Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sets off with three friends, to find the wizard in Emerald City who they think can give them what they need. When they meet him, he assesses each of their problems and describes people who have what they need and then poses the same question to each of them, “What have they got that you haven’t got?” To the lion that needs courage, he gives a medal. To the Tin Man who wants a heart he gives a ticking clock and to the Scarecrow who wants a brain he gives a diploma. The implication is that they already have what they need; all they lack is a physical manifestation of it. Amazingly, it works.

Let me bounce off of that story and ask, what would be your answer if the wizard asked “What have Christians got that others haven’t got?”

As we talk about becoming a Missional Church, we need to step back and ask what it means to be a missional person. And that has something to do with thinking about and understanding what followers of Jesus have got that others haven’t got. In this day and age, even that question can be uncomfortable. We don’t feel comfortable saying that we have something special that our neighbors don’t have. Is there a way to respect the values and beliefs of others and yet have confidence that in fact, in Jesus Christ, God has given humanity a unique and unparalleled gift of salvation that our neighbors would benefit from having? That in Christ there is something that everyone is looking for? That something is demonstrated in scripture in one of the most misunderstood stories in the Bible. We call it the story of the rich young ruler. What I can tell you is, it’s not about money. Let’s read it.

Read Matthew 19:16-22.

If Jesus was out witnessing on a street corner (which basically, he was) his interaction with this fellow would be considered a failure. The man’s moment came to make a commitment, today it’s the moment when a person is invited to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, what did the man do? He did what people are doing by the millions today. He walked away and said, “No thanks.” But, even in his rejection, we see him wanting a more satisfying something. It is a something that the least religious and most religious people need.

I just got back from a tour of Israel. One thing they have lots of in Israel is religious people. There are Orthodox Jews. Orthodox simply means conforming to the approved form of any doctrine, philosophy or ideology. There are Orthodox Baptists and Presbyterians and Catholics. There are Orthodox Republicans and Democrats, vegans and environmentalists who conform to the approved form of their doctrine, philosophy or ideology.

Orthodox Jews are men and women who know their Torah, their Old Testament. They are careful to keep the commandments and they are very concerned about being right with God. The men sport full beards, short hair and two long curls. They wear long black coats and black hats and they bow frequently as they pray at the Wailing Wall. I think our rich young ruler is one of these Orthodox Jews.

Having just been standing at the Wailing Wall, I can now imagine Jesus sitting near the temple, with lots of people around, lots of orthodox people. Then, during a break, a man with a hat and coat and curls gets a private moment with this teacher and asks, “what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” It’s an odd question for him to ask. He knows the answer as well as anyone. Jesus responds with the obvious answer, the one any rabbi would have given, “Keep the commandments.” Anyone listening would have nodded sagely, thinking, “Well said.” But, now it is going to get interesting. And, here’s why I say he is orthodox. He is intent on conforming to the approved form of doctrine. So, he asks, “Which ones? Which ones?” This isn’t multiple choice. You have to keep them all. But, he is orthodox. He wants specifics. Jesus recites the basics that any orthodox person would know. And as he rattles off the obvious answers, the man is mentally checking them off his internal list. Don’t murder; check. Don’t commit adultery, check. 19Honor your father and mother; yep, birthdays cards and phone calls on Mother’s Day. Check. And love your neighbor as yourself, sure, I don’t call the cops on his loud parties or barking dog. Check.

In any case, the orthodox man unequivocally states, “I have kept all these.” That should be enough. If he had been looking for assurance of his religious acceptability, Jesus just gave it to him. He’s good to go. He could have gone about his business, confident in his right standing with God and the security of knowing that, whatever eternal life meant to him, he had it.

Let’s bring this story up to date. Let’s make this man an American Christian rather than an Israeli Jew. Now the conversation goes something like this; “What must I do to have eternal life?” “Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.” “I have done that.” “Then you’re good to go.”

The problem is, for that young man talking to Jesus, for young men and women in our world today and quite frankly, what could be for us just as easily, those answers are not enough anymore. That man’s next words are a dead giveaway that his religious orthodoxy and obeying of the commandments are not enough anymore. They cannot hide the sneaking feeling inside him, the empty spot, the longing in him for more than the life he has, even though what he has may be good. In the eyes of others, he might have it all, good family, good job, good faith but none of it is enough. All of that is conveyed in his next sentence, his next five words. It’s these next five words that resonate in the hearts of devout Christians as well as the hearts of our neighbors.

After being assured of his salvation, his rightness with God, he asks Jesus, “What do I still lack?” “What do I still lack?” Why would an Orthodox Jew or Christian, republican or environmentalist ask that question once they have been assured of their right standing? Because, that right standing isn’t enough. These lives we live, striving for perfection or achievement, success, even eternal life, are not enough.

And it is in the “not enough-ness” that we find a common ground with every person around us. Not enough. One evening I sat in an airport Marriot Concierge Lounge with executives from all over the world. Who knows why they were all spending the night there but we had been in the lounge for a couple hours, food and alcohol flowing. I was the wannabe, snuck in under the wing of a friend with a million mileage points and a Marriot membership card. I don’t need to describe these people. Just picture a room full of elite corporate leaders. You know the kind. They were visions of success as they walked into the room, ultimately turning to versions of discouragement or even despair as the night and the alcohol wore on. Ultimately, as they let their guard down, each described personal illustrations of “not enough-ness.” One Irishman, a president of a multinational company, actually wept as he sang Irish folksongs quietly in a corner. OK, way too much Guinness for him.

The point is; there is a “not enough-ness” in all of us, regardless of our orthodoxy, regardless of our doctrine, philosophy or ideology. That is what the rich young ruler was up against. This orthodox man had kept all the rules, followed all the commands. And yet, what he had was not enough and he hoped there was something more, something else that he could do that would give him that something else that was missing. He wanted one more thing on his to-do list.

The same thing happens today. People are chasing after that one more thing that will make them happy, that will give them fulfillment, that will ultimately satisfy that “not enough-ness” in their souls. If you still aren’t sure what I’m talking about, go ask Tiger Woods. From entertainment to banking to politics, we find examples of men and women incredibly successful in their chosen fields, their doctrines, philosophy and ideology, who, by their actions say that it is not enough.

It is at this point that we find the rich young ruler. It wasn’t good news to hear from Jesus that he had done everything right. He was hoping there was still something wrong. He must lack something or why else would he feel that what he had was not enough. And, finally, Jesus can talk to him about his real need. The reality is he has known for a long time that his faith was not enough but he had been hiding in his wealth. He and we and our neighbors, look to many things to make up for our “not enough-ness.” The Bible does not pull punches. This story tells us just how hard it is to face and give up those things in our lives that we have used to fill our emptiness, to make up for our “not enough-ness.”

In that man’s life it was his wealth. So, Jesus says to him “Go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” It is not the money Jesus is trying to address. It is the “not enough-ness.” His money was his substitute, his hold out and attempt to find fulfillment. He trusted, loved, found his identity in his money and possessions more than he did in God. He needed to let go of his wealth. But, Jesus never tells another person to do that. It’s different for everyone. He told Nicodemus he must be born again. He told the woman at the well to accept his living water and the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. They had each tried something to avoid their emptiness. Jesus offered each a new level of fullness. Each of them and each of us must let go of the things we use to hide our “not enough-ness.” It can be just as hard for us as for the rich young ruler.

I want to show you a clip from a film that makes this point clear. In Castaway, Tom Hanks has been marooned on an island for four years. Its got everything he needs to live but it isn’t enough. And he finally figures out a way to get off the island. He isn’t sure he will find civilization or be found by a passing ship but he is no longer satisfied to live the life of not enough. And that makes him like the rich young ruler, like many of us and like the people we know.

The object Tom has used to hide his emptiness is a volleyball he has named Wilson. Wilson is as important to Tom as the rich man’s wealth was to him. It is the personification of that thing we all use to compensate for our not enough-ness. For some, it may be wealth or sin or success or commitment to important causes. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is just something that is not possible to hold onto in the life God has for us. Wilson is not a part of the life Tom Hanks is moving towards as he leaves the island. But, giving Wilson up is still excruciatingly difficult.

Watch this clip and in the last little bit, see what Tom Hanks does.

We all have a Wilson. For the rich young ruler, it was his wealth. Once he lost Wilson, Tom Hanks set his oars adrift. He let go of control. He relinquished his own efforts to direct his path, to strive for what he thought would satisfy his longings. In the movie, Tom Hanks finally let go. He surrendered. In the Bible, the man could not. In our lives, Jesus calls us to trust in him alone. To relinquish our control. To stop using faith and church and doctrine, philosophy and ideology as tools to fill our “not enough-ness.” And instead, in the words of first Peter 5:7, casting all our anxiety on Jesus because he cares for us. It’s not easy. When Jesus pushed his disciples in this direction he asked them in John 6, “Will you leave me too?” Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go, you have the words of eternal life.” The rich young ruler asked “What must I do to have eternal life?” Because what he was doing, as good as it was, was not enough. The people in the world around us are asking the same question in a thousand different ways.

Missional people have asked or are asking the same question ourselves. We don’t have all the answers but we have the steps we need to take. Let go of what we have been using to fill our “not enough-ness” and trust our lives, our faith and our future to Jesus Christ. Have you done that? What is your Wilson? And will you let it go to gain a life of fullness or will you walk away? But recognize the difference in the rich young ruler. Before he walked up to Jesus, he could hope there was something more that he could do to satisfy his emptiness. But Jesus made him look in the mirror, look the reality of his “not enoughness” in the face and walk away empty and without the ability to deny his emptiness anymore. Your neighbor doesn’t need the lights and rules and cultural trappings of our religion. He needs someone to walk with him and acknowledge that church is not enough, but Jesus is. Let her see you live your life without having to rely on a Wilson to fill your “not enough-ness.” Let your neighbor see what followers of Jesus have that others haven’t got. They have enough.