A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 20 B

October 11, 2015

St. Mark 10:17-31

The Rich Man

¹⁷ As he 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?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹ 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.’” ²⁰ He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” ²¹ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money^[a] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²² When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is^[b] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It 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.”²⁶ They were greatly astounded and said to one another,^[c] “Then who can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

²⁸ Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”²⁹ Jesus 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,^[d] 30 who 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. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Footnotes:

1. Mark 10:21 Gk lacks the money
2. Mark 10:24 Other ancient authorities add for those who trust in riches
3. Mark 10:26 Other ancient authorities read to him
4. Mark 10:29 Or gospel

A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 20 B

October 11, 2015

Remember

I forgot

fresh water in my cup

but others did not

and thirsty, woke up.

I forgot

I had three meals today

and others did not

but walked hungry away.

I forgot

my car took me out

and others did not

but walked barefoot about.

I forgot

my warm home, my bed

while others have not

a place to lay their head.

I forgot

just how much I am blessed

while others have not

and praise God for much less.

A Poem at Sunday – Kenn Storck – written October 3, 2015