There are people who think things are more important than people and that was  true of Leonora in The Sweet Dove Died. But Leonora went further. She saw people as possessions too. When a young man, James, came into her life, she saw him as a beautiful, perfect thing and, of course, she wanted to possess him.  The novel is an exploration of their relationship which ends in tears because James, being human, is less than perfect and because you can’t ever really possess people totally and also because nothing ever fully satisfies for long. 

The title of the novel,  The sweet Dove Died is taken from a poem by John Keats:

I had a dove, and the sweet dove died;
And I have thought it died of grieving;
O, what could it grieve for? It’s feet were tied
With a single thread of my own hands weaving.

Leonora’s passion for James was a self-centred one and she tried hard to tie him to her with a thread of her own weaving – but in the end he broke free. What had held them together died because it wasn’t genuine and it was she who was left grieving.

Someone else who was left grieving was the young man in today’s Gospel story.  We are told that  he had many possessions and yet these did not satisfy him.  He asked Jesus what he might do to inherit eternal life.  Some commentators have suggested  that he asked about eternal life as if it were another thing to be owned – the jewel in the crown of his many possessions but the story suggests that he was a genuine seeker. He had all the good things in life but they failed to satisfy. Maybe, like Leonora, he was hoping for the ‘perfect’ possession but ironically when it was offered to him by Jesus he rejects it – the cost is too high. In order to have eternal life he must give up everything else.  This was too shocking and he simply melts away again into the crowd.

We do not know, of course, whether, with hindsight he saw the truth of what Jesus told him. As so often in the Gospel we are left with that tantalizing question – Will he/ won’t he?  I’d like to think that he later came to his senses. I say this because I am convinced that his question to Jesus was a genuine one. He really did want to grow closer to God. He kept the commandments. He was a good man. But he couldn’t take that extra step which turns goodness into holiness.  Bishop Michael Marshall offered this epitaph for him:

Possessed by his possessions,
He longed to belong,
But he ended up belonging to his belongings. 

And that’s very sad. Even more sad, I know a number of people in my life for whom that is a fitting epitaph too.

For that Epitaph not to be true, the rich young man needed to let go of all that he thought was important – his possessions – and becoming poor discovering a new and different kind of richness.

Like someone I once interviewed for ordination:  he was a Director of a fairly successful company and his life was full of the symbols of that success. He had several cars, a very big house, a home in the country and a boat in the harbour. His circle of friends were similarly people of influence and wealth. Everything about him spoke of success.  But something was missing and he came to talk to me about his vocation – of what God was telling him about his life and its lack of real direction, purpose and meaning.  Eventually he was ordained and he turned his back on all the material wealth which had hitherto described him. And held him back.  He was sent as a curate to a rather humble parish from where he wrote a little later to tell me that he had never been happier.

Not so the young ruler. He couldn’t let go. Because of what Jesus said to his disciples immediately following this Gospel incident – about the rich being unable to enter the Kingdom of God and about how much easier it would be for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (one of our Lord’s splendidly graphic illustrations!) it has been used to illustrate the importance of sacrificial giving, especially of money. As such it is a gift of a passage for any speaking about Christian Stewardship.

The danger of limiting it to this is that it would then seem to suggest that the more you put into the Church collection, the greater will be the reward. You want to be sure of getting to heaven? Then cough up, put the money on the collecting plate and the more silent the better.  But that’s no good. You don’t give to get but because you have been given so much by God. It’s a Thank Offering, not a ransom. Anyway, says Jesus, it’s impossible to buy your way into heaven.

As a certain man discovered when, after death, he reached the pearly Gates and St. Peter barred his way.

“This is how it works” said Peter, “You need 100 points to get in. So you tell me all the good things you’ve done and I’ll award you points for each item.”

“OK,” says the man, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her even in my heart.”

“That’s wonderful” said St. Peter. “Worth 3 points”

“I attended Church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and my service.”

“Terrific,” said Peter, “That’s certainly worth a point.”

“One Point! Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen and worked in a shelter for the homeless.”

“Fantastic. That’s another 2 points.”

“TWO POINTS!” the man cried, “At this rate the only way I’ll get into heaven is by the Grace of God.”

“Welcome! Come on in!” said St. Peter

Now though I want to encourage you to give sacrificially for the work of the Church, I can’t use this story to do that. It isn’t about how much money you give and it’s certainly not about how you can buy your way into God’s heavenly kingdom. That’s God’s free gift. It depends on His Grace.

Though money figures in the story – go and sell all you have and give to the poor – it is ultimately not about money.  It’s about giving up, getting rid of the things that stand in the way of loving God.  It’s about discovering Grace and about leaning on God’s generosity.  And it’s about using the gifts we have been given unselfishly for God’s service. Jesus didn’t tell the young man to give up everything and it would be all right. He said give up everything and Follow me.

For those who have lots of money it might say something about using it wisely and for the good of others but of greater importance  is how we use the gifts God has given to each one of us.  That involves, of course, first recognising that we have gifts.  Throughout the course of my ministry I have heard many people tell me that they have no gifts or talents – they have nothing therefore to offer to God. When the Church needs certain skills or some help with this or that particular task, these are the ones who bury their heads and hope that no one is looking at them.  Unfortunately some genuinely believe they have nothing to offer but others don’t offer because they’re too scared, maybe of committing themselves. 

There is, of course, a lot of truth that the moment you say ‘Yes’; to God then he takes you seriously and he asks a lot of you. After all, he took us seriously enough to die on a Cross. That demanded everything from Him.

But all of us have been given particular gifts – of love, of the capacity for friendship, of being there for others, of prayer. As well as the more obvious things, there is the Gift of the Christian life – whereby, simply living lovingly and prayerfully as a Christian inspires others to find out why God makes such a difference. This involves the gift of spending time with God – in worship, in prayer, in bible pondering.  At the heart of this is a trust in God that because he has made us in love, he has planted the seed of love in our hearts. Discovering that, thanking Him for it, accepting it as a tremendous gift is the beginning of offering.

There are Three R’s in Christianity:

RECOGNISING that God loves you in Jesus Christ.

RECEIVING that love in your hearts.

RESPONDING to this by loving God and loving others.

That’s the beginning of Offering – of Following – of using your possessions for God’s Glory.   

This story is about Gifts and how they can be used to turn good lives into better lives. Denying those gifts – refusing to use them for God’s glory is just as likely to keep us out of heaven as turning our backs on God. And that’s exactly Who the rich young man turned his back on.

If we are not to join him forever on the side of the road looking backwards, sadly, away from God, then we must pray deeply and mean truly  today’s Collect which tells us that in order to increase the gift of faith we must forsake what lies behind (Turn away from all that stops us giving ourselves completely to God)  and reach out to that which is before ­– and what is in front of us is God’s love offered for our salvation and through us, the salvation of others. 

The Gospel tells us that Jesus loved the young man.  Just as He loves us.  The greatest joy we can give him is to Recognise, Receive and Respond to that love. 
Sadly, The young man couldn’t.