Andrew Carnegie was the 4th richest human being of all time. It is estimated that his present-day net worth was between $300 and $310 billion. That is billion with a “b”. Andrew Carnegie’s financial success is impressive, even more impressive when you consider his humble beginnings.
Andrew was a Scottish immigrant. Prior to moving to America Andrew and his parents lived in a 2-room cottage, in which the first floor was dedicated to his father’s weaving business. Andrew’s mother supplemented the family income by selling potted meat (that’s canned animal feet, organs and other unsavory body parts for those of you who don’t know). Despite the family’s efforts they remained destitute and so with borrowed money they made their way to America. Andrew was 12 when he arrived in America. He began working as a bobbin boy in a cotton mill. He then worked as a messenger boy for a telegraph company. By the age of 18 Andrew had found steady work with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Through hard work, grit, and determination (and some questionable business practices) Andrew worked his way up in the railroad industry and by the time he was 40 years old he was a millionaire. He spent the next 25 years multiplying his millions till in 1901 he sold Carnegie Steel to J.P. Morgan for $11 billion[1], and in so doing Andrew Carnegie surpassed John D. Rockefeller as the richest American of the time.
America is full of stories such as this, stories of self-made men and woman. We love the idea that a person, through hard work, grit, and determination can build themselves up. The self-made man is an ideal upon which the American dream is founded. We are an enterprising and entrepreneurial people. We put in the work in the training room so that we stand out on the athletic field. We stay up late studying so that we excel in the classroom. We work overtime to get ahead in our careers. Maybe not to the extent of an Andrew Carnegie, but in our own way we like to imagine ourselves as self-made.
America may be full of self-made men and women, but the church isn’t. Today in our gospel lesson Jesus teaches a man, and, through that man, Jesus teaches us that there is no such thing as a self-made Christian.
The man in our lesson for today is by most accounts an impressive man. Here in Mark’s gospel, we learn that the man “22… had great wealth” and Jesus describes the man as “23… rich”. Somehow this man had accumulated a recognizable fortune, and I don’t think it is unreasonable for us to assume he acquired his wealth through a great deal of hard work, grit, and determination. He was after all a Jewish man living in a Roman world. Rome was not exactly the land of opportunity for a Jew. For this man to have great wealth was impressive, but even more impressive was the man’s commitment to his church. In Luke’s gospel we learn that this man was a “ruler”[2] that is to say, he was an official in his local synagogue; a leader in his church like one of our councilmen and as such this man was honored and respected in his community. Matthew adds to our favorable impression of this man by telling us he was a “young man”[3]. To accomplish so much at such a young age… this young man has all the characteristics of a self-made man.
Mark tells us “17 As Jesus started on his way, a man [this impressive young man] ran up to him [Jesus] and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Oh boy do we like this young man! He “ran” to Jesus; sought Him out energetically and enthusiastically. He “fell on his knees” before Jesus; humbled himself before Jesus. He called Jesus “good teacher”; he offered praise to Jesus. He “asked” Jesus; he prayed to him for guidance and direction. We like this young man! Probably because he would fit in so well among us. Professionally successful, religiously active, and personally pious. Does that not describe the members of Messiah? I can see this young man contributing to our budget, teaching in our Sunday School, and sitting front and center in our sanctuary. We like this young man. He would easily fit in among us.
Like us, everything in this young man’s life has taught him that hard work, grit, and determination are what it takes to get ahead in life. Which is why he asks the question that he asked. You see, despite his outward successes and accomplishments, there was something still not quite right. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but somehow, he knew that when it came to his salvation, he was missing something; that he, in some way, was falling short; that he had not yet done enough. So, he asked, Jesus, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
The same question is still being asked today. The Baptist say you must make a decision. The Catholics say you must make a deposit. But we are Lutherans, we know better than to believe such doings will earn us eternal life. That is not to say we aren’t guilty of a little doing of our own. Our doing is often done in the pursuit of penance and piety.
While it is true the penitent person turns away from their sin; heads in the opposite direction of their sin, prays to God for the strength to stop doing the sin, it is not the act of not doing that makes them penitent. Yet sometimes we forget that. We act as though the not doing of sin is all that we must do. Stop disrespecting. Stop hating. Stop lusting. Stop stealing. Stop gossiping. We tell ourselves this is all we must do to be penitent, but this is a lie. Through the prophet Joel the Holy Spirit says to you and to me, “Rend your heart and not your garments.”[4] It is not our doing that makes us penitent it is our sorrow over sin. To simply stop doing a thing without being filled with sorrow over the thing we have done but still think of ourselves as penitent is a damnable deception.
An equally damnable deception presents itself in our pursuits of piety. While it is true faith naturally finds a way to do good works just as an apple tree naturally produces apples, it is not the good works that makes us pious any more than it is the apples that makes the tree. Yet sometimes we forget that too. We think ourselves “good Christians” when we do. Put an offering in the plate. Bring a dish to the potluck. Send a card to the grieving. We tell ourselves this is all we must do to be pious, but this too is a lie. Through the author of the letter to the Hebrews the Holy Spirit says to you and to me, “without faith it is impossible to please God”.[5] Martin Luther wrote, “Good and pious works never produce a good and pious person; but a good and pious person produces good and pious works.”[6] To believe our piety comes from what we do instead of who we are is a damnable deception.
We are perhaps more cleaver than the Baptist or the Catholic, but we too are guilty of thinking that we are at least in part self-made Christians; we are guilty of asking the young man’s question. “Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered the young man’s question, “19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” In short, the answer is you must do everything commanded in the Law of Moses, you must do it all and you must do it perfectly. Every single commandment must be obeyed, both the commandments that deal with your love for your fellow man and the commandments that deal with your love of God above all things. This is what you must do and do perfectly if you wish to gain eternal life by what you do.
Having learned what he must do to inherit eternal life, the young “22… man’s face fell” and “he went away sad” because he knew he could not do what he needed to do. And the disciples, who were themselves curious about the answer to the young man’s question, came to the same realization that no doubt has come to you. If this is what we must do to inherit eternal life, “26… Who then can be saved?”
Dear friends, there is nothing you can do to inherit eternal life, but before your faces fall and you go away sad, listen to what Jesus says to all who realize there is no such thing as a self-made Christian. Jesus says, “27… With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
The young man was right to call Jesus “good”. Indeed, he didn’t know how right he was. Jesus told the young man “18… no one is good – except God alone.” Only God can do what needs to be done to inherit eternal life. Those commandments to love your neighbor as yourself and the commandments to fear love and trust in God above all things, Jesus kept those commandments all of them, all of the time. Jesus did what no man could do. Jesus did what all men needed Him to do. Jesus did what needed to be done, He did it perfectly, and he did it for you.
The young man was also right to call Jesus a “teacher” for Jesus spent three years teaching and preaching to anyone and everyone who would listen. But Jesus did more than just teach. Jesus died. He sacrificed Himself so that the sins of all people of all time would be forgiven. Including our cleaver attempts of achieving penance and piety by what we do. Before He died Jesus declared “it is finished”[7] and in so doing announced that He done did what needed doing and there was nothing more you or I needed to do. Jesus did what needed to be done, He did it completely, and he did it for you.
America is full of self-made men and women, but the church isn’t. There is no such thing as a self-made Christian. Hard work, grit, and determination can help you live a comfortable life, maybe not Andrew Carnegie comfortable but comfortable enough. But don’t deceive yourself into thinking hard work, grit, and determination are going to get you eternal life. There is nothing you can do to inherit eternal life. But there was something Jesus could do, and He has already done it.
We don’t know what happened to the young man. But I feel for him, don’t you? Fallen face and filled with sadness is no way to live life. I hope he stopped asking what he could do long enough to learn what Jesus had done for him. I liked him, didn’t you? A professionally successful, religiously active, and personally pious young man would have fit in well among us. I would like to be able to tell him what I get to tell you. Jesus has done what you needed Him to do and because He has done it you will inherit eternal life. Amen.
[1] $303,450,000 (equal to $11,113,550,000 today)
[2] Luke 18:18
[3] Matthew 19:20
[4] Joel 2:13
[5] Hebrews 11:6
[6] The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel C.F. W. Walther p.306
[7] John 19:30