Gospel Mk 10:17-30
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.” Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”
Homily
I once listened to a conversation between two friends about the meaning of life and its purpose. One friend, let’s call him A was saying that the purpose of life was to become as rich as one could be, so that one could therefore help so many people who needed help in this world. The other was convinced that life was about freedom, that as one grew older one should be more and more free and less constrained by earthly things. As far as this friend, let’s call him B was concerned, one only had to have what was necessary for a comfortable life and nothing else. As far as friend B was concerned, too many possessions imprisoned one and took away his/her freedom.
I thought of this as I read the Gospel given to us for our meditation this weekend. The Gospel story is one which we know very well. It is the story of the rich young man who wanted to attain eternal life and so he asked Jesus what was necessary for that to happen. Jesus replied to him. “You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
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We are told that at this answer the young man, who evidently wanted to do more, became sad and went away because he had many possessions. The possessions which the young man had, removed his freedom, and with that, the possibility of him being an intimate associate of Jesus Christ. In normal human living possessions do restrict our freedom. Persons engaged in animal husbandry do recognize this, because their activities are limited by the needs of their animals. In our relationship with Jesus Christ, the same occurs. The desire to hold on to possessions limits our availability for the work of the Kingdom and the more intimate following of Jesus Christ. For that reason, scripture tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. However it is important that we recognize that possessions may not only be material things. We love other things like power and fame etc. Simply put, possessions, or things we want so badly that we will do anything to get them, whether they be material or non-material, can control our lives and take away our freedom. They can become our life and our identity. They halt our journey to the highest value there is in life, God. The saints were very aware of this. That is why St. Francis divested himself of everything given to him by his father and embraced, as he called it, Lady Poverty. That is why religious orders and congregations all take a vow of poverty and that is why Jesus said to his disciples; “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
As disciples of Jesus it is incumbent on all of us to question ourselves as to what are the possessions we have, material or non-material, which at the thought of giving them up sadden us or which we are reluctant to give up, so that we can be more authentic disciples of Jesus Christ?
Let us remember and believe the assurances of Jesus that “there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God, naked we came into the world and naked we shall return, help us to understand that the accumulation of wealth, unless it is to help the expansion of the Kingdom only leads to unhappiness and the loss of freedom. Help us to understand that it is difficult for those who love riches to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Help us to follow the example of the great saints who understood that the giving up of riches in this world for your sake always leads to eternal happiness with You. We ask this through the intercession of Mary, our Mother and Jesus, your Son. Amen
