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“Peter began to say to Jesus, ‘We have given up everything and followed you” (Mark 10:28).
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I once heard a story about two monks. One was an older monk who’d spent his entire life in the monastery.
The other was a young novice, who only recently entered.
One day, the older monk asked the novice to accompany him into town, as he needed several things from the marketplace.
On the way home, the monks came across a young woman struggling to cross a river. Naturally, they went over to help her.
But back at the monastery that night, the young novice was telling the other monks about this beautiful young woman he’d met earlier in the day.
The older monk, on the other hand, acted like he’d never seen her.
Pulling the novice aside, he said to him, “I left her at the river. It seems you’re still carrying her in your heart.”
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In the Gospel, Peter reminds Jesus that he’s left everything to follow him.
And that’s true on the surface: Peter’s left his home, his family, and his job.
But like that young monk, Peter’s carrying something extra in his heart… ambition.
Remember, just a few verses earlier Jesus catches him arguing with the other disciples over who’s the greatest.
They have yet to learn that the true disciple leaves his pride at the river.
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As we prepare for Lent, the Gospel challenges us to check our own ego.
For example, how often is life about me? In what ways am I selfish, making decisions out of a desire for personal gain?
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Even Peter, who gave much away to follow Jesus, didn’t have entirely pure motives yet.
He learned, as we all must, that our pride is the most difficult thing to leave behind.
But we will not be free until we do.