The passage from Mark 10: 17 – 31 can throw up a lot of questions…questions relating to the passage; questions as a consequence to what Jesus said; questions that would influence our personal decisions as we reflect on those consequences…

1 No doubt many of you recognise the image and remember the TV game show that ran for 11 years…open the box the reveal the money or take the deal that the banker offered.. It relied on the contestants greed to want gamble for more and lose nothing… How did you answer the question if/when you played along?

2 What did you ever decide to do?

The first questions from this passage lie within those of the young ruler coming to Jesus and subsequently for us (such as, is it right to have money, any money, and be a Christian etc etc….

3 And what about the question of the camel and the eye of a needle?...let’s take a look at this one…and I quote.. ‘For the last two centuries it has been common teaching in Sunday School that there is a gate in Jerusalem called the eye of the needle through which a camel could not pass unless it stooped and first had all its baggage first removed. After dark, when the main gates were shut, travellers or merchants would have to use this smaller gate, through which the camel could only enter unencumbered and crawling on its knees

4 Great sermon material, with the parallels of coming to God on our knees without all our baggage. A lovely story and an excellent parable for preaching but unfortunately unfounded! From at least the 15th century, and possibly as early as the 9th but not earlier, this story has been put forth, however, there is no evidence for such a gate, nor record of reprimand of the architect who may have forgotten to make a gate big enough for the camel and rider to pass through unhindered.’ cf;http://www.biblicalhebrew.com/nt/camelneedl e.htm

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5 Now back with the Rich Young Ruler; he was coming to Jesus with a question to which he already knew the answer. As a Jew he would have known the answer from the Torah and the Talmud. What are the Torah and the Talmud..?

6 .https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference- between-the-Talmud-and-the-Torah The Torah is the Hebrew Bible, and while some people think of it as just the "Five Books of Moses" Torah refers to all of the Hebrew Bible, including such books as Joshua, Psalms, Book of Ruth, etc. The first five books are written in the scroll that is read in the synagogue every week. The first five books of Torah were originally memorised orally, and took written form over time, in the period from 1200 to 100 BCE. Well before the Talmud took shape.

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7 The Talmud is the compilation of the historic rabbis "discussing" or "debating" what the Torah means. Some of the tractates come to conclusions, but many leave the debate open ended. This is part of why Jews can continue to study Torah and Talmud, and continue to debate meanings, in all times and cultural changes. The format of the Talmud is always in book form, The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates, and in standard print is over 6,200 pages long Perhaps the young man was looking for wriggle room…

8 Jewish thought was that riches were a visible sign of God’s blessing on your life and how you lived your life; in effect your salvation, your places in heaven was secure – the riches proved it. The Jewish thoughts were that God poured blessings of fruitfulness and multiplication. This was of course the thinking lodged in the minds of the disciples, hence their outburst in verse 26 of ‘Who then can be saved?’

9 The words of Jesus go against the tide of Jewish culture and religious thinking as it was 2000 years ago. And the words of Jesus still go against the tide of how much of society thinks and acts.

10 There are some today in the Christian Church who believe that health & wealth, prosperity, are the signs of God’s blessing and that all is well with your soul. Sadly, in this skewed thinking; prosperity has become God, the thing they serve and live for..

11 This is the core question that is wrapped up in this conversation between Jesus and the young man and then again between Jesus and his disciples is; ‘What must I do to inherit Eternal Life?’ The answer wasn’t just keep the Ten Commandments or live a good righteous (good living) life. Jesus’s reply was to tell the rich young ruler to sort out who or what was first in his life. In effect Jesus was asking, ‘Who or what had he put on the throne of this life – God or someone or something else’

12 What was on his throne; was this his money, possessions, doing his religious duty; what was at the number 1 slot or did he mistakenly think that somehow he was putting God at the centre – at the number 1 spot in his life. But was God truly on the throne? It wasn’t God, and this is what caused the young man to be sad; money and wealth were number 1. He mistakenly thought that how he thought about his money was fine, as he wrongly believed it meant God was pleased with his lifestyle.

13 Money is still often number 1 in people’s lives – whether they have plenty or not very much at all. If money (or lack of it) is what is on your mind when you get up, or throughout the day at the day’s end then this is your number 1. Any number of other things or people can be substituted into this number 1 slot.

14 This number 1 slot belongs to God, Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Whatever you put on the throne of your life is what or who will direct and rule your life. It will also be that which you worship. If worship doesn’t seem to be the word that fits; how about adore or praise? The answer to the question; ‘What must I do to inherit Eternal Life?’ It isn’t necessary for you to get rid of that you have, it’s to ask yourself and decide daily, is God the number in my life – or have I let someone or something else take His rightful place?

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