The Rich Young Man

Today's  Reflections

 

The Rich Young Man

 graceandspace.org

Mt 19:16-22

¹⁶Someone approached [Jesus] and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” ¹⁷He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; ¹⁹honor your father and your mother’; and ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” ²⁰The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” ²¹Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²²When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Reflection:

What good must I do to gain eternal life? The bottom line of not killing, not committing adultery, not stealing, etc., is to do good to others, although there is a negative formulation in the commandments—“You shall not.” To do good to others is not to harm them and is to look after their well-being. Thus, Jesus prescribes, “Give to the poor.” The rich young man is invited to fulfill the commandments in the positive formulation—by doing good—and not just refraining from doing evil.

Among biblical people, wealth is seen as evidence of God’s blessing. The rich young man considers himself as blessed, so there is a tone of arrogance and self-confidence when he claims, “All of these I have observed,” with regard to keeping the commandments. Jesus unmasks his misplaced religious devotion when he prescribes, “Go, sell what you have.” The young man’s real devotion is to his wealth. Riches can be an idol, mammon, which impedes the path to perfection.

Jesus is presenting to us the dangers of riches.

Do you find it true in your experience?

Picking Grain on the Sabbath

Today's  Reflections

Picking Grain on the Sabbath 

graceandspace.org

Mt 12:1-8

[On one occasion] ¹Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them. ²When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.” ³He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry, ⁴how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which neither he nor his companions but only the priests could lawfully eat? ⁵Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests serving in the temple violate the sabbath and are innocent? ⁶I say to you, something greater than the temple is here. ⁷If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men. ⁸For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”

Reflection:

I desire mercy, not sacrifice. The action of Jesus’ disciples—picking heads of grain and eating them—is equated with reaping and considered a violation of Ex 34:21, as pointed out by the Pharisees. Harvesting as well as plowing of grains is prohibited on the Sabbath.

Jesus, however, wants the Sabbath law to be interpreted with compassion. Necessity knows no law, so we say. In the disciples’ case, human life is involved, in particular, human hunger. It is as if the rigid-thinking Pharisees are reasoning out, “Let them go hungry and starve. The law is more important than their hunger.”

Jesus teaches that common sense should prevail. No one should go hungry because of a rigid interpretation of the law. Jesus recalls the experience of David who went to the house of God, took the bread of offering which only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions. Human needs take precedence over regulations. In fact, rules and regulations are made to serve human needs, to advance human well-being.

Can you identify laws that serve only a few

and put a burden on the majority of people?

Recall instances when you were rigid

in your interpretation of the law.