TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

[cappie]

KEY VERSE: "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven" (v.21).

The rich young man in today’s Gospel wanted to know what we all want to know—how to live in this life so that we might live forever in the world to come. He sought what today’s Psalm calls “wisdom of heart.”

He learns that the wisdom he seeks is not a program of works to be performed, or behaviors to be avoided. As Jesus tells him, observing the commandments is essential to walking the path of salvation—but it can only get us so far.

“Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." Those are the challenging words that Jesus speaks to the rich man in this Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 10:17-30). 

When the man heard those words, we are told, “At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

If we are honest with ourselves, most of us would do exactly what the rich man did. We would shake our heads and walk away. We would not be able to just sell everything we possessed and give all the proceeds to the poor.

In fact, if we did so, our relatives and friends might think we were losing our minds or perhaps they might suppose we had a terminal illness and were preparing to leave this world.

Also, if we did what Jesus asked of the rich man, the poor would certainly benefit by our charity but who would care for us and for our families? How would we pay for our food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, and transportation? Would our charity lead us to the welfare office?

Even religious brothers and sisters who take a vow of poverty and rid themselves of their possessions do so knowing that their religious order has the financial resources to care for their personal needs. Even they do not literally follow what Jesus asked of the rich man. 

One way to apply this Gospel to our own personal lives is to realize that the rich man was a good person. He was striving to keep all the commandments of God, so much so that we are told that “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” 

It was in response to the question the rich man asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" that Jesus challenged the man to sell what he had, give to the poor, and to follow him. The man was asking about the next step he should take in his spiritual life. 

Jesus was well aware of what that particular man needed to do. Jesus knew what was holding him back. It was his money and possessions. They were the things that the rich man needed to let go of if he was to progress in his relationship with God. 

We who hear this Sunday’s Gospel are like the rich man. Like him we are striving to keep the commandments of God. If we were not, we would not be part of God’s Church, we would not be reading the scriptures, we would not be coming to Mass. 

This gospel encounter makes it clear that for those who have much, the great difficulty lies in giving up their possessions. But even those of us who have few possessions are tied down to a treasure that may not be counted as money or things. 

But each of us still has further to go in our spiritual journey. We have behaviours, possessions, attitudes, even relationships that may be holding us back from taking the next step in our spiritual lives. 

It sounds so difficult that we are forced to ask with those present that day in Palestine: “Then who can be saved?” The answer that Jesus gives turns us from ourselves to God’s power and grace. Once we reach the point of knowing that nothing we can do will save us, that with the writer of the letter to the Hebrews we recognize that God knows our suffering because he suffers with us, then we are ready to ask, “What can I do to inherit the kingdom, to have eternal life, to be saved,” if we are to use an expression familiar and misunderstood by many.

In the Ignatian method of meditation you are asked to insert yourself into the narrative here is the rich young man reflecting:

“That look burned itself into my heart. I had never seen or experienced such a love, communicated by a mere facial expression. I was hooked.

I walked away, yes, but his face! His face was indelibly printed on my memory.

In that moment, I had to walk away. I have many, many responsibilities and possessions. I couldn’t accept his offer to follow—not abruptly like that when I have so much under my control.

I wasn’t turning him down, exactly. I was turning down that crazy invitation to just drop it all and follow. No way could I do that.

Am I trying to justify my behavior and make excuses for myself?

Since that day, I have begun letting go, little by little. In small increments I am moving toward a final farewell to my disordered love for all things material. I am progressing towards finding Jesus on the road someday and accepting the invitation to follow. I keep seeing that amazing look of pure love on his face. I want to see that look again.

Wait for me, Jesus! I am coming. I just need a little more time.”

This Sunday’s Gospel challenges us to consider what Jesus might say to us if we were brave enough to ask him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"