TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YR B
Wisd. 7:7-22; Ps 90
Heb. 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-27
DO NOT BE POSSESSED BY POSSESSIONS
Our world seems to revolve largely around money. To some extent, you may be identified as to how much or how little you have. We cannot deny how easy life becomes when we have money, but is that all there is to life?
The gospel today presents us with an encounter between Jesus and a man who came to him asking “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This may have been very refreshing for Jesus to hear, because no one has ever asked him this question, for all the time he spent in teaching about the kingdom. Not even his disciples. It is not only the question that is refreshing, the young man seems to be a good person. He has obeyed all the commandments since his youth, but there was one thing he needed to really do to inherit eternal life; – “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mk 10:21).
At these words of Jesus, the man’s “face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” (Mk 10:22) He was unable to respond to the invitation to embrace the eternal life he was seeking because of his wealth. This made Jesus warn his listeners, “how hard it is for those who are rich to enter the Kingdom of God”.(Mk 10:24). What does this mean? Does it mean Jesus is against possession and wealth?
Jesus is not against possessions or wealth because we know that his group had some money with Judas as the bursar or the accountant. There were also some women disciples who provided for Jesus and his group out of their own resources. (Lk 8:1-3) Jesus invites us to examine our attitude towards money and wealth.
Jesus warns to be careful about the danger of wealth and possessions. On their own possessions are not bad but can become an obstacle to us embracing the kingdom of God. When many people become rich or gain some possessions, they seem to abandon their worship of God. Some stop going to church altogether. Others lose the submission and humility of the Christian life. Others attempt to buy some recognition and importance with their money and the things they sponsor in church. This is the danger Jesus warns against. No matter our status, whether rich or poor we should never lose sight of the primacy and superiority of God in our lives and children of his kingdom.
The church community also has a responsibility towards all, especially the poor, so they do not feel left out because of their poverty. Even though God blesses us with prosperity and riches, he at the same time adds humility and charity. God never makes a man rich without the virtues of humility and charity towards the poor. Pope Benedict XVI says, “alms-giving, according to the gospel is not mere philanthropy; rather it is a concrete expression of charity, a theological virtue that demands interior conversion to love of God and neighbour, in imitation of Jesus Christ, who, dying on the cross, gave his entire self for us”. Also, the poor must not be made to feel that they are cursed.
Sometime ago I chanced upon a quote that says, “use things but love people”. This quote echoes one of the warnings Jesus gives us today. We live in a world that is increasingly becoming “a throw-away society”. Most of the things we use are gradually becoming disposable. We use tissues and throw them away; pens, cups, plates and recently face masks. In a certain way, this affects the way we relate to people sometimes. We relate to people only when they are useful to us. The moment they are no longer useful, that friendship is over. We enter into relationships with a boyfriend or a girlfriend for a few months, use them and dump them or throw them away as it were. Some evaluate their friendships asking themselves, “what am I getting out of it?” We must be careful not to use our riches and possessions to use and oppress people. When Jesus asked the man to sell all he had and give to the poor, he was teaching the man to love people and use things. But sadly, the man preferred to love his things than to love people. What is your response to this?
Jesus does not want us to be possessed by our possessions. To be a true disciple, we must rather be possessed by Christ and not our possessions. The man proudly declared that he had obeyed all the laws since his youth, and Jesus says there is one thing lacking. That one thing is to sell all he has and come follow him (Jesus). The very life of the disciple must be one which is detached from the things of this world and attached to Jesus. It is only in this that he finds eternal life. The observance of the law and moral precepts must lead to a relationship with Jesus. Are you ready to detach and embrace eternal life?
As we live out our lives, let us invest more in the one thing that lasts. A couple of weeks ago Facebook and Instagram went off for some hours and people’s lives seemed to have been greatly interrupted. Banks will crush and have crushed. Buildings have collapsed and even governments have crushed. Even friendships and family relations can crush. It shows that the things of this world cannot save us. In fact, they do not bring us any lasting good or fulfillment. The only thing that is constant and cannot be destroyed is our relationship with God. Whether we are rich or not, it is our relationship with God that brings us lasting assurance, peace and happiness. Mike Tyson once said, “if you think a lot of money is going to make you happy, you never had a lot of money before”. It is time to embrace our calling to true discipleship.
We pray that we would be true disciples of Jesus, giving our very selves and all we have to him and loving the poor.
God bless you.
BY Rev. Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
