Joel Tabora, S.J. posted: " [Homily. Based on Mark 10:17-27. Live-streamed Mass. Sunday. Oct. 10, 2021] "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This was the question of a young man who was living a good life. But he had heard of Jesus, and was n"
[Homily. Based on Mark 10:17-27. Live-streamed Mass. Sunday. Oct. 10, 2021]
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This was the question of a young man who was living a good life. But he had heard of Jesus, and was now finally encountering him. He knew Jesus had a message that moved people. It had to do not only with life, but with "life to the full." His question, "what must I do to gain eternal life?" was raised, however, not without a sense of self-satisfaction that sought confirmation and praise from the Teacher.
"You know the commandments," Jesus replied. "…You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and your mother." These were commandments from the decalogue that have to do with love of neighbor. Indeed, randomly listed, they are challenging enough for any good person. Don't harm your fellow man. No matter your anger, don't kill him. Don't beat her. Remain faithful to your wife. Don't cheat on her. Don't lie. Don't destroy the reputation even of one you do not like. Honor your father and mother. Be grateful to them for the life they gave you and nurtured in you. Honor them even when you think you know more than they, or have grown stronger than they. Take care of them."
The young man replies, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." It was a declaration that elicited praise. Yet, he was still asking: having done all these things, what must I do to gain eternal life? Having lived my life obeying these commands, what must I do to gain achieve the fullness of life?
Jesus looks at him, knowing he was not misrepresenting his life. Mark then mentions, as he alone among the evangelists mentions in narrating this incident, Jesus loved him. To the young man seeking affirmation for his uprightness with his neighbor, Jesus responds not with praise of his virtue, but with love. Out of this love he says, "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 this statement," Mark narrates, "his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions."
We might ponder the response we have to this man walking away sad, "for he had many possessions." Are we saddened by the rich man walking away from Jesus? Or do we not rather sympathize with him? The many possessions he had in life, he had worked hard for and honestly. He had never killed to gain money or influence. Despite many temptations, he had never lied to gain advantage over a weak person. He had never defrauded another, nor tricked another for advantage. He was highly regarded among his fellow merchants and customers. He was an honest person. He was faithful to his wife, caring of his children. And he was taking good care of his parents. In other words, he had kept the commandments that the Teacher had listed. Was not the love that Jesus showed him well deserved?
But Jesus did not let him stay with his self-satisfaction and contentment. The question what he could do in his life for the fuller life, eternal life, had come from him. And Jesus' response in love for him was, if you seek a fuller life, if you desire a life to the full, follow me. Follow me, as I love you - and love all those to whom I am sent to speak of the joy of the Kingdom of my Father. To follow me, free yourself of the possessions that hinder you from following me. Sell them, give to the poor. Follow me.
The stress in Jesus' response is not in telling the rich young man to dispossess himself of all he had and give to the poor. Period. The stress is rather in Jesus loving him and inviting him to follow him, to trust him, to give himself with him to his mission of proclaiming the joy of his Father's kingdom, and so, trusting in the providence of the Father missioning him, to free himself from his many possessions to follow him. But in hearing Jesus' answer, the young man, thinking of his many possessions, heard only "go sell what you have," "detach yourself from all the goods and security you have built up". He failed to experience Jesus' liberating love; he failed to hear, "Follow me."
And so, distracted by his possessions that he earnestly believed he'd legitimately acquired in having observed all the Lord's commandments from his youth, he seems to have forgotten the greatest commandment, not only, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," but "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind" (Mt. 22:36-40). He could not respond to Jesus' love; he could not "follow him." Because his heart and soul and mind and strength were not in loving God above all things, but focused on his possessions.
Perhaps, if he had not walked away sad, he could have heard Jesus say: "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." (Lk 12:15) Or: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and love the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. … Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you are to eat, or about your body, what you are to wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing. Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span? Why are you anxious about clothes. Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? … Your heavenly Father knows what you need. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides" (Mt. 6:22-33).
Once again, in pondering this Gospel I suggest the focus is not on, "Go, sell what you have…" It is not just on becoming economically poor. The focus is on "Follow me." Follow me, loving you as my Father loves you. Follow me, spreading the joy of the Father's Kingdom. Follow me because you do not work out your salvation on your own. Humanity does not save itself through its reason, science and technology. That is impossible. Follow me, because when it comes to your salvation, "all things are possible for God" (Mk 10:27).
Paul said that "it was the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). You become rich not in being part of a company that puts profits over the welfare of people [as reported recently of Facebook] or being a national leader who amasses great wealth in an underground economy at the cost of your people [ad exposed recently in the Pandora's Box expose of the International Consortium of International Journalists]. You become rich in following Jesus "who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:6-11).
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