28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 11, 2009

Wis 7:7-11
Heb 4:12-13
Mk 10:17-30

When I was in Kalinga some years ago, Vice President Gloria Arroyo at that time,  head of the DSWD, visited the Mission of Pasil. After that event, I asked some people about their experience, like the public school teachers who met the vice president for the first time. Many people wanted to come near the vice president but were not able. So the teachers said, “We were happy and lucky to have that opportunity to see the vice president in person, have pictures taken and shook hands with her.” They went home happy and told the others about their unforgettable experience.
We could imagine that for anyone to live at the time of Jesus and meet Jesus in person it would be a great privilege and grace. I am sure that all of us here would like to have been in Palestine on that day when Jesus met that man who asked him the question. We would like to have met with Jesus, too and spoken to him. We would remember it for the rest of our lives. It would be the climax of our lives. We all go home happy.
We read in the Gospels of so many people meeting Jesus and going away completely transformed. So many people who met Jesus were healed of illnesses. So many people who met Jesus went away happy. But in our Gospel today a man meets Jesus and goes away sad. It is the only time in all the Gospels that someone who was called by Jesus went away sad. WHY?
The disturbing thing is that we can see aspects of ourselves in this man also which begs the question, “Are we going away sad or happy when we meet Jesus in the many ways in which we meet him?” Let us look at some of the things we may have in common with the man.
The man was a spiritual person. He asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. He was genuinely interested in growing closer to God. He had kept all the commandments from his youth. Like this man, we are also searching to come closer to God and we want to inherit eternal life.
Jesus looked steadily at the man and was filled with love for him. Jesus embraced or hugged the man. We know that Jesus loves each of us also. Jesus appreciates our efforts to discern what he asks of us. Jesus appreciates our efforts to leave sin behind and live a new life of grace. Jesus appreciates our efforts to love God above all and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
The man was already living a very good life but Jesus had much more in mind for him. Jesus knew that he was capable of achieving even greater heights of holiness so Jesus invited him to raise his goal, “You are lacking in one thing.” The man had all the money he needed but he was still lacking in one thing. We are all lacking in at least one thing and perhaps many things in order to achieve more holiness and come closer to God.
Then Jesus gave the man the challenge which he was unwilling to accept; go, sell, give, come, follow.
The young man was unwilling to make this sacrifice and went away sad. Now we can see that he was not as close to God as we might at first have imagined. He was obeying all the rules but his heart was still not focused properly on God. He was getting the externals right but inside in his heart he was not giving first place to God.
In the first reading, King Solomon says he placed wisdom or prudence, which we could say is right relationship with God, before riches. At that moment of his reign, King Solomon had both externals and his heart focused properly on God but later he would wander from this path of truth and happiness.
Naturally the question we all have on our minds now is what does that command of Jesus to the man mean for me? Does Jesus ask me to go, sell, give, come, follow? Do we have to understand Jesus very radically literally demanding that we give up everything or is there some other way in which we are meant to understand what Jesus is asking of us who listen to this Gospel today?
Most people who read today’s Gospel understand it as applying to their own personal lives. You do not sell everything but you do not want anything you own or possess to be an obstacle in your relationship with God. You want to have your heart focused firmly on God. You do not want to be a slave to material things, you want to put God first in your life. When we have more than we need we naturally want to help those who are in need.
Lord is challenging us to grow in following him. Jesus wants only what is best for us and if we take up his challenge to us, whatever it may be, we can be sure that it will bring us only happiness. Let us go, do whatever the Lord asks of us, come and follow him that we may have treasure in heaven.

Fr. Silverio Mutia, SVD
Our Lady of Fatima Parish
Burgos, La Union