He went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Mark 10:22)
A man asks Jesus how to inherit fullness of life; when Jesus tells him, the man goes away grieving. It’s one of the saddest phrases in the gospel. The man doesn’t have to walk away from Jesus and his disciples, nor does he need to grieve. Yet that is what he chooses, and Jesus is so committed to his freedom that he lets him walk away.
Some of us know this story intimately. We are possessed by our possessions, and cannot trust in generosity or God’s provision. Others of us are possessed by work, and will not block out a weekly sabbath. Still others of us are possessed by family expectations, or social pressures, or our fears, or our drive to be seen in particular ways. All manner of things can possess us, and we all have competing loyalties.
Whatever they are, Jesus sees and loves us, even as he invites us to lay down the things which possess us and choose faith and fullness of life.
1. PREPARE: Make yourself comfortable. Uncross your legs; relax your body; uncomplicate your heart. Ask God to help you surrender to whatever it is that God wants to do in you or say to you today. Breathe slowly and deeply in, then out.
2. READ: Read the following passage aloud at least three times through, slowly. Listen carefully. Notice anything which captures your attention.
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit fullness of life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (Mark 10:17-22)
3. REFLECT: Allow a word, phrase or image to speak to you. What do you notice? What emotions do you feel? What questions are bubbling up? Reflect in silence.
4. RELATE: Now wonder: What does this passage say about God, people, church, faith, economics, society? Does it uphold, challenge or disrupt your expectations? What have you had to let go of to follow Jesus? What are you still clinging to?
5. RESPOND: Is God calling you to anything now? Pray about this, and tell God about anything which is emerging. If you feel called to action, ask God to show you/us the next step.
6. REST: When you feel ‘done’, rest awhile. Savour the conversation you are having with God, and God’s loving presence. Close with a gesture of thanks: perhaps a simple bow. As you prepare to leave this space, if any word, phrase or image persists, let it guide you. Or if nothing in particular arises, remember this:
- Jesus, looking at him, loved him.
Shalom,
Alison
Emailed to Sanctuary 26 July 2023 © Alison Sampson, 2023. Photo by Kelly Bork on Unsplash (edited).
Alison and the whale 