what Jesus says comes from his love for this man. Out of love, Jesus tells him to dispose of his wealth in benefit of the poor and then follow Jesus.
He is the only person Jesus told to divest their wealth for the poor. He said nothing similar to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus took the initiative to give up a large share of his wealth and make restitution to any he had defrauded. He called Matthew and the others ...
Author: Christopher Harbin
Text: Mark 10:17-31
Human beings have a peculiarity not shared among the rest of creation. We have the notion we can own things. We make property claims over all sorts of things. We structure the larger part of society around those ownership claims, giving them over-sized importance in our legal and judicial systems. We grant personal property claims greater value than human life. We give stronger property rights to those who already claim more property than others. How do we justify our ownership claims while also claiming God's rule over our lives?
Mark reports today's main character as a rich man. Matthew says he was young. Luke adds him being a ruler, possibly of a synagogue. Being rich and a ruler, as well as young set him apart as something special within his religious community. They regarded wealth as God's blessing. Akin to some of our prosperity gospel preachers, many around Jesus held the wealthy in awe, living the ultimate life, and basking in God's blessing made visible in that wealth. This rich man, at least, understood his wealth was not quite the stamp of God's approval many considered it. He asks Jesus what is still missing for him to be sure to enter the Messianic age.
Jesus' response is surprising. He questions the use of the term, "Good," with the reminder that only God is good. Then he recalls some basic commandments given through Moses. The man answers he has kept all of those commandments, so Jesus tells him he lacks yet one thing. Along with this statement, Mark mentions that what Jesus says comes from his love for this man. Out of love, Jesus tells him to dispose of his wealth in benefit of the poor and then follow Jesus.
He is the only person Jesus told to divest their wealth for the poor. He said nothing similar to Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus took the initiative to give up a large share of his wealth and make restitution to any he had defrauded. He called Matthew and the others ...
There are 11069 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
