The Look of Love

These are some thoughts regarding Sunday's gospel text that were sent to the people of St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Gospel: Mark 10:17-31

17As [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 eternal life?” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You 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.’ ” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, 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.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
 
23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
 
28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”




REFLECTION
As I read this passage, a few short words leaped off the page: “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (v. 21). Nowhere else in the gospels is this said regarding an individual who approached Jesus. Jesus is exhibiting risky behavior. The young man has called him “good teacher,” but what are his motives? Yet, Jesus loves him. 

I cannot help but think of a very old song by Dianna Krall, “The Look of Love” with these words:

The look of love
Is in your eyes
A look your smile can't
disguise
The look of love
Is saying so much more than
Just words could every say
And what my heart has heard
Well it takes my breath away

The rich young man walked away from Jesus, in spite of Jesus’ love. 

Jesus’ call to us is the same as it was to his followers in the first century: “Follow me.” Jesus loves us and calls us to follow him. That love motivates us and changes us as we follow Jesus. Part of that change is to invite others to experience new life in Christ by becoming followers. 

Pastor Ivy Gauvin

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