TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
11 OCTOBER 2015
We
know very little about this man who approaches Jesus today. Many Scripture scholars have called him a
young man, because he runs to Jesus (unlike old guys with hip
replacements!) As the story unfolds, we
learn that he has many possessions. And
yet, despite the obvious security that comes from his wealth, he senses a
desire for more. Like all of us, he
senses that only eternal life – life with God – can fully satisfy him. And he comes to the right person. He could have knelt before Caesar, looking
for power; or before Herod, looking for more favors; or before the keeper of
the royal treasure, looking for more riches.
In kneeling before Jesus, he asks what he needs to do to inherit eternal
life.
In
response, Jesus quotes the Law of Moses and tells him to cut out those things that
separate a person from God. He lists a
few of the commandments dealing with relationships with other people. He must avoid killing, committing adultery,
stealing, bearing false witness, defrauding other people, and disrespecting
parents. The man responds that these
egregious sins have not been part of his life.
Hungering for something more, he wants to take the next step.
Jesus looks
at the man with love. He sees this man’s
desire to take that next step in his spiritual growth. So he tells him the truth: you need to move out of your comfort
zone. You need to sell what you have,
give it to the poor, and follow me. But
the man goes away sad, because he cannot rely on anything for security other
than his many possessions. He cannot
embrace this cross and put complete trust in the power of Jesus to give him
eternal life.
As the
disciples of Jesus watch this man walks away sadly, they are blown away. They live in a culture that regards wealth as
a sign of God’s favor. Jesus is turning
the cultural norm upside down, as he has been turning so many other
expectations upside down. The Messiah
will win the victory through suffering and death. The last will be first. Wealth can be an obstacle to membership in
God’s Kingdom. Only through the power of
God can anyone be saved.
We became
disciples of Jesus Christ when we passed through the waters of Baptism. Like the man in today’s Gospel, we have a
desire for something more – to share in eternal life. We have come to the right place, encountering
Jesus Christ in his Word and in his Sacraments.
Each of us is at a different place in removing those things that
separate us from God. When we have
failed, we have received the Lord’s mercy, especially in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. Today, Jesus looks at every
single one of us with love and invites us to take another step in faith and
trust in his power to save us. The
Letter to the Hebrews describes that Word well:
it can cut through us like a two edged sword, penetrating into the
depths of our being.
For some of
us, wealth may be the obstacle. It is
tempting to put too much trust in that fancy car or lake house or extra stuff
that we do not need. Jesus calls us to
loosen our grip and share our blessings.
Some may be holding too tightly to their free time. To those, Jesus asks for a sacrifice of time
alone and to give more time in humble service to others. Others may trust too much in power or
prestige. Jesus calls us to let go of
that need to control other people.
We may ask
the same question that the disciples asked:
what is in it for us if we give up these things? Jesus gives the same answer – a supportive
community, and eternal life (along with some possible persecutions). I have been reflecting on his answer during
these last three weeks. Years ago, I
took a pretty scary step in faith and committed myself to a life of
celibacy. In my recovery from surgery,
in the absence of a spouse and biological children, I have clearly seen the
outpouring of love from this parish family.
In humility, I understand better the Lord’s promise of eternal life
better. Take a step in faith to embrace
the Lord’s promise in your life!
No comments:
Post a Comment