Mark 10.17-31: the encounter of Jesus and the rich man
Here is the story of an encounter between two men who are total opposites: Jesus and a man rich. The first is poor and has no house to rest. The second has everything and more: he had great possessions "says the text. Jesus knows the way to eternal life and the rich seeking. And as so often in the Gospels, this meeting will emerge a lesson for the disciples and for us, because that Mark, like Matthew and Luke, has seen fit to benefit its readers.
What is known about the rich man? He saw Jesus as a teacher, he called a good master. Jesus said that only God is good. Meeting of two understandings. He knows and observes the law of Moses. It has great assets, but it lacks something, one thing, "said Jesus. To win this something, he must get rid of everything else, its wealth, making benefit the poor. The response of Jesus sad, because he understands that what he considered "good", perhaps as a sign of God's kindness was not enough to enter the Kingdom.
Jesus, once again, reminds us that we can not serve two masters at once, especially not the money and God. Does this mean that we should he sell everything, give everything, debt and impoverishment to please God? No. This is about priority and confidence. If, as the rich man, it trusts in his riches, which is attached, you can not imagine abandoning them to follow Christ, then we made a bad investment priorities. If the Word of God is our wealth, if his teaching is the treasure that we cherish, then we've done is an investment which we earn interest.
With God, there is no half-measure. You can not love a little, serve a little, a little honor. It's all or nothing! What Jesus told the rich man is: either you sell everything and you follow me, or you keep your property and you give up to follow me!
In this time of financial crisis that upsets the values of our world, how many speculators and investors have they had, they too lose what they had hoped? For some, they even lost everything, at their expense! Have they won something more valuable? Not so sure!
God is the one who gave his all until his own Son, died for us on the Cross. The Lord did not hesitate, he did not say "Yes, but ..." In Jesus, all our sins were forgiven, once and for all. God is not a cold computer, a merchant engaged in calculations of grocers. God loves the multiplication of forgiveness and love and not the addition of fault and guilt.
If God one day, gave everything, how much more so should we, too, give it all, without counting. Because love, it can not be bought. It is a wealth divides, which sharing, without ever disappearing. Forgiveness is also an asset that is growing and that brings big ....
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. Harsh words from the Messiah. This is the impossible! But at the same time, Jesus reminds us, nothing is impossible with God. Him, he can pass a camel through the eye of a needle!
The disciples, too, have given up everything to follow him who made them fishers of men. Waive his personal comfort, professional, daring to challenge and take bold decisions, turning a page of book life, do not look back, but still ahead, this is what Jesus calls us. Even taken by doubt, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus did not seek to evade, he fulfilled the will of the Father ... to the end.
We also moments of our lives, we may be forced to abandon certainties, securities, insurance is certain to launch us into new challenges, to follow the path that we had drawn. Have we regretted our choice? And if it all over again ...?
With God there is no doubt. If we place our trust, our faith, in Him in the assurance of his love and his forgiveness, then we can follow in the footsteps of Christ with strength and courage, giving up too much wealth and seductive illusion of this world, to look to the real wealth, those that come from God and receive eternal life through sharing.
Amen.
Image source: personal photo (c) in July 2008.
Here is the story of an encounter between two men who are total opposites: Jesus and a man rich. The first is poor and has no house to rest. The second has everything and more: he had great possessions "says the text. Jesus knows the way to eternal life and the rich seeking. And as so often in the Gospels, this meeting will emerge a lesson for the disciples and for us, because that Mark, like Matthew and Luke, has seen fit to benefit its readers.
What is known about the rich man? He saw Jesus as a teacher, he called a good master. Jesus said that only God is good. Meeting of two understandings. He knows and observes the law of Moses. It has great assets, but it lacks something, one thing, "said Jesus. To win this something, he must get rid of everything else, its wealth, making benefit the poor. The response of Jesus sad, because he understands that what he considered "good", perhaps as a sign of God's kindness was not enough to enter the Kingdom.
Jesus, once again, reminds us that we can not serve two masters at once, especially not the money and God. Does this mean that we should he sell everything, give everything, debt and impoverishment to please God? No. This is about priority and confidence. If, as the rich man, it trusts in his riches, which is attached, you can not imagine abandoning them to follow Christ, then we made a bad investment priorities. If the Word of God is our wealth, if his teaching is the treasure that we cherish, then we've done is an investment which we earn interest.
With God, there is no half-measure. You can not love a little, serve a little, a little honor. It's all or nothing! What Jesus told the rich man is: either you sell everything and you follow me, or you keep your property and you give up to follow me!
In this time of financial crisis that upsets the values of our world, how many speculators and investors have they had, they too lose what they had hoped? For some, they even lost everything, at their expense! Have they won something more valuable? Not so sure!
God is the one who gave his all until his own Son, died for us on the Cross. The Lord did not hesitate, he did not say "Yes, but ..." In Jesus, all our sins were forgiven, once and for all. God is not a cold computer, a merchant engaged in calculations of grocers. God loves the multiplication of forgiveness and love and not the addition of fault and guilt.
If God one day, gave everything, how much more so should we, too, give it all, without counting. Because love, it can not be bought. It is a wealth divides, which sharing, without ever disappearing. Forgiveness is also an asset that is growing and that brings big ....
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. Harsh words from the Messiah. This is the impossible! But at the same time, Jesus reminds us, nothing is impossible with God. Him, he can pass a camel through the eye of a needle!
The disciples, too, have given up everything to follow him who made them fishers of men. Waive his personal comfort, professional, daring to challenge and take bold decisions, turning a page of book life, do not look back, but still ahead, this is what Jesus calls us. Even taken by doubt, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus did not seek to evade, he fulfilled the will of the Father ... to the end.
We also moments of our lives, we may be forced to abandon certainties, securities, insurance is certain to launch us into new challenges, to follow the path that we had drawn. Have we regretted our choice? And if it all over again ...?
With God there is no doubt. If we place our trust, our faith, in Him in the assurance of his love and his forgiveness, then we can follow in the footsteps of Christ with strength and courage, giving up too much wealth and seductive illusion of this world, to look to the real wealth, those that come from God and receive eternal life through sharing.
Amen.
For another light based on the text of Matthew 19.16-30 : http://www.croire.com/article/index.jsp?docId=2317273&rubId=188
Image source: personal photo (c) in July 2008.
