Read Acts 4:34 – 5:11 and Mark 10:17-22 to start.

Before I get started this morning, I would like to tell a story about something that didn’t actually happen. The other day I’m driving home from work in my new car, and I kinda sorta completely rolled through the stop sign at the corner of Pembroke Road the rte 17. Not a good idea, especially when the RCMP have been out in force lately. Yeah, there was a cop car going by and he flashed the red and blue lights and pulled me over. Not great. He left me waiting for minute or two, and it’s not like he was running my plate because I have a temporary permit on the vehicle, so I figure this is just letting me stew for a bit. He came sauntering up to my window, and he asked “I suppose you know why I pulled you over today?” I don’t want a ticket for rolling the sign, so I answered, “Because I don’t have a plate? See, I just got bought this car, I have the temporary permit on the front there, and I have insurance docs and the bill of sale right here.” He replied with “No, it’s because you didn’t stop at the stop sign right there.” “Oh, well, I did slow down, isn’t that basically the same thing? What’s the difference?” The officer scowled at me, then took out his baton and started poking me with it, right in the chest up against the collarbone a couple of times, and then he said “Do you want me to slow down, or do you want me to stop? Or is that the same thing?”

Now, before you get concerned, I’m going to remind you that this didn’t actually happen. I don’t think there are too many RCMP constables who would do something like that, and I’m not going to sass an officer that pulled me over. This story was to illustrate a point, that there is a difference between doing something fully and doing something part way, a big difference.

This is the sort of thing that should be obvious. This is something you would not think requires a detailed breakdown, but so often it really does. So often we see things that are not entirely finished, only partway done, or are simply not completed. So many things started, but which have not gone all the way. I see this at home, three quarters of the kitchen gets swept but the crumbs under the table are missed, or the dishes are put away from the dish rack, but the cookie sheet sitting behind the dish rack is left for another time. I see this at work, with projects that drag on far longer than they should, with paperwork that does not get filed in anything even close to a timely manner. And I see this in myself, with stories to write that languish as a first draft, or with home improvement and repair projects that I plan to do but don’t seem to finish, with my idea for a book comparing the lives of Saul and David remaining in the outline stage for months and months with no real progress. In anything you do, in order for it to be effective and complete you need to go all the way.

We read a few moments ago about a man who came to Jesus asking how he might inherit eternal life. This was someone who had a lot going for him – he kept the commandments, he was deeply concerned about his soul, he treated the Lord with proper respect, kneeling before Him and calling Him Master. All those things make us think that this is a person who is on the right track, who is heading the right direction. He’s asking good questions about important things. That’s all great, that’s a lot of points in his favour. But then there is the sticking point — You want eternal life? Here’s the one thing that holds you back – the priorities of this life and this world. To remedy that, get rid of earthly possessions. Go and sell your stuff, give away the money, and follow me instead.

That one thing that Christ said this young man lacked was not a small ask. Christ effectively told him to throw away his life as he knew it. We are told that he owned a lot, he was quite well off, and so he went away deeply saddened because he didn’t want to give up what he had. He wanted eternal life, but he was not willing to take the necessary steps in order to get it. He was not willing to go all the way.

If we continued to read the passage, the Lord elaborates on how challenging it can be for those who have considerable possessions to follow Him, how if you trust in riches you will find it very difficult to enter the kingdom of God. I’ll read from verse (23) And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! (24)  And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! (25)  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (26)  And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? (27)  And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

The disciples were surprised by this, we read that they were in fact astonished, because they had the idea that if you had wealth, then clearly you had been blessed by God, and therefore you must be in His favour already. That was a common mindset at the time, and it was hardly a new idea then. It’s not like it’s been forgotten about either, because people certainly do seem to have the same sort of attitude today. We look at someone who has done well materially speaking, and who has not done so by obviously underhanded means, and who is a person of faith, or at least professes to be, and we say that they have been blessed.

Here’s the thing, blessing from God is not necessarily related to our behaviour. God often blesses us far beyond what we actually deserve. That’s called grace, and by definition grace is not earned. Otherwise it would be a wage or a reward. Yes, God rewards those who serve Him, but that may not be in a way that this world would recognize or appreciate.

This world recognizes success in terms of money, power, and prestige, and when we put high value on those things, then we lose sight of what God would have us to do, how He would have us to live. Clearly this man was putting a lot of value in what the world prioritized, because when Christ challenged him to let that go, he walked away. He walked away deeply saddened, but what matters is he walked away.

He wanted to hang on to his money, his stuff, but it’s not really about the riches, regardless of the quantity. It’s not so much that great wealth and possessions are a problem, it’s the refusal to let go. The quantity does not really matters. Yes, having lots of money is a bigger enticement than having nothing, but people have been drawn in by far smaller things than great wealth. Anything that holds you back from following Christ, anything that distracts you or prevents you from going the full distance, that is a problem, that is an idol.

Christ came to this world to live among us, to show us the way of salvation, and then to suffer, die, and rise again in order to become that way of salvation. He did not do partial efforts or half measures. He was all in, fully committed. He asked us to follow Him, to walk in His footsteps. That’s what He said to the rich young man, we read that in verse 21, come, take up the cross, and follow me.

The idea of taking up a cross, or having a cross to bear, is almost a commonplace expression for us. We don’t have public executions though, and certainly not by crucifixion. Taking up a cross was tantamount to accepting your own death. A condemned criminal carrying his cross had no further control over his future. Taking up a cross meant laying down your life. After all, you can’t carry a cross and your stuff at the same time. It’s one or the other.

So often, though, we try to do exactly that. Those of us who would follow Christ, who profess His name, we have a very hard time letting go of the things of this world. We try to do things part way.

In Luke chapter 9, we see three examples of those who wanted to follow Christ, but were perhaps not so keen to go the distance. Reading the last few verses of the chapter, from verse (57)  And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. (58)  And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (59)  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. (60)  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. (61)  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. (62)  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

There are three men we meet here in quick succession, each of which seems to fall short. The first offers to follow where ever the Lord might go, but Jesus points out to him that the cost of doing so is far from small. He’s not going anywhere comfortable or warm or safe. He doesn’t even have a place to sleep that he can call his own. It appears that this man had not counted the cost, had not realized just what following Christ would mean he would have to give up, even the simple comforts of having a home and a bed. We are not told that he was willing to actually do that. So far as we know, his enthusiasm died then and there. I expect he, like the man we read about to start, went away in a state of sadness.

The second man did not come to Christ asking to follow, but rather the Lord called him to follow. This man wasn’t quite ready to do so. He said he had to bury his father first. That sounds like a completely justifiable reason to not go at that moment. But there are a few key details that reveal that this was more likely just a delaying tactic. There’s nothing to suggest his father was recently dead and awaiting burial. In fact, had his father died this man would have been mourning with his family, not out and about somewhere where he was likely to cross paths with Jesus of Nazareth. It seems probable that he was someone who had been listening to the Lord and showed some interest, rather than a random person on the street. Christ told him in verse 60 that he should go and preach the kingdom of God, so it seems very likely that this was someone who had been paying attention to the message and the ministry of the Messiah.

It seems clear that his father was not dead and about to be buried. As well, if his father were at death’s door, then why would he not be at his father’s side? It seems more likely that his father was alive and well. I say, well, but that is speculation on my part. Perhaps he was old and not in the best of health, but it’s not like they were planning his funeral for the following week. The father may have been around for another year. Or another five years. Or another 20 years, we don’t know. In any case, burying his father was not imminent. Christ was hardly going to send a grieving man out to preach the kingdom of God. This man was interested, but he had unfinished business to attend to first. Open ended unfinished business at that, because there may have been a long time to wait before he would decide he was ready to follow, ready to serve, ready to obey.

The third man, he seems the one with the most potential. He said he was willing to follow, but had a few loose ends to tie up first. He wanted to say goodbye. Seems reasonable, right? But were the people at home going to hold him back? Would they be on board with him following Jesus of Nazareth? Or would he go home to discouragement and distraction, would he be continually looking back, and not to the Lord?

I’ve never ploughed a field, but I’ve cut grass hundreds of times, and if you look back when you’re halfway down the row, well, you can tell afterwards. You have to keep looking ahead, or the line will be about as messy as my handwriting. You can’t be looking off to the right or left, and you certainly can’t be looking over your shoulder. If you follow Christ, but in a distracted and inconsistent manner, then the results will likewise be just as evident.

These three uncommitted followers show us three common examples of those who would follow Christ, but are not willing to go all in. The rash decider who did not count the costs, the delayed responder, and the easily distracted. We look at these three and we shake our heads in disappointment, but how many of those same behaviours, how many of these tendencies, do we see in ourselves? Do we make snap decisions that we are unable or unwilling to carry out in the long term? Do we stall and hesitate and delay because we aren’t ready yet? And do we get distracted and nudged off course in a world that is filled with distractions, with bright and shiny things to draw the eye and lead us away from the Saviour?

And it’s not even that these are bad or specifically sinful things, but they keep us from going the distance, from committing fully to follow Christ. Of course, there are plenty of evil things that likewise ensnare and entrap us, I shouldn’t have to warn you about that. There’s even things that seem to be good, but are mired by evil or selfish intent that can lead us astray.

There’s an even greater danger that we must be careful of, the danger of pretending to be truly following, of proclaiming that’s what we’re doing, but not actually doing so.

If you can’t be a shining example, you can serve as a horrible warning. Earlier we heard a reading from the book of Acts about a couple named Ananias and Sapphira, two believers who wanted to participate in the generosity that was happening in Jerusalem in the early days of the church. We see at the tail end of chapter 4 how many of those believers who had property and possessions sold them and brought the proceeds in order to help those who were in need. This couple sold land, brought some of the money, which all sounds okay,  but here’s the problem, they said it was all of it, but they lied.

Could they have kept the land and not sold it in the first place? Sure. They had not been forced to sell it. Could they have sold the land and kept the money? Again, sure. The apostles were not telling everyone to sell their land and bring the money, people were lead by the Holy Spirit to do so. And could they have sold the land, given half the money, and said it was half the money? Once again, that was an option to them. But they knew that the best option, the most virtuous choice, the one that gave the best impression, was to give it all away, and so that’s what they claimed to be doing. They wanted to make everyone think they were going all the way, even when they were holding back. But it was a selfish lie, and God judged them harshly and immediately for this.

You can lie to people, you can lie to yourself, and you might even get away with it, at least for a little while, but you can never lie to the creator of the universe. He knows the end from the beginning, and everything in between. He knew their lie from the moment they considered it.

People lie all the time, though. Why did these two face such a heavy penalty? Because pretending to be fully onboard with the Lord, giving that impression to the people around you puts on a false front that when it is revealed does great damage to the testimony of the gospel of Christ. If a person professes and proclaims for years that they are serving God, following Him, and then it is discovered that they were really serving themselves, serving their own selfish, corrupt, wicked desires, then how many people will look at them and say “He claimed to follow Christ, but look at what he did! If that’s how Christians behave, then I want nothing to do with them.”

Sadly, I could give you far too many prominent examples. There is one very recent case of a high profile and highly successful Christian musician that earlier this month confessed to committing a litany of heinous actions going back more than two decades. This is someone whose music I listened to and was encouraged by when I was younger, and no doubt many thousands of others did as well. How many people will have their faith shaken because of this one believer who pretended he was sincerely following Christ, but was really serving his own desires?

It is a serious thing to lie to God. It is futile, because how do you deceive the omniscient One? And it is foolish, because Satan is a liar and the father of lies, so when we follow that example, we are aligning ourselves with the enemy of God who would eagerly destroy our own soul.

It is a testimony of God’s great mercy that He does not quickly destroy us when we practice deceit as Ananias and Sapphira did. Letting on that you are fully committed while you are not even close to that is a dangerous choice.

There are many who make no false show of it at all, though. They are content to serve God somewhat, to follow Christ halfway, to stand as it were with one foot in and one foot out, trying to enjoy the things of this world while also keeping an eye on heavenly things. I think a lot of us do that, because we want eternity, but we do live here and now. It’s hard to fully commit, to reject half measures and to completely align yourself with Christ. It’s not easy and it’s not natural to want to drop your own baggage and pick up the cross instead. It’s not easy to go all the way.

It’s always a choice. Do you follow God, or follow the ways of this world, or follow your own desires? You can’t do a little of this and a little of that, not effectively. God is looking for those who are willing to follow Him, to trust Him, to not lean on their own strength.

In Mark chapter 12, we read about someone who was willing to go all the way. We don’t know her name, but we see her at verse (41) And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. (42)  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. (43)  And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: (44)  For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

In terms of actual dollar value, these coins, the Greek word is lepton, the smallest coin they had, they were not worth much at all. In modern terms this would be maybe the equivalent of two loonies. Pocket change at best. Maybe you could buy a single loaf of bread with it. This was not going to fund any capital projects. It was not going to move the needle even the slightest for the temple treasury, especially not when you have wealthy people dropping in considerable sums, like putting in multiple hundred dollar bills. Those who counted the money would dismiss the widow’s two coins as insignificant, as unimportant, as not worth any attention. But Christ noticed, and He saw just how significant they were. The widow had put in everything she had. She went all in.

Does anyone here ever play poker? That’s where the term “all in” comes from. To go all in means that you push all your chips into the pot, you wager everything you have, either because you are confident in the outcome or because you have nothing left to lose.

This widow of whom we just read, she had nothing to lose by putting all her available cash in the temple offering. She was trusting God to provide for her next meal. She didn’t have savings or lands or a social assistance cheque coming at the end of the month. She did not hold back, because she needed divine provision in order to survive.

The disciples, they went all in with Christ. They had something to lose, for while they were not wealthy, they had jobs, they had lives, they had families. They put all that aside and followed Christ, even when many others would not, as we saw from the examples earlier. I suggest that the disciples followed because they were confident in the outcome. They may have been far perfect, and certainly far from understanding everything that Christ taught leading up to the cross, but they trusted that He was the way to the Father.

When we go all in with Christ, we can do both. We should do both. We can be confident in the outcome, that Christ has promised those who follow Him that He has gone to prepare a place for them, that where He is, there we may be also.

And we can also recognize that we have nothing to lose by laying down our lives and taking up the cross. Nothing of true value, that is. Our lives are so very short when compared with eternity, our best efforts so ineffective, and whatever wealth we can accumulate so insignificant when weighed against the riches of God. Remember, God is not a God of incomplete works. He does not do half measures. Christ was not partially crucified, He did not decide to quit when things became too difficult. He wants us to fully commit to Him. We can be confident that He will be there for us if we will go all the way.