October 26, 2013

Jesus Sets Us Straight!

23rd Sunday after Pentecost, 10/27/13
Luke 18:18-27


Jesus Sets Us Straight!
I. Don’t overestimate yourself.
II. Don’t underestimate your God.


About a decade ago a good friend of mine gave me this book. It’s entitled Fierce Conversations and its author is Susan Scott. It’s about achieving success at work and in life one conversation at a time. I’ll admit I’ve only read bits and pieces of it, but it’s full of practical advice on how to address issues with other people. Here’s a quote or two. “I have not yet witnessed a spontaneous recovery from incompetence.” Such a recovery likely requires a fierce conversation. Here’s another quote: “The truth will set you free—but first it may thoroughly irritate you.” It usually takes a fierce conversation for someone to realize the truth about themselves and it can be painful. But that’s the first step on the road to becoming a better person.

In today’s text we have the privilege of listening in on the conversation Jesus had with a young ruler. Susan Scott would likely call this a fierce conversation even though Jesus probably never had to raise his voice or make dramatic gestures. I don’t think he even pointed an accusing finger at the man. He didn’t have to. The young man came to the proper conclusion about himself all on his own.
Did he eventually take to heart what Jesus was trying to tell him? Did he come to trust in Jesus? We don’t know. I guess we’ll find out when we reach heaven. But we do know this: Jesus adjusted this man’s attitude about himself. Jesus set this man straight.

And in doing so, he set straight his disciples and all the others who heard him that day. In fact, he sets us straight as well. He gives us an attitude adjustment about ourselves and our God with this portion of his word. Jesus sets us straight! I invite you to join me in paying attention to what he says to us this morning.

Part I.

Are you familiar with the biblical character named Haman from the Book of Esther? Maybe not. He was a classic case of a person who thought far too much of himself. He was a Persian man who was close to the king. He also despised a Jewish man named Mordecai, Esther’s uncle. Haman was certain that he was the king’s favorite subject, so, when the king asked him what should be done for the man whom the king wanted to honor, Haman was certain the king intended to honor him. So he suggested that a lavish parade be given in this man’s honor. The king, however, intended to honor Mordecai for his service to the king. Imagine Haman’s surprise when the king put him in charge of honoring Mordecai!

People who wrongly think too much of themselves—Jesus met just such people on more than one occasion. Recall how he watched guests at a banquet jockeying for the most important seats at the banquet table. And if you were reading this account of the rich ruler out of your Bible, your eyes could easily wonder over one column and read the words, “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable [of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector].”

People tend to think too much of themselves. That very thing occurred on this day in Jesus’ earthly ministry, although it probably wasn’t so readily apparent. Luke describes this man who approached Jesus as “a certain ruler.” Either he was a member of some Jewish ruling group or he was a ruler in the local synagogue. Either way, he was well-respected. Matthew tells us he was a young man. The fact that he had attained high standing at young age is even more impressive. By all outward measures here was a good Jewish man.

And that’s exactly why Jesus wanted to have a conversation with him. When he addressed Jesus as “Good teacher,” Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good?” Don’t think that Jesus is denying that he is holy. He wants to challenge this man’s assessment of what’s good. Who determines that? How good is good enough? And here’s the most important question, “What does God think about our ‘goodness’?”

So Jesus led him into a conversation about his own goodness. Jesus quoted some of the commandments—commandments which this man had long ago committed to his memory. In fact, he not only knew them well, he declared this assessment of his performance. “All these I have kept since I was a boy.” Really? He was under the impression that he had kept all these commandments as God required?

Jesus knew he hadn’t. But he wanted the young man to come to that conclusion on his own. So Jesus presented him with one more thing to do. “Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Is Jesus stating that a life of voluntary poverty is the ticket to life in heaven? Not at all. Instead, he was pointing out that the young man hadn’t even kept the very First Commandment which requires that we love God above all things. If he hadn’t kept the First Commandment, surely he hadn’t kept the others either. Luke tells us, “When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.” Jesus certainly set this fellow straight! He thought he could earn his way to heaven because he was so good. Jesus in effect told him, “Don’t overestimate yourself.”

Don’t overestimate yourself. Here was a man who claimed goodness, and, outwardly, he appeared to have attained it. This was the kind of young man any parent would want their daughter to marry. He appeared to be doing everything right. He was confident of his goodness. But that’s exactly what was so wrong. He overestimated himself. And that’s easy to do, too easy. I hope and pray that we’re not so crass as to think that we’re good enough to earn our own way into heaven. But isn’t it true that all of us have fallen into the trap of overestimating ourselves when it comes to goodness? Haven’t there been times in your life, as there have been in mine, when I think God owes me a favor? Haven’t there been times in our lives when we have looked down on others for what they’ve done? Friends, let’s look at what we’ve done! Like this rich ruler, we haven’t even kept the First Commandment. We haven’t feared or respected God above all else. We tend to put the opinions of others and ourselves ahead of him. We haven’t loved God above all else. Our misplaced priorities are damning evidence of it. We haven’t trusted God above all else. Our daily worries are proof of it. We overestimate ourselves and Jesus sets us straight. He not only reminds us of our sins, he sets us straight with the holy God by his daily forgiveness. Jesus set us straight with God when he made sure that he was suspended between heaven and earth on Calvary’s cross for us. Jesus did that saving work for us. Don’t overestimate yourself!

Part II.

As we listen to what transpired in this fierce conversation, we tend to see ourselves in the rich ruler more than we care to admit. We feel guilty with him by our association with him—he’s a sinful human being just as we are. We’re not so good ourselves! The people who were there that day and heard the conversation felt the same thing.

That happened after Jesus spoke these familiar words, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” I don’t think there was a soul in that crowd that wouldn’t love to be as wealthy as this young man was. If they didn’t envy him that day, surely there were times in their lives when they had said or at least thought, “If only I were rich, then I would…” All of us can finish that sentence.

That means Jesus’ words condemn us all. Our desire to be rich is evidence that we would have trouble letting go of riches in order to hold onto Jesus. At least we’d have to think it over for a good while.

And that means we are no more able to save ourselves than this rich ruler was. That’s why the crowd replied to Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” If even our desire for riches reveals a faulty relationship with our God, then what hope for us remains? None! None on our own.

But here’s where the powerful grace of God comes in. Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” Our God can save us. He did it by sending his Son as our Substitute. Jesus lived a holy life in our place. Jesus became the sacrifice for our sins, taking our punishment for us. He rose again to guarantee that heaven is ours. And that’s not all! Then God the Holy Spirit worked saving faith in our hearts. He made us sons and daughters of Jesus. And he keeps us in our faith as we hear God’s word and receive his Holy Supper. We don’t do it ourselves. God does it all for us.

Jesus sets us straight. Don’t underestimate your God!

Without a doubt we know and believe that what we can’t do for ourselves, our God does for us. The greatest thing he has done for us is to rescue us from hell and destine us for heaven by faith in Jesus. We know that. We trust him for it. We just have trouble trusting him for the lesser problems in our lives. We just can’t let go and let God. We fool ourselves into thinking that we have to handle our problems completely. We’ll take God at his word but only so far; the rest is up to us. It sounds like Jesus needs to set us straight. And he does! And this is how he does it: If our God sacrificed his Son for us, won’t he also do whatever else we need him to do according to his good wisdom and his boundless love for us? Of course he will! He promises it! Jesus sets us straight. Don’t underestimate your God! Amen.