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| Mark 10:17-30 |
In today’s Gospel we listen to the story of
a man who asks Jesus what He needs to do to enter eternal life. This is a good
question to ask. We believe as Christians that we are not made just for the 100
years or so that we are living on this world but that we are made to live
forever with God…but how do we get there? How do we enter eternal life?
Jesus first tells the man that she should
follow the 10 Commandments, but the man says that he already does this so Jesus
goes deeper to the heart of what the 10 Commandments are all about: being in
close relationship with God. Jesus asks the man to sell everything he has and
follow Jesus, to set aside all of those good but unimportant things so that He
can follow Jesus. At that statement his
face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
The point of this story is not that Jesus is
condemning those who are wealthy. What Jesus is asking the man is this: what is
holding you back from following me? What is in your life that you hold onto
with a strong grip? When we become attached too much to things or even to people
we are not fully able to attach ourselves to God who heals us and feeds us.
God has given us good things so that we
might glorify God and live our lives in service to one another. Yet, even good
things like education, work, sports, friends and family can get in the way
between us and God if we do not recognize that they come from God and are given
to us to help us grow closer to God and others. Friends, family, money,
employment, sports, etc. are not possessions that we have earned but gifts that
God has given and that can be taken away. Jesus speaks to the man in today’s
Gospel and to us today about detachment about not letting things or
relationships control us and guide us more than our relationship with God.
We are called as children of God to love and
care for people and the things we have in this world but to not allow them to
control us. When we live in a healthy, detached way we remember that we are
first of all the created and loved by God as His beloved children and everything
else: occupation, politics, hobbies, etc. flows from that core identity.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion:
-Read through the list of the Commandments in
the Book of Exodus. How many can I name without looking? Which commandments
I need to focus on improving?
-When
I think about the things in my life
being taken from me, what things would
I be most upset about losing? Why? Is God calling me to not get too attached to
those things?
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