Daily Devotion for Lent 2019 - Day 26

Scripture Reading: Matthew 19:16-30 (NRSV)

This passage on wealth is really more about salvation.  In the first century, the wealthy were often assumed to be blessed by God.  In other words, they were rich because God wanted them to be so.  It is very similar to the divine right of kings.  People are royalty because God set it up that way.

The major reliance behind this theology is the sovereignty of God.  God is in charge.  If people of power were not following God's will, then something bad would happen to them and they would be replaced by someone suitable.

So the assumption of the day was that the wealthy had special favor from God.  It was assumed that they would be saved first because they were first in this life.

This prosperous man comes to Jesus asking about eternal life.  He is wanting assurance that the teaching of the day is correct.

Jesus recites five of the ten commandments from Exodus 20:12-16.  Then he combines these with the more obscure verse from chapter 19 of Leviticus.  To put Leviticus in context, the preceding verses deal with how we should live together.  Verse 15 specifically states, "You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great" in reference to trials.

Each of these laws is more specific to our social reality than our spiritual reality.  There are other commandments such as the ban on idols or honoring the Sabbath but Jesus mentions the laws that construct our covenant with other people.

When the young man replies that these have been obeyed, he is looking for a word of commendation.  "Oh, then you are in good shape.  Go and live out of the blessing of God!"

Instead, Jesus moves on to perfection.  "If you wish to be perfect..."

The last time Jesus referred to perfection was in connection with loving our enemies.

This time Jesus asks the rich man to let go of the status that speaks to his assurance of salvation.  It is not what others think of our relationship with God.  It is where we discover it in the fundamental nature of being.  Our possessions may be a distraction.

I don't think President Trump would disagree that 

money still has great influence in today's society.

Jesus goes on to further refute the theology of the day saying that rich people have difficulty even entering the kingdom of heaven.  The disciples are shocked.  Jesus lets them know that the systems of the world do not necessarily reflect God's favor.  Those in power are not necessarily put in place by God.  For that time frame (there were no democratically run governments), this was a radical idea.  To show how ingrained this theology can be, people still trot out this idea from time to time.  Some religious leaders have stated that President Trump is God's choice because he was victorious in the election.  It is fairly likely that those favoring President Trump would not have the same providential notion for President Obama and vice versa.  It is more likely that we tend to rebrand God's preference for what fits with our own tendencies.

Jesus moves us to the idea that this is God's choice to decide who will be saved.  It is not already decided by current status, power or wealth.

When Jesus declares that "many who are first will be last, and the last will be first" he is stating that the status quo does not define God's favor.  Many who have nothing are good people and God may even favor them!  This was not an easy teaching for people to accept then.  While we would likely agree, I think that the old theology may be more ingrained than we would like to admit.

If you were to delve into your subconscious, would you be sure that you did not favor the popular over the invisible?

I like to believe that I'm egalitarian but I know that I have bias that colors my lens.

Lent is a wonderful time to ask ourselves where our biases may lie.

Do I show no partiality to the poor?  When have I deferred to the great?


Prayer for the day:

God, we would like some assurance.  
We are seeking to do the right thing.
It would be nice to know that we are on the right track.
But sometimes the words of Jesus at first glance are not very comforting.  
We may wonder if he is setting the bar beyond our reach.
Ultimately, we see that it comes down to your grace rather than our good works.
Help us to realize that we all simply rely on you.
And may this humility influence how we treat our neighbors.
Amen.


Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.