Mark 10: 17-27
As 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?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You 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." He replied and said to him, "Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth." Jesus, 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." At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!" The 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! It 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." They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God."
Dawg's Thought:
Today's prayer intention - for peace in the Middle East, especially in Libya.
It's a situation that we have all been through: God asks us to give up something so that we can grow in holiness. In today's reading, it's the many things that the rich man had that was keeping him from growing in trust of The Lord. Yet, you can place so many other things in there: a relationship ... a job ... human respect ...
Thankfully, we know God to be a loving God, and if He calls us to give something up, it is because it is for our greater good. It should be something to rejoice in versus something that makes us go "away sad."
While I know that in a perfect world, when God asks me to give something up, I should rejoice in it. But many times, it is hard to rejoice. It's hard to accept God's will when His will means sacrifice. The sacrifice is what makes our acceptance of God's will an act of love for Our Lord, and that should give us joy!
In the case of the rich, young man in today's reading, not only will his sacrifice be an act of love for Our Lord, but it also be an act through which others will encounter God's love and providence. It is always good to recall what God could do with a few loaves and fishes. What could God do with our sacrifices? If we truly loved our neighbor, that should give us joy!
Speak, Lord! Your servant is listening!
Take care and God Bless.
|
