I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart. Psalm 40: 8

Inherit

            "Could you at least give me partial credit?" a student recently asked me about a writing assignment he hadn't written or turned in. "After all," he argued, "I did talk to you about it."

To my credit, I didn't laugh out loud, though, as an instructor of writing that question had to have been one the most brazen attempts at points grubbing I've ever heard, and believe me, I've heard a lot of them from students who feel entitled to higher grades.

            "You want me to give you points for. . . talking to me?" I asked, just to be sure I'd heard correctly. I had. He was serious.

"Good teacher," a young man once ran up to Jesus and asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17).

Inherit. Isn't that an interesting choice of words? The young man doesn't ask what he must do to enter the kingdom of heaven. Or to understand it. Or gain it. He asks how he can inherit it.

Is it possible that this rich young ruler (for he was very rich as we learn in the next few verses), had inherited his wealth? If so, his wealth most likely came to him from a family member, and through no effort of his own. That wealth probably hadn't required much of him yet. He was, after all, still young.

There is also the idea in Judaism that simply by being a "son of Abraham," that is, a Jew, a member of God's chosen people, as this young man was, one is entitled to eternal life as a sort of birthright. Jesus debunked that idea on several occasions, but I'm thinking this young man was expecting to hear Jesus affirm that belief. That was not what happened.          

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

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."

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth (Mark 10: 18 - 22).

Isn't it great that Jesus looked at him and loved him? I love that part. Jesus is so good. I confess that love was not the emotion I was feeling when that student of mine asked, in essence, "What must I do to inherit eternal points?"

It was because Jesus loved that young man, that He revealed to him what was standing in his way—his wealth. Does this mean we, too, must sell everything we own and give the money to the poor? "Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!" (Psalm 41: 1a). We should give to the poor, but I don't think giving away all our wealth is the point of Jesus' message to the rich young ruler. I think the point there is that whatever is more important to us than doing the will of the Father is what we must give up.

While "the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23), and can't be earned, neither can it be inherited from Christian parents or grandparents. We can inherit our grandmother's china, or in my case, her button collection, canning jars, and well-worn enamelware, but I can't inherit her eternal life. God has no grandchildren, only children. Each person, in each generation must chose to accept the gift of eternal life for his or her own.

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" isn't a bad question. It's what we do after we know the answer that matters.

Daye Phillippo

March 2019