Life as she knew it could not go on. At least not like this. Heidi* was painfully aware something had to change. Upon learning her husband had a secret life, a horrific drug addiction, Heidi tried to get him help. But he was too far in, with little interest in getting clean. With no end in sight, Heidi made a very tough decision. Divorce, for her, was the right way to go. This marriage would not be the happily ever after of her dreams.

Determined to make a fresh start she began to clean out their home.

It was time, in more ways than one, to let go.

She looked around the garage, at the golf clubs, fishing poles, an INXS hat, Tom Petty t-shirts. They were shared hobbies, shared concerts the couple had enjoyed from better days gone by. The were relics from a past she recognized less and less each day. They were excess baggage for a future she couldn’t quite yet see.

She kicked it all to the curb.

Standing there, alone in an empty garage, she reflected on choices made, what had been lost. Her husband’s addiction had almost bankrupt them. She now had few possessions, little money. Lonely and sad, Heidi remembers in that moment feeling God’s love wrap around her. She recalls finding comfort from above. Comfort as she stood in the midst of practically nothing.

It was then when Heidi’s healing began. It was then when she began to imagine what her brighter tomorrows might be.

Sara
Sara*, too, knew life couldn’t go on like this. The yelling, screaming, lack of trust from her husband was only getting worse. Hoping to fix the problems she sought out counseling. Eventually he agreed to try that too. Soon it became clear fixing what had been broken between them was not to be.

At rock bottom Sara considered harming herself. It just seemed too much for one person to handle. But she had a young daughter and loved her dearly. And she had her father, who took her to a crisis counselor – in the middle of harvest season, a big deal for a farmer – making sure she got help.

With counseling she realized it was time to move on. Letting go of the unhealthy relationship would save Sara and her daughter, she concluded. And save her husband too.

The first day after this realization she felt an incredible weight suddenly gone. She began to see light and color and hope once again.

As the couple separated possessions, she found herself letting go some more. Sara’s ex took the fancy Christmas decorations. Fine, she thought. She and her young daughter made their own decorations that first year. Homemade decorations she has and trims the tree with still.

She was going to be a single mom, on a grad student’s salary, yes. But she began to find happiness, confidence, joy, all of which had been absent for years. All of which money simply couldn’t buy.

Sara began to dream of where this new path would lead. She didn’t know really. Perhaps it would be to somewhere good.

Wealth
The man from Mark chapter 10 that approaches Jesus asks a question many of us grapple with: what must I do for abundant life? Christ responds with a familiar playbook: follow the commandments. You know what they are –

Don’t murder.
Don’t commit adultery.
Don’t lie or cheat or steal.

Yes, yes, yes, I’ve done all those things since my youth, the man replies. By following these ten rules perhaps he assumed abundant life could now be his. Jesus looked at the man a little closer, seeing deep into his heart, and lovingly continued. You lack one thing he told the man. Go, sell what you own, give the money to the poor. Then come, follow me. Then life will be as you desire.

Jesus knew what was holding this man back. He knew what the man needed to let go. He knew that then, and only then, could abundant life be his.

The man was shocked. For a person of means this was no easy ask. He could choose to hold onto his wealth, sure. Or he could lighten his burden. In the process he could bless countless others that needed that wealth more than he. In the process he could join the beloved community, experiencing the joy he so deeply desired.

He need do but one thing: sacrifice for the greater good.

The man grew sad. He simply could not let this one thing go. Wealth consumed him. It was him. The status it afforded mattered more to him than anything else in the world.
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The man walked away grieving, untransformed. His wealth, we learn, was his true God. There would be no happy ending for this particular story.

Heidi II
But for Heidi? Her next chapter takes quite a turn. After letting go of an unhealthy relationship and the belongings from darker days attached to it, things began to change. She reconnected with her faith, found a good church, new friends. She volunteered to help others who had also encountered hard times. Her career started to flourish. She met a new man, a good man, and the two fell in love. They married, had children. Their home became a common gathering spot for many a joyous occasion. It still is. She had surrounded herself with people she cared for, people that cared for her.

When Heidi’s son later experienced significant health challenges it was her husband, her friends, her family, her faith that carried her through. She is now part of the beloved community. Just as God intends.

Sara II
Life for Sara, after letting go of so much, also began to get better.

She finished graduate school. From this came a career she was passionate about, management opportunities, vocational success. Then a wise old neighbor invited her to church. Later that same wise old neighbor thought she really should meet this amazing guy that lived down the street. Before long Sara had fallen in love and had a reinvigorated faith that gave her strength. She then married that guy. Their family grew from three to four to five.

In the process Sara had found herself. She also found herself surrounded by friends, family and communities that care for her, just as much as she cares for them. Just as God intends.

Both Heidi and Sara are pseudonyms, their stories anonymous. Both are personal friends, both even Lutherans. Both are awfully similar to you and I.

And for both none of this personal, spiritual, and relational transformation would have been possible without first letting go of that which held them back.

Synthesis
The story of the rich man in Mark 10 is often told as a tale of who gets into the pearly gates, who doesn’t. This way of reading concludes it is tough to get into heaven if you’re wealthy. If you need some help with that particular problem, a gentle reminder: this is Fall stewardship season. Keep sending those pledge cards in.  You’re welcome ?.

But the text can also be interpreted more broadly. It can be understood as a cautionary tale of what happens when we hold on to that which causes harm, either to ourselves or others.

As Jesus explains the problem of wealth he tells the disciples how difficult it can be to enter the kingdom of God. The Greek word for kingdom, basileia, also refers to being in healthy community in the world as it exists today.

Today.

Not just some far-off hereafter.

Christ wants the best for us. Right here. Right now. We are called to be in right relationship with our Creator, and our neighbor, over and above all else. And to experience this we might need to get rid of some baggage, making room for the new.

To do that our faith asks that we take a look within, seeing ourselves as Christ does. What holds you back from abundant life? Is it –

– A toxic relationship with no hope of repair?
– Hoarding wealth, causing yourself and others harm?
– Addiction, bad habits, or a heart unwilling to forgive?

Examine yourself. Pray about it. Talk about it with trusted friends.

Then do the one thing that might be painful now, yet helps you better embrace the beloved community. Let it go.

*names have been changed.