We all want something. In fact, we want many things. We want certain things more than other things. What do you want most, above all other things in your life? And what do you ask God?
Thise are questions that you can ask yourself and
reflect on your deep desire as you engage in the Scripture readings of the 28th
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B (Wisdom 7:7-11; Psalm 90:12-13,14-15,16-17; Hebrews
4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30 Mark 10:17-30).
The Gospel Reading (Mark 10:17-30) is the narrative
that immediately follows the Gospel Reading of the previous Sunday (27th
Sunday in Ordinary Time) (Mark 10:1-16), in whin Jesus addresses sacredness of matrimony
and value of children for the Kingdom of God.
Now Jesus is getting ready to start his journey to
Jerusalem to fulfill what he has foretold his disciples twice – his passion,
death, and resurrection (Mark 8:31; 9:30-32), as prophesized by Isaiah’s third
and fourth servant songs (Isaiah 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12).
As Jesus was setting himself up for the journey to
Jerusalem, a man came to him and asked him what he must do to inherit eternal
life, saying, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark
10:17).
To this, Jesus replied:
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”(Mark
10:18-19).
This young man called Jesus “good teacher” out
of respect. Unlike Pharisees, he does not seem to bear cynicism toward Jesus. Nevertheless,
Jesus probed this man’s motive to call him “good teacher” to make sure he knew
what he was saying about him. And he reminded this man that only God alone is
good, as our goodness has been compromised with marks of Original Sin. Then,
Jesus reminded him that observing the mitzvoth (commandments) of the Torah (Law)
is a necessary condition to inherit eternal life.
To this, the man confidently replied that he had been
faithfully keeping the articles of the Ten Commandments, which Jesus referred
to (Mark 10:20).
Because Jesus loved this man and cared about him, he wanted
him to be good enough to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:21a). So Jesus said to
the man:
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 (Mark 10:21b).
This commandment of Jesus to the man is to test his
heart for Jesus. If this man called Jesus “good teacher” out of heartfelt
respect, then, he would be able to sell all his assets and give the proceed of
the sales to the poor and follow him. But, this man just could not do what was asked
by Jesus to do for eternal life in heaven.
Sadly, the man chose to cling to his assets, which were
many, over what Jesus asked him. So he forfeited his chance for eternal life
(Mark 10:21).
This reveals a truth in the man’s heart. It was rather
his superficial respect for Jesus to call him “good teacher”. And his motive to
ask Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life was rather shallow, he proved
that eternal life was not worth giving up all his possessions. Otherwise, his
inquiry for eternal life in Jesus would not have been conditional.
After the man went away in sadness, Jesus said to his
disciples:
How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God! 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 (Mark 10:23-25).
With a hyperbolic metaphor of camel to go through the
eye of a needle, while a rich man was unable, Jesus made the case of the man
who chose to keep his wealth over eternal life to teach about an obstacle to
the path to the Kingdom. So a lesson from this man’s case is that we may let
our wealth become an impediment to receive eternal life and to enter the
Kingdom if we are unable to let go of it.
Being
astonished at this teaching of Jesus, the disciples wondered who could be saved
(Mark 10:26).
Then, looking at the disciples, Jesus said:
For human beings it is impossible, but not
for God. All things are possible for God (Mark 10:27).
All things are possible for God. This truth was also
said by Archangel Gabriel to Mary (Luke 1:37), in explaining that God can make a
virgin and a barren woman pregnant if He wills. However, it is we who block the
flow of God’s grace, thus, making it impossible for us to inherit eternal life
and enter the Kingdom. And our wealth can become such an obstacle to receive
eternal life. This is also a humbling reminder that we need to strip off things
in our lives to make sure that nothing in us obstruct the flow of God’s grace.
And what we need to let go of to receive God’s grace for eternal life in the
Kingdom may not be limited to our material wealth. So, St. Ignatius of Loyola earnestly
asked for God’s grace:
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding,
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you
will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me (Spiritual Exercises, 234).
This is known as “Sucipe Prayer”, reflecting these
words of Jesus to St. Paul of Tarsus:
My grace is sufficient for you, for power
is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Latin word, “sucipe”, means “to receive”. In the above
prayer, St. Ignatius of Loyola offers up everything he has to God in order to
receive nothing but His grace, for it is sufficient for him.
In the context of the Gospel Reading (Mark 10:17-30),
what the man should have offered up was his wealth, which was massive, so that
he could follow Jesus and receive his grace, eternal life in the Kingdom.
So, Peter said that he and the rest of the disciples
gave up everything and followed him (Mark 10:28).
Yes, Peter (Simon) and his brother, Andrew, as well as, James and his brother, John, left their livelihood of fishing to follow him (Mark 1:16-20). And Matthew (Levi) abandoned his lucrative tax collection job to follow Jesus (Mark 2:13-14).
And 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.
But many that are first will be last, and the last will be first
(Mark 10:29-31).
In the above words, Jesus assured of his enduring grace,
which leads to eternal life in the Kingdom, sustaining all earthly challenges,
to those who let go of all things that may get in the way of the flow of grace.
And he added that those who are first in terms of amassing wealth shall be the
last one to be benefited from grace, while those who are the last in regard to
having earthly assets can be the first to inherit eternal life in the Kingdom.
Unfortunately, many Christians do not seem to take
this lesson from the man who forfeited his chance for eternal life for keeping
his massive wealth seriously. This is why some “Christians” teach and practice
what is known as “Prosperity Gospel”, confusing amassing earthly wealth as
blessings, as if being the first in terms of earthly wealth would mean to be
the first also in the Kingdom.
God’s priority in granting our wishes with His grace
is always on the anawim, who are humble, poor, and afflicted (with
poverty or/and weakness) (i.e. Isaiah 49:13; 57:17; 61:1-2), reflecting Jesus’
teaching of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12). The anawim are not the
first ones in terms of worldly wealth, status, and comfort. But they are God’s
priority for his grace. And through Jesus”, this grace comes as eternal life in
his Kingdom. But, to inherit it, we must let go of all unessential things.
Cardinal Joseph Bernadin of Chicago Archdiocese wrote in his “Gift of Peace”, “We
let go of what is nonessential and embrace what is essential. We empty
ourselves so that God may more fully work within us.” This echoes the
aforementioned “Sucipe” prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
What is essential is the grace that sustains for
eternal life in the Kingdom. And this may come through the Sacrament of Holy
Eucharist, the living bread of life, the spiritual food in the species of transubstantiated
bread (i.e. John 6:24-58). Or, as the First Reading (Wisdom 7:7-11), describes,
it is wisdom from God. So, as Solomon asked God and received from Him (1 Kings
3:5-9), we shall ask for wisdom. And the Second Reading (Hebrews 4:12-13) tells
that it is the living Word of God. From
the Gospel Reading (Mark 10:17-30), earthly possessions, not only material
wealth, but also even our own beloved families and means to make living, may be
considered as what Cardinal Bernadin regards as “non essentials” to let go in
order to embrace the “essential”, such as the Eucharist, wisdom, and the living
Word of God.
So what do you ask Jesus? To make you rich, richer,
and the richest in the world? To make you first in regard to worldly things?
Or, as St. Ignatius of Loyola did, ask him to receive all non-essential things
in you to give you only his grace, which is the Eucharist, wisdom, and the
living Word, to list a few? Or, as Bartimaeus did (Mark 10:47-50), ask Jesus to
make you see – see the truth of what is essential and what is not for eternal
life in the Kingdom?
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