Unresolved Endings

Mark’s account of Jesus’ interaction with the rich man in Mark 10:17-22 ends tragically. That is, Jesus invites the man into a community of believers where God distributes the riches of his Kingdom, but the rich man is unwilling to give up his material possessions in order to receive the gifts of God. 

The tragic ending leaves us wondering what comes next for the young man. Did he ever come around? Was he ever willing to give up his possessions to follow Jesus? 

The bummer is that Scripture doesn’t tell us. We are left hanging - the story unresolved in our minds. Which is why we don’t like tragic stories. We need resolution. Good must win out over evil. The couple must live happily ever after. Our team must come out on top. Tragedies force us to deal with a world where not all endings are fairytale endings.

We, like the rich young man, experience our own fair share of unresolved endings in life. At this very moment there are relationships, jobs, health concerns, and more which linger in the air uncomfortably unresolved. 

But the larger story of which we are a part - God’s Story - has already been resolved. We needn’t worry about how it turns out. We needn’t wonder if God’s Good really wins out over the Evil of Sin and Death. Why? Because the resurrection of Jesus leaves nothing unresolved. The resurrection of Jesus assures us that God will - indeed, that God has - defeated sin and death.

The Gospel isn’t a tragedy. It’s a story of victory. Of Good winning out. Of our God rescuing us from danger and ends in an eternal happily-ever-after in the presence of God.