Saint Mark 9:38-50

In today’s Gospel Reading, Jesus says to His Disciples …"For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the Name of Christ will by no means lose the reward" (Mark 9:41).

Thus, we are being told that those who bear the Name of Christ – the Loyal followers of Christ – are those who see the Christ in others. This we learn in the Parable of the Last Judgment in which the King – Christ – says to those who gave food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of theses who are members of my family, you did it to Me" (Matthew 25:40).

In the Nineteenth Chapter of His Gospel, Luke tells us of Jesus’ encounter with the Chief Tax Collector in Jericho, a man named Zacchaeus – a wealthy man, but short of stature. When Jesus came to Jericho, Zacchaeus wanted to get a good look at Him. "Why are all these people following Him? What was the secret of His success?"

Too short to see over the crowd, Zacchaeus climbed up a tree, Jesus spotted him and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down…I must stay at your house today" (Luke 19:5).

Later, Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house and engaged his host in earnest conversation. And before they had finished talking, Zacchaeus said, "Lord, Look, half of my possessions, I will give to the poor." Hearing this, Jesus answered, "Today salvation has come to this house" (Luke 19:8,9).

Zacchaeus had discovered the secret of Jesus’ formula for genuine success.

In a certain Seminary, one of the Homiletics Professors gave his students a book list to read in preparation for the final test of his Preaching course …

The test itself was to preach a sermon to the class based on a single word taken from one of the books on the list. The student was to go to the Pulpit in the Chapel, open a piece of paper on which one word was written, and begin to preach a Sermon on it.

One young student foolishly decided that he didn’t need to waste his time with the book list. He told himself that he would merely depend on the Holy Spirit to inspire him.

When his time came to preach, he went into the pulpit opened the paper, and there was the one word: Zacchaeus.

The student waited for inspiration but the Holy Spirit didn’t come. In his desperation, he then preached the shortest three-point Sermon in history.

He said, "Point one, Zacchaeus was a little man and so am I. Point two, Zacchaeus was up a tree, and so am I. Point three, Zacchaeus heard a compelling Voice urging him to come down, and so do I." And down he came.

Are we unwilling to do our Spiritual homework? Are we unwilling to earnestly read what the New Testament writers are telling us about the real secret of successful living?

A Pastor was talking to one of the wealthiest persons in his parish …

The subject of successful living came up. "I’m a success," the wealthy man boasted, "Because I’m a self-made man." To which the Pastor replied, "Congratulations! You’ve relieved the Lord of a great responsibility."

The Good News of the Gospel is that the Lord is totally accessible to you when it comes to the question of successful living. He offers you guidance. He offers to light your way – and He doesn’t want any relief from this responsibility. At this very moment the Light of the Christ Spirit is shining at the center of your being. So, drop your defenses, cast off all traces of self-centeredness, egoism and pride. Let the Light shine through!

Let the new life and the healing Word of God penetrate every part of your being!

This is the gift of Life that God gives to each one of us, in Christ.

This is the gift of Love that God gives to each one of us in Christ. It is given to us not to "hide under a bushel," as Jesus put it. The whole world needs the love that is in us, beginning with our own families and then extending ever outward.

Are you working hard, Are you doing well, Are you making progress with your lifetime assignment to become the kind of sensitive, loving, sharing person God wants you to be?

Are you really trying to put God at the very center of all your relationships in all you say and do? Or, are you wasting your time trying to "beat the system," so to speak, by figuring out how to minimize the importance of living a truly God-centered life?

Are you trying to give your all to the Cause of Christ, or are you trying to get away with giving as little as possible?

In his book, "Teach Only Love," Doctor Gerald Jampolsky quotes as follows from a letter he received from a valued friend:

"I was one of a congregation that overflowed the Church. The music was beautiful, the feeling vibrant, and I was extremely happy to be there. The contribution basket was passed around and I thought, ‘How much shall I put in? I have received so much, so now, how much should I give?’

"As I usually do when I’m certain of the answer, I referred the matter too the Holy Spirit. ‘Holy Friend, how much should I give?’ And the quiet answer came. ‘Give everything!’

"I had just cashed a fairly large check and the money was in my wallet. I had been thinking in terms of ten dollars or so, but the quiet Voice said ‘everything.’ I opened my wallet and looked – twenties, tens, fives, perhaps five hundred dollars, my walking around money for the next two or three weeks. ‘Everything?’ I asked. After all, how could I be sure this was the Voice of the Holy Spirit? But the voice persisted: ‘everything!’ And I knew I had to go with it. I had always trusted t he Voice completely so I reached into my wallet, took out the whole wad, and dropped it into the basket. ‘After all,’ I thought, ‘There are still a few coins in the purse if I should need something for the parking meter.’ Then again came the voice: ‘I said everything!’ And as I emptied the coins into the basket, the most incredible feeling of inner-peace and love flooded my heart, as the basket passed on.

"Now I understand that the wad of twenties and tens would have been meaningless without the last few coins and that the lesson had nothing at all to do with money. The lesson was commitment – total commitment. I could travel miles toward my goal, but if I stopped an inch short of it, all the miles would be useless. That was the gift – the lesson given to me on that day."

"Strive to enter by the narrow door," Jesus said. He was talking about commitment. He was talking about our need to travel all the way to the goal of Eternal Life with God.

Jesus wants to hear you say from the bottom of your heart …

"Lord, I know that to give all is to receive all."

"Whoever is not for us is against us (Mark 9:40). We have come together to declare, "Lord we are for you." And that’s our total commitment.

Thanks be to God!!!!!

Amen!!!