Deacon Jim Knipper's sermon explores the misconception that wealth is a sign of God's favor, emphasizing that eternal life cannot be earned through material possessions or rule-following. Instead, he argues that true fulfillment comes from loving God and neighbor, urging listeners to reconsider what they are rooted in and how they can actively participate in God's love in the present. The message challenges the notion of seeking eternal life as a future reward, advocating for a life dedicated to love and service here and now.

1. 1 Deacon Jim Knipper
10 October 2021 28th
Sunday of Ordinary Time Summit, NJ
So, this morning’s Gospel is one that can make some people squirm a bit, as they hear it read
at mass, and quickly try to rationalize in their minds that Jesus can’t be saying that being
wealthy is a bad thing. I mean after all, isn’t part of life all about gaining wealth – about one’s net
worth – being successful and living the dream? Matter of fact this is so engrained into our
psyche that we can easily and erroneously transfer this ideal to our spirituality – just as the rich
young man did in the story – seeking out what he needed to do to earn eternal life.
In the first century Jerusalem (and maybe for some even still today) wealth was considered to
be a sign of God’s favor. That somehow the more wealth you had, the more God loved you.
Moving this gospel story to a modern-day setting…we have young man, maybe a grad of
Princeton - who goes on for an advanced degree, makes partner in the law firm, has the two
homes, a few cars in the garage, well balanced portfolio, attends and tithes at Church each
week. He follows the 10 Commandments and even adheres to all the rules and regulations in
the Catechism. And now he has come to the point in his life where he just wants to make sure
he has “Eternal Life” covered. So, used to getting what he wants, he is ready to write the check
to make the purchase as if it something to be bought.
Which leads to the million-dollar question – one we hear today in the Gospel and is asked a
number of times to Christ: “What must I do to inherit Eternal Life?” Recognizing the point of view
this man is coming from, Jesus gives a masterful response. First, he sidesteps the adulation of
being called “good” – one that culturally expects reciprocal adulation, by reminding the man that
only God is good. Christ then goes through a handful of the commandments, asking the man if
he has kept them all, knowing the answer was filled with checked boxes.
But then, do not overlook the very next line where it says Jesus “loved him.” For it is the only
time in Mark’s Gospel that we are told that Jesus loved (agape) someone. It is only later in this
Gospel, when Christ is asked which commandment is the greatest and he replies, “Love of God
and of neighbor” do we see the word love reappear. So by Mark inserting that line into this story
he is making the point that what Jesus is about to do is practicing what he is preaching – to love
others. But Jesus sees that this rich young man is rooted – is anchored to his wealth and not to
the Gospel. So he tells the man to go and sell everything he has – in essence to break the
bonds that he has attached to all his worldly goods – to disconnect from all that he has taken
hold of.
You see, no matter how much money we have or don’t have – we are all the rich young man –
for we all have those things that we are attached to, addicted to, have rooted ourselves to.
Wealth, social status, appearance, grades, promotions are just some of those things which are
all good – but can also be a trap or an anchor which justifies of all kinds of behavior with the
false hope of a future reward.

2. 2 Deacon Jim Knipper
But eternal life is not handed out because we have money, or because we are just focused on
keeping the rules – it is not something that we earn like a merit badge…for when we live that
way we then spend our energy on defending who gets it (me of course) and who doesn’t (all
those who are not like us) and we turn it all into a worthiness contest. Rather, Jesus seems to
be pointing us to be less worried about life in the next world – and instead to focus on life in this
world – a life dedicated to loving God and neighbor….all of which is much harder than just
writing a check. So, then, what does one do?
Perhaps the answer is best summed up from a 3rd
century story taken from the desert fathers
and mothers. For it would seem one day an old desert father was asked by a young man what
was necessary to be saved? The old man was sitting there making rope and without even
glancing up he said, “You’re looking at it.”
Just as so many of the mystics have taught us – it is all about doing what you’re doing right here
and right now, with presence, with intention, and with care for others – all of which is prayer. It
is prayer that allows us to actively participate in God’s love – which is an activity that requires us
not to be anchored to the material world, but takes us out of ourselves and opens us up to the
God’s ever presence in our own lives.
But to do this it requires us to really, really look in the mirror and ask ourselves what are we
rooted in? What are we attached to? Is it time to make a realignment of our priorities? Is it
time to take a new look at what it means to be fully human?…to be a Christian?...to be a
follower of Christ? We will see in a few minutes, how easy it is for us to recite the Creed of what
we believe in, but do we actually take the time to put it all into practice?
For Christ makes it clear in this Gospel passage, in speaking to this man, who he loves – that
attachments to money, power, prestige and possessions provide a major obstacle for fulfilling
our call to love God and others. Or in the words of Paul to the people of Corinth: Prophecies will
cease, tongues stilled, knowledge will pass away – the greatest thing that will remain is love.
You see, what Christ is pointing out to this rich young man and to you and me is that we keep
asking “What do I have to do to earn eternal life?” but it is the wrong question! The question we
should all be asking ourselves is with all or little that I have, what can I do today, in this life, in
the here and now, being in the present…in order to love God and neighbor, especially the least
of my brothers and sisters.
For eternal life has nothing to do with the size of your bank account…eternal life is not, in itself,
a future end game that we are playing for (Christ already told us that he will come back and take
us with him so we can be together) …rather it is all about the Kingdom of God which is always
present and begs for our active participation, not anchored in all that we have, but focused on
being who you are – grafted to Christ…and who you can be for others bringing the Kingdom of
God alive, right here, right now, today and always.