THE RICH YOUNG MAN – Mark 10:17-22
Now here is someone who must have been considered a fine young man. He was well respected. He went to the Synagogue services every week, and probably attended the Adult Bible Study, too. He had been living a good life. He was searching sincerely to do God’s will. He knew the commandments, and tried to live by them. Jesus saw the goodness in him. He was doing all right, as long as commitment to God did not cause him any financial hardship.
The Bible says that Jesus looked at him and loved him. He must have been able to see inside that young man, into his soul. It probably made that young man feel a little uncomfortable. Jesus invited him to remove the one obstacle to his continued growth and relationship with God – his excessive attachment to material things.
But when Jesus asked him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor, the young man couldn’t do it. It was the one obstacle standing between him and God, but he wasn’t willing to give it up.
The story of that rich young man causes us to look at ourselves and ask how important our possessions and our money are to us. What obstacles do WE have that keep us from giving ourselves totally to God? Imagine that Jesus is looking at you intently, looking into your soul. He knows our thoughts and our desires. Ask yourself, “Why is it so hard to have the courage to trust God to provide for all our needs?”
MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS – Luke 1:26-38; John 19:26-27
But how did Jesus regard the mother who bore him? On the one hand, he cared for her to the very end. On the Cross he looks down and seeing her standing there, “he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:26-27)
On the other hand, at the wedding in Cana in Galilee, when Mary tells him they have run out of wine—obviously expecting him to do something, he replies “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
Or another occasion when he was teaching in a house full of people, they tell him, “‘Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.’ And he answered them, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!’” (Mark 3:32–34). In other words, followers, not family, have a saving relationship with Jesus.
So we see the love of a caring and obedient Son, who loved his mother even to the end and thought of her care even while dying on the Cross. But we also see the priority of Jesus’ radical obedience to his Father in Heaven. And Mary knows and accepts this with the humility of the same young woman who said to the Angel a lifetime ago, “Be it unto me according to your word.” Let it be done to me as you have said.
JUDAS ISCARIOT – John 12:4-6
When Jesus first called Judas to be one of his disciples, Judas was full of enthusiasm. Judas was probably a Zealot. The Zealots were Jews who advocated an armed revolt against the Romans in order to re-establish Israel as an independent nation with its own king.
Judas had high hopes for Jesus. He probably hoped that Jesus would be the one to lead a revolution. He never intended to separate himself from Jesus. But Jesus didn’t “measure up” to Judas’ expectations – Jesus didn’t lead his people in an armed revolt against Rome.
Judas felt frustrated by Jesus, because Jesus wasn’t doing what Judas wanted him to do. His frustration gradually turned him against Jesus, and his devotion to Jesus was replaced by greed, dishonesty and pride. As a result, Judas was unable to see the truth about who Jesus really was.
Jesus tried to help Judas understand who he was and what he came to do. Jesus washed Judas’ feet on Maundy Thursday along with the rest of the disciples. He was willing to forgive him and cleanse him. But Judas was like a man possessed.
Try to picture the scene that night. At that last supper, Jesus offers Judas a piece of bread, trying one more time to get Judas to look at him. Can’t you see Judas as Jesus hands him the bread -- how he must have been afraid to look Jesus in the eye, and lowered his eyes out of guilt?
Jesus saw Judas a short time later in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas approached him and greeted him, saying, “Hail, Master!” Then he kissed Jesus. It wasn’t until that moment that Judas finally looked into Jesus’ eyes. Jesus’ eyes were not filled with anger, but with pity. He loved Judas.
Judas quickly turned away, but he had seen enough; and the horror of his actions soon led him to despair. Judas’ tried to return the 30 pieces of silver he ad been paid to betray Jesus; and then, in his despair, he hanged himself.
Have we ever acted like Judas? Have we been so blinded by our feelings of guilt or resentment that we let those feelings blind us to the truth about Jesus’ love and mercy? Have we put our desires ahead of God’s desires? Our priorities ahead of God’s priorities? If we’re honest with ourselves, we realize that there is a little bit of Judas in each of us.
Nobody abandons God in a moment. We gradually fall away. We allow evils of various kinds to build barriers between God and us. Judas’ barriers were dishonesty, greed, and pride. Ours may be different. But unless we confront these evils in our lives, they will eventually separate us from the joy God intends for us.
MARY MAGDALENE – John 20:1-2
Except for the mother of Jesus, few women are more honored in the Bible than Mary Magdalene. Although she is often identified with the unnamed sinful woman who anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7:36-50, most scholars today point out that there is no scriptural basis for confusing the two women. Mary Magdalene, that is, one who comes from the town of Magdala, was the one from whom Christ cast out “seven demons” (Luke 8:2)—an indication, at the worst, of extreme demonic possession or, possibly, severe illness.
Mary Magdalene was one of the many “who were assisting them” [Jesus and the Twelve]. She was one of those who stood by the cross of Jesus with Mary his mother. And, of all the “official” witnesses that might have been chosen for the first awareness of the Resurrection, she was the one to whom that privilege was given. She is known as the “Apostle to the Apostles.”
Mary Magdalene is a model for us of someone who, in coming to Christ has found healing, deliverance, freedom, and true, pure, holy love. And out of that love becomes a model of devotion and contemplation of the greatness of Jesus. What is it that we need to be delivered from? Where do we need healing? How can we open ourselves, like Mary, to encounter Jesus and be transformed by his redeeming love?
SIMON PETER – Mark 14:27-31
Peter was a very genuine human being. He was really dedicated to Jesus. He felt like Jesus’ protector. But he had one serious flaw: he was very independent and self-confident.
Peter trusted in his own efforts to live a godly life. So he made rash statements like,
“Even if everyone else abandons you, Jesus, I will not.” “I would even lay down my life for you.”
But when his boasting and self-reliance were put to the test in the, courtyard of the High Priest’s house, Peter crumbled. He denied Jesus three times, just as Jesus had said he would, and then the rooster crowed. When Peter realized what he had done, he began to weep bitter tears.
He had completely denied ever knowing Jesus. He was ashamed of himself, afraid to face the other disciples. If it hadn’t been for the fact that they had all run away, too, he might have never lived it down!
Peter would later experience Jesus’ forgiveness. It was after the resurrection, when Jesus appeared to the disciples while they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. They brought their boats to shore and ate breakfast with Jesus. Then, the Gospel of John tells us:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.Peter had denied Jesus three times; and so now Jesus asks him three times, “Do you love me?” and tells Peter to take care of his sheep. Jesus was telling Peter that he would now be the leader of this motley bunch of disciples, because Jesus knew that, despite his failings, Peter loved him with his whole being. There were other disciples who might have had some other good leadership qualities, but Peter had learned not to rely on himself, but on Jesus. And that’s what made the difference.
How do we deal with the problem of self-confidence in our lives? Does our direction come from Christ? Are our thoughts, our feelings, our wills submitted to his? Have we come to realize that our weakness is made perfect in his strength? And do we trust him to deal with us in any way that he deems necessary?
JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN AT THE WELL – John 4:1-30
Jews didn’t normally travel on a Samaritan road, but Jesus chose to walk this way anyway. He comes upon the well, where he meets the Samaritan woman and asks her for a drink of water. The woman, who understands her low social status in the eyes of a Jew, is astonished that this pious Jew requests water from her.
Jesus uses the water as a metaphor to teach this woman. He speaks about the living water, which gives eternal life, divine grace, or God’s life within the soul. The woman craves this type of water, because she wants to have eternal life. But first Jesus has a lengthy but candid dialogue with her. He makes her understand that she needs to confess her sins and receive this life-giving water. Jesus reveals his supernatural character by telling her that he already knows she is living with a man who is not her husband.
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” —John 4:16–18
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” —John 4:25–26
The Samaritan woman now realizes what it means to take freely of the water of life, which is the spiritual refreshment that comes into her soul after her encounter with Jesus. Not only was she impressed that Jesus knew all her sins, but she was also given the opportunity to have those sins forgiven. She believes he is truly the Messiah, the Anointed One. She repents of her past misdeeds and goes back to tell her family, friends, and neighbors how she met Jesus and how he revealed his knowledge of her sins and his offer of live-giving water, which brings eternal life. She went on to lead many conversions in this area through her zeal and love for God (John 4:39–42).
The Samaritan woman doesn’t appear again in scripture, but for centuries afterward, numerous spiritual writers, theologians, and scholars retold and pondered her encounter with Jesus. Augustine (AD 354–430), for instance, uses the example of the woman at the well to describe the spiritual thirst the human heart has for goodness and truth and that thirst is never quenched until we are in the presence of God forever.
This particularly poignant and emotional story reveals a Christ whose forgiving love is greater than any wrong we can do, or any social disgrace we can suffer.
CONCLUSION
We have looked at six people who experienced the power of encountering Jesus. Now Jesus is looking our way -- what does he see in us?
What does he see in our hearts? In our minds? How do we react to his glance? Do we let our own sin and stubbornness blind us to Jesus’ love? Do we walk away with a sad heart, unwilling to give up what Jesus asks us to give up? Or are we willing to admit our faults, and allow Jesus to reshape our lives?
Dare to look Christ in the eyes. Open your heart and encounter him in a new way. And dare to let Christ turn your life into a masterpiece.
And now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
