Barabbas : Grace

Luke 23:13-25

13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."[c]

 18With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

 20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

 22For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."

 23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

My Topic today is the Death that brings life. Nowperhaps you're a little like I was at the age of about  17, and you reckon you're done with hearing about Jesus death. I'd been going along to the Christian Meeting at my school for a couple of years, and I'd noticed that the talk schemes seemed to come back round to talking about quite familiar themes, particularly Jesus' Death. I'd been to Iwerne in the summer as well, I'd heard quite a similar talks program there a couple of times in a row, and so I went up to Paul Williams who was running the meeting at the time.  "Mr. Williams, I feel like the content of the Christian meeting is a bit samey, and I think we should move onto some more complex issues. You know I'd really fancy a couple of philosophical, intellectual theological (those were the longest words I knew at the time) debates, you know, throw a couple of ideas around, instead of constantly talking about this Jesus' Death bit, which, to be frank, I'm sort of done with now".

I wonder, does anyone here feel like that.

If you do, just before you switch on the Autopilot, hear me out for a second. You see the Good news about Jesus death is the big story of History and it is the big story of every Christian life. I'll also dare to say that though we think we've heard it all before we don't fully understand it. Now don't get me wrong, you're all bright young sparks who probably got the technicalities in a couple of seconds. I sin, Jesus died on the cross, takes my punishment in my place, I have eternal life yadayadayada.

But knowing about Jesus death is not just technical knowledge. It's not just a question of getting how it works. It is a truth that has deep deep consequences. Consequences that we spend our lifetime discovering.

 Knowing about Jesus death is a bit like waking up at school on Monday morning and looking at your watch to see 9:30am on the dial.

First you look at it. 9:30. Nice. Half way in between 9 and 10. Hmm.

Your rub your eyes, scratch your head, look back at your watch.

NINE THIRTY!!!! AHHH! I've missed Biology with Mr. "I'm going to eat you anyway because you still haven't handed in your coursework" Smith, I have approximately minus  20 seconds to get all my clothes on find my Spanish folder from in front of the dining hall, learn for my vocab test, run back to my room to get my pen, and then turn up a dishevelled wreck ready for a beating in L3 on the second floor of the language block.

The technical bit you get straight away – you realise what the hands mean.  But 9:30 means a bit more than just, I just slept 10 hours. It takes a while for your brain to get fully into gear and work out the consequences, that you are up trouble creek without a paddle.

Jesus death is more than just technical info. It has life-long life-changing consequences. So we're going to meditate on Jesus now. Not in the arms outstretched lotus position 'om' sense of meditation, but in the Christian sense. We're going to think about it, but properly, So I'm going to pray, and ask God to soften our hard hearts that so often think they've heard it all before, and allow us to know a new sense of wonder and awe at the death of our Lord. And if you want that please pray for yourselves with me, as I pray that God would prepare each one of us to understand more deeply what it means that Jesus has died for us.

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Jesus death is a ludicrous exchange. The innocent is killed and the guilty go free.

Firstly. The innocent is killed.

Now Jesus has already done the rounds, he'd been to a Jewish court, been to see Herod, Now he's back, the case is no further, but Pilate must make a decision on Jesus' fate.

Pilate stands to speak, follow it in verse 14 "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."

Jesus is innocent. It was clear, after considerable consultation Jesus was clearly innocent of the charges brought against him.  But The people shout again, v18 "Away with this man,". No says Pilate, verse 22 he says he finds "no grounds for the death penalty" v23.

Nevertheless the people persist, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

Extraordinary, Pilate condemned an innocent man to death.

His innocence:

But there's more. Jesus is not just not a criminal, as Pilate had found him to be. the Bible says "he knew no sin (2 cor 5:21)" and that he was "Tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15)". Not only was he innocent of insurrection, he was innocent of any crime, social or moral that there has ever been.

His punishment:

And his punishment. It was more even than a Roman cross. He wasn't just going to suffer the agony of asphyxiation, He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree" says the apostle Peter. So in his all our sin was condemned in him. – a bit like Big bang theory –the world is meant to start with all mass concentrated on a tiny extraordinarily heavy point , so in Jesus' death all our sin was condensed and the full weight borne in him. Right there on the cross.

A ludicrous exchange – the innocent is killed.

But then there's more to this ludicrous exchange. The innocent is killed for a purpose, namely that the Guilty go free.

The guilty go free

the guilty go free.

Barabbas was guilty, look at verse 19, in prison for insurrection, the very same crime of which Jesus was accused, and he was a murderer. He had taken another man's life. Crucifixion was the punishment he deserved.

But the crowd shout out in verse 18 "Release Barabbas to us", and despite Pilate's remonstration, v23 "their shouts prevailed".

So a convicted criminal, terrorist, freedom fighter, murderer facing certain crucifixion is released.

Our guilt:

And Of course it isn't just the guilty Barabbas who goes free.

We are guilty. Guilty as hell. The Roman law had found Barabbas wanting, but far less wanting than we are in the face of the heavenly law. You know, even before we get into the detail of what is required of us we know we fall short. Jesus summed up God's commands as wholehearted love for God and for our neighbour. But let's be honest that's just not us. We fail spectacularly at loving those around us for a start. We forget them, we ignore them, we take them for granted, we use them. And as for God – we treat him even worse than our mates, well let's just imagine we treated our friends like we treat God. We resolved to speak to them, but then fell asleep while doing so? We resolved to listen to them speak, but often end up staring into the middle distance dreaming about the guy or girl we fancy instead. We asked for their help, but rarely remembered to thank them for it. That would be a bad way to behave toward a friend, let alone God our creator. And yet, that is how we are, through and through.

Like Barabbas, we are guilty.

Our freedom:

Yet in this ludicrous exchange the guilty go free.

Imagine being Barabbas standing there in front of the baying crowd, manically jeering and heckling Pilate, scoffing at Jesus and asking for your freedom. On the face of it, you're the worst person on the stage, You can still see the face of the man you killed.  And yet you're the one getting the VIP treatment, you're the flavour of the month, and this guy Jesus whom you hardly know, but you can see enough of to know he's no criminal is going to get it. In fact that piece of wood that you were going to carry on your shoulders, his lifeless body will be pinned to that by evening, the whips hanging up in the barracks right now, that were going to burn into your back, they'll be for his now.

Can you imagine it? But that is us. Walking free with the taunting shouts of crucifixion directed at Jesus in the background. Free. Free from sin, free from punishment, free from death, free to serve, free to live, free to know God.

Jesus, The innocent is killed so we, the guilty go free.

The exchange

That's it – the ludicrous exchange.

It's like if you were holding your mobile phone somewhere in Notting Hill and randomly George Clooney or Angelina Jolie came up to you and said, I'm really sorry, I 've just got to make a phone call home, and I've forgotten my mobile, so I was just wondering whether if I give you 5 million pounds, and you can come to any of my premieres for free forever and mi casa es tu casa I could just borrow you phone.

Erm. 5 millions pounds, premieres forever, and tu casa es mi casa. In exchange for my phone? (count up on fingers) Sure.

A ludicrous exchange. Just like Jesus' death

Let me ask you, before we go any further Do you know that to be true for your life? It's simple – Jesus is willing to forgive all who put their trust in him. Have you done that.

But for all of us, that message is what we need to know, deeply, not just technically. As in not just ah it's 9:30am how unusual. But its 9:30 – get out of bed, find my Spanish folder etc.

And If realising it's 9:30 when you wake up has consequences for the whole day, knowing Christ crucified changes the whole of life.

There is so much to say, but I would just like to look at two aspects:

It means no pride, and it means no disgrace. Or to put it more directly a slap in the face and loving arms.

So firstly no pride – or – a slap in the face.

For those with false confidence the cross neatly whips the carpet of our own self-satisfaction out from under their feet.  It's a slap in the  face for the proud.

You see my pride would like to have the following obituary in the heavenly times; "Basically jfa was born, went around being a seriously good bloke, and Jesus and God took note of him, and all he'd done and said. Jfa's a good bloke he can join our good bloke posse up in heaven. And that's it - because of everything that jfa is and everything that he did, he ended up with eternal life – all thanks to jfa". That was I look really good.

But Jesus death leaves no room for pride.

No pride because It doesn't matter who you are

It doesn't matter who you are.

The cross means that as far as getting into God's good books it doesn't matter who you are. You could have a Christian family, go to a Christian school, be house prefect, CU secretary, that person whom everyone thinks is a really good bloke / blokette honestly.

Someone like Patricia Proud.

Hi I'm patricia I'm so fun, I'm so cool, everyone wants me at their party. God you would love to have me at yours as well. I have 1 million 432 thousand, 605 facebook friends and they all asked me to be their friend before I even touched my mouse.

I am brainy. You know I am going to one of the Christians where everyone goes, man – so cool and a Christian. Wow!

And I am seriously humble, like all that stuff I just said, that was only stuff other people told me anyway. Hang on – must go, so many texts to write so little time."

The cross is a slap in the face of Patricia's pride, there's no doubt about it. You see the real truth about her life is that she is so sick, so depraved in her being that Jesus had to die for her, no other way could she be rescued. Ouch!

It doesn't matter what you've done.

Secondly, no pride because it doesn't matter what you've done

Jesus isn't going to forgive you your sins because you've been on camp since you were 2 and you're been to every single reunion/ houseparty/ Christian Union meeting since then. Although if you have, that's an insanely good effort. Even if you have sat through more time in church than most people on the planet put together. That's not your qualification for heaven.

But I give blood, I always answer my texts, I pray, I read the bible. Sometimes.

And I'm good. I mean I'm so loyal. I have only one boyfriend, and we're going to marry, and I don't sleep with him, and I won't until we do.

Those things are not going to save us. To think that God accepts us because of them, To put our confidence in them is like serving up a cow pat for supper and thinking it'll be eaten just because you put some icing on the top.

This is what the cross teaches us. Like an icing sugar coated cow pat we may look sweet on top, but we are all disgusting inside. That is exactly why Jesus had to die.

Jesus' death means no Pride. A slap in the face. Ouch

No disgrace

But Jesus death also means no disgrace. The loving welcoming arms of God. You see for all the moments when we are so puffed up we're about to take off, I think there are just as many moments where we live in fear and humiliation.

Like: I'm just not in with the right crowd, I don't look as good, my Dad hasn't got as much cash as they have, I feel like I look frumpy not attractive, No one would stay in a room because I was there. I can't live up to the expectation of my parents and I know I'm going to disappoint in my exams. When people look through me or talk over me, I get the message. I am not needed on this planet.

We've all felt something of that at some time, have we not. And yet the cross means there is no disgrace., we never need to feel unwanted again. Once again, it doesn't matter who you are, and it doesn't matter what you've done.

It doesn't matter who you are.

It doesn't matter who you are. At the cross Jesus died for all. He died so that while we trust in him there is nothing in us that could ever be big enough to disqualify us from eternal life. No amount of self-hate can ever prise away the loving arms of God.

 'But I could never be one of those keen Christians – every time I come on Iwerne I'm surrounded by all these sorted keanos who thunder around full of confidence, I have the faith of a mouse, and a not very persuaded one at that.'

So we might think.

But let's not forget the exchange on that cross wasn't just for sorted white stuff wearing Iwerne keanos, it was for all including the very worst, the Barabbases of our world, which is everyone if we're going to be honest

Jesus' death means, no disgrace It doesn't matter who you are.

It doesn't matter what you've done

And it doesn't matter what you've done.

Do you remember the guy you eloped with at that party you wanted to sleep with, and you thought it fine at the time, but now you wince at the thought? Do you remember that web of lies you spun when you stole that thing, and your best friend still doesn't know. Do you remember the rage you got into last term, how you insulted that younger boy. How about when you were drunk the other weekend and your friend asked you what you were doing in the holidays and you deliberately said 'I'm going on this thing with my mates' so as to avoid mentioning that it's Christian because you're so ashamed of belonging to Jesus? Well I remember doing all of that sort of thing.

Perhaps we get so nervous – Will I get my A? Will I be picked for that team? Will I make it to head of house? Will I get into this posh university with all the colleges, because, my dad, my mum my grandpa and my dog all went there and if I don't my life will be a ruin and I'll just have to curl up in the corner of the great cave of mourning and groan for forty years.

Stop worrying, foolish heart. Because of Jesus death there is no disgrace.

Now I think that is just wonderful, because quite simply it lets me be real. At the cross, the very worst of me is laid bare for my heavenly father, the greatest moral authority there is, to see, and dealt with in Jesus, forever.

I can be real  - I don't have have to convince myself that what you have before you is a model citizen product of the best education system in the world with the whole world at his feet. No this, is a fowl excuse of an existence saved by the blood of Jesus. I know, because I have done what this body has done, and I have thought what this body has thought. But I can be real, because I'm not afraid of reality. What ever you learn of me, The judge of all time knows worse, and yet still STILL, I will be spending eternity with him.

Let's remember it then. The Innocent Jesus was killed, but guilty, you and I go free. That is and always will be the big story of our lives. We'll leave today, we'll help our mum do the washing up one day over Christmas and think all of sudden that we're the noblest thing since the round table – Bam No pride - You were born, you sinned, Jesus died for you.  Down you come. And then probably some relative will ask you at some family luncheon what you did on this conference, and you'll say something weedy like I had a lot of fun it was very interesting, and you'll go up to your room and think what a missed opportunity to share the gospel, Head up. It's for wretches like you that Jesus died so you could go free. And just because he loves you. That is and always will be, the big story of our lives. Let's know it, and know it deeply

Do you admit you've done wrong?

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about^[a^] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

To some schoolboys who were quite confident that they were doing frightfully well and that God was chuffed to bits with them and who rather looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable on a Sunday evening one summer: "Two Etonians went into chapel one morning at 8.40, one of them, menzies-menzies-rotherington was in E block, in Junior Colts firsts for rugby and cricket, had already been tipped for pop, had just aced his Spanish GCSE oral which he had done early because he was so indescribably clever, and was already looking forward to helping people out on his gap year with raleigh international because he was such a nice bloke; the other was a shabby looking contemporary of his, in the same house, who was in tardy book for the fourth week this term, had just cheated in his french coursework, was on a rustication warning for bullying and was dreading seeing the lowermaster on the bill the next week . They stood up, mumbled their way through the hymns, as only etonians do, and then sat down for the prayers, the first boy cast a quick glance around lower chapel and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other boys, - Harrovians, Haileyburians, Wellingtonians, indeed, or even any of these lesser Etonians like scrumpington mi here (that was the second boys name). I am very popular, I've got good banter with the potential poppers in the year above already, I'm highly talented at rugby and cricket, and will probably be a serious hit in the starring role of the lower school play later this summer. I'm generous too, - I'm already thinking about giving my precious time to go on a gap year with raleigh international to build a house in Timbuktu.

But the second boy didn't look around: he buried his head in his hands. He would not even look up to heaven, but clasped his hands together in such frustration at all that he had done wrong that his temples hurt, and said "God have mercy on me, a sinner".

Now how does the next bit go?

"I tell you God was chuffed to bits with the very sporty super trendy loads of mates budding popper as well but he didn't think much of the other bloke?...

wrong actually, it finishes like this

"I tell you that this boy, rather than the first, went away justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

So hang on. Did I just say what you think I said? Did I just say that God prefers scrumpington mi, that living wreck of a child over the brightest and best of E block? Did I just say that God accepted the rebel rude boy over the really talented thoroughly good chap. Am I really suggesting that God goes for the fool who knows he's wrong instead of the future captain of rugby who thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread?

Well, yes I did and yes I am.

Only don't take my word for it. What did Jesus say when he told this parable. A little background: The Pharisees were really good blokes. Everyone looked up to them as an example of good living. They were people like RERD. And this pharisee that Jesus mentioned was no exception, he gave ten percent of all he had to the poor. Just imagine the kind of guy who goes to Tudor stores, and for every quid he spends on lemon sherbet dippers he puts 10pence in the charity box. And Tax collectors on the other hand were bad, like an ultra evil and corrupt version of a traffic warden.

And Jesus says that the tax collector went home justified, that is accepted by God, rather than the Pharisee.

So basically the parable is saying those who look good to us, are not necessarily those who look good to God. Or, if we transfer that into this environment, that means those who look good at school, the popular ones, the respected ones, are not necessarily those who look good to God. So just think for a moment, who are the people that everyone thinks are great in your year. Who are the people who are particularly religious in your year. Jesus is saying that they are not necessarily the people whom God accepts.

Now the lower master is shifting anxiously from side to side, wondering whether I am going to leave it at that. So I better explain myself.

There was one crucial difference between these two men that completely cancels out all the rest.

Who here has watched the apprentice with sir Alan Sugar who is this mega angry mega rich guy. My wife Emily and I have become apprentice addicts, and along with two other friends we religiously gather every week to watch it. If you're not a fan, basically what happens is that every week an ever dwindling number of wannabe apprentices get given a task to do, in two teams, and at the end they get called into Sir Alan Sugar's boardroom where he makes them explain their incompetence. Every week one person on the team that loses gets fired, but not before they've had a thorough dressing down from Sir Alan Sugar. Eventually all but one will be eliminated, and Sir Alan Sugar will have his new apprentice.

Well, the thing is, God is basically the opposite of Alan Sugar. Alan Sugar basically runs everyone over the coals in the boardroom and accepts people who are over confident, fight their corner, never give in, and who show their superiority over those around them.

God is the opposite. There is only one criterion for being accepted by God: you've just got to admit you've done wrong. Alan Sugar wants people who think they're right and have the confidence to stand up for themselves under pressure. God on the other hand wants only those who are actually prepared to recognise they're not always right and they've messed up. That tax collector was a moral failure, but God accepted him, because he realised he'd done wrong and needed forgiveness. The pharisee thought he deserved a medal and a couple of birthday honours for being such a great bloke, and God rejected him.

One thought he was God's gift to the world, the other realised he had nothing to give and could only receive.

One of them thought he was a credit to God, whilst the other realised that he was in eternal debt.

One was sef-righteous, the other self-condemned

But in the end, the One who exalted himself and was humbled, the one humbled himself and was exalted.

So do you see, it didn't actually make a difference what they had done with their lives on the outside, whether Pharisee or tax collector, whether budding popper or scrumpington mi, the big issue is: Did they admit they had done wrong?

So you'll be pleased to hear, and so will the lower master, that I'm not saying that if you're talented and popular God automatically doesn't accept you, nor that if you're a troublemaker God automatically does. In the end it's a question of heart attitude.

Whether you are successful in the eyes of Eton, in the eyes of your peers, in the eyes of the world or not, what matters is your attitude to God. Do you come to him humbly with regret for the ways you have rebelled against him, or do you come to him, like David Beckham from Madrid to the Los Angeles Galaxy, thinking, boy he must be chuffed to bits to have me on his side.

After all It could have been the other way round after all. It could have been that the popular guy was actually very humble, and realised that for all his talents he was well short of God's standards, it could have been that scrumpington mi was arrogant to boot, that he didn't recognise he'd done wrong at all, nor feel any inclination to change. In any case what matters is Do we admit that we have done wrong.

I think Jesus' parable would have us ask a few questions of ouselves:

Firstly, If you do not believe Jesus words are true, which of course each man must decide for himself, how is it that we gain acceptance by God, and how do you know whether you are right?

secondly, if we trust Jesus' words, Have we ever come into chapel, or prayed anywhere and beaten our breast in sorrow and repentance. Now I know we're Brits, and we're Etonians, and upper lips probably don't come any stiffer, but you get my point. Have we ever, like that tax collector, like scrumpington mi, felt deep pain and regret at our wrongdoing against God. Have you ever shed a tear when you come to God? If not, will we not remain unaccepted by God, just like the pharisee?

thirdly, Have we ever felt like that tax collector, recognised that we are rotten, broken through and through, and perhaps been tempted to think that God could never accept us? Let's be reminded, that whether we are the Pharisee, the tax collector, menzies-menzies-rotherington, scrumpington mi, Alan Sugar, David beckham or anyone else, God's love in the cross of Jesus Christ covers, washes away the greatest of our wrongdoings, if only we would ask for his mercy.

Sermon to Benenden 26.02.07 Mark 10

As Jesus started on his way, a girl ran up to him and fell on her knees before him. “Good teacher,” She asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life? My name’s Samantha, I’m from Benenden which is rather a nice school in the South of England.”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No-one is good– except God alone, not you, not mother Teresa nor anyone for that matter. You know the commandments: ‘Do you prep thoroughly, don’t lie about your coursework being dropped in a puddle, don’t sleep with your boyfriend, don’t be adolescent with your parents don’t gossip about the other girls behind their back, don’t steal peoples’ jewelry or clothes and be nice to first years”.

“Teacher,” Samantha declared triumphantly, “all these I have kept since I started at Benenden, look here are my reports. English is particularly good.

Jesus looked at her and loved her. “One thing you lack”, he said, “Go, sell your pearls, your precious stoned jewelry, your prada shoes, your dinky black tie handbag, your ipod, your Chanel watch, your Johnfrieda shampoo and conditioner, your UGG boots, your favorite ball gown, your ghd hair straighteners, and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

At this Samantha’s face fell. She went away sad, because she had several ipods in different colours and they even had her name engraved on the back, and she’d never be able to go out again without her ghds.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for girls from Benenden to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children how hard it is for who trust in riches to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “If it’s that hard for a girl from Benenden who then can be saved?

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God”.

Depending on your outlook on life you will have found that story either incredibly depressing or wonderfully uplifting. In fact there might also be a few people in this chapel who really didn’t like that story. They might say it sounded very negative. They might be thinking ‘who are you to come into this chapel and judge? Are you trying to say you can’t be a Christian unless you’re poor.’

If you’re thinking that may I suggest you didn’t quite get the right end of the stick, the point of the story, indeed the point of Jesus’ story. Let me clarify, I have not come to judge - I could just as easily have put myself in Samantha’s place, and the story would have been 100% accurate, you can hear I’m posh anyway can’t you. Secondly if you found that a rather depressing story, that means you only heard the bit about you in it and you missed the really good bit about God.

This is what it means: The Rich young man in Jesus story, or Samantha in mine, or you or I, whoever want eternal life. Who doesn’t? And in the story they reckon they’re going to get it by doing a load of stuff that makes them good.

Samantha imagines life is one enormous moral ladder. she starts at the bottom. She imagines that eternal life is at the top. She reckons that by doing stuff, by being good she can get up that ladder.

The same is true for the rich man. So : The ten commandments: I haven’t killed anyone –up one, I haven’t committed adultery - up one, I haven’t lied – I can’t believe he hadn’t lied but anyway – up one. Or let’s bring it closer to home. Samantha thinks I was nice to my parents over half term – up one. I am kind to the first years, up another. I don’t gossip about other girls – up one. I don’t do drugs – up one and so on. People like the Rich young man or Samantha think that if they do enough good things they’ll get to the top, and they’ll be able to say to God at the end “all these commands I have kept”. He’ll say, “well done, you’ve earned your place” and they’ll get eternal life.

Has anyone ever thought that was the way to get into heaven? As long as I do enough good things? That what the Rich young man thought. That’s what Samantha thought. “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.” I know I have. Many people perhaps even some of you think that’s how Christianity works.

Well actually it’s not. Jesus taught the Rich Young Man very wisely that this was the wrong way to get eternal life. You see the problem comes right at the beginning. The Rich young Man asks “what must I do to inherit eternal life”. “What must I do”. That’s where he’s gone wrong. He thinks eternal life is achieved by me.By me doing things and becoming good enough.

Jesus takes him on at his own game. Instead of telling the young man straight out that he’s go the wrong idea about getting eternal life, he lets him have a go. He’s going to have to learn by himself. So He asks whether he has kept the commandments, and he gives him a list of the easy ones first. don’t steal, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery. Things are going well for the Rich young men and the Samanthas of this world. Yup, I’ve done all those, I’m on track for the pearly gates, oh yes.

Then Jesus throws in one of the commands he saved up and it all changes. You shall have no other Gods before me, say the commandments. So you won’t worship money, you won’t mind losing money to follow me. Sell up and follow me then. The man went away sad. Samantha went away sad because they had great wealth, and they didn’t love Jesus enough to give it up.

So perhaps life is a moral ladder, but it is so long, it stretches up so high, the gaps between the rungs are so huge that we could never get to the top. Jesus said that it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. That’s pretty impossible. He means we could never obtain eternal life by doing good things. Lets be honest with ourselves. Could we ever truly live a life of complete obedience to God. I couldn’t do that for 5 minutes. Now up to this point I’d agree with the people who found my story unnecessarily depressing and negative.

But It’s not a depressing story because it doesn’t stop there. In fact it is a wonderful story underpinned by a marvelous reality, a truth that in fact makes all the difference to my life, as perhaps it has done to some of you.

The disiples ask, “who then can be saved?”. Jesus answers, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God.”

It’s easy to get the wrong idea about Jesus’ attitude to the Rich young men or the Samanthas of this world. Do you remember? Mark says he looked at him and loved him. These people are excluded from eternal life for only one reason. They insist on trying to get there by themselves. That’s where riches come in. Being rich makes us feel like we own the world, like we can have anything we want, we can depend on ourselves for all we need. But the truth is, they will never get there on their own. Well what can be done then, the disciples wonder? Wonderfully though, what man cannot do, God can do. Indeed Jesus loves you and me so much, that he is prepared to do the impossible for us. That is the message of the cross. When Jesus Christ came to earth, it was as if God came down the ladder from eternity onto earth. There he lived a perfect life, a life worthy of Heaven and then he went to the cross and died to cancel the punishment for our sin. Now that Jesus has suffered in our place we can claim the reward that only he deserves. Eternity with God.

I have one question to you. How do you hope to inherit eternal life? Do you, like Samantha and the Rich Young man think you’ll get there because you’re a good person, or will you have to rely on Jesus to make the impossible happen.

May I say, perhaps my sermon has bothered you and you would like to challenge me. Do feel free to come and ask me after the service or perhaps take the time during the week to go and speak to Mrs. Ashton. But please, if Jesus’ words have moved you, don’t just try to forget them so that you can sleep easy. Read Matthew Do something about it.