Today's Reflections
Mk 10:17-27
17As [Jesus] was setting out
on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good
teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You
know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit
adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you
shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’ ” 20He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” 21Jesus,
looking at him, loved him and said to him, “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.” 22At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24The
disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in
reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of [a] needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”
Reflection:
To inherit eternal life.
The bottom line of the command-ments is for people to do good, to be
ready to serve and to sacrifice for others, and to imitate Jesus.
Beyond the commandments, Jesus shows in
the example of the rich man that material possessions can hinder us from
committing ourselves to God. After all, wealth does not guarantee
salvation. God’s kingdom is a gift. We enter the kingdom by receiving
God’s grace and, consequently, doing good.
Though not condemning riches, Jesus
warns us of their dangers. We may think that, with wealth, everything
can be bought and acquired. Wealth can give us a false sense of
security: we may think we no longer need God.
Jesus tells us that God is infinitely more important and valuable. God is our reward, and heaven is our final destination.
“One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwellin the Lord’s house all the days of my life” (Ps 27:4).
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