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Gospel: Matthew 19: 23-30
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
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.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,
“Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said to him in reply,
“We have given up everything and followed you.
What will there be for us?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you
that you who have followed me, in the new age,
when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,
will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The demand Jesus placed on the rich young man in yesterday’s Gospel may appear to be heavier than what he placed on Peter and the other disciples.
Yesterday, Jesus commanded the young man to, “Go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and follow me.” If he did, then this man would’ve lost most of or everything he owned.
However, there is nothing written in the Gospels about Peter or the others selling or giving their things away.
The fact that Peter says they have “given up” their families, their homes, and their jobs does not mean that they could not reclaim them at some point in the future.
They have essentially put some of these things “on hold” while following Jesus.
For example, no disciple disowned his family. In fact, some of them had wives, including Peter, who likely traveled with him in parts of his ministry.
The fact that Jesus and his disciples so readily crossed from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other also implies that at least one of the disciples held on to his boat, using it at the Lord’s request.
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So, what does this mean?
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We need to be clear about what poverty is in Jesus eyes, because he warns us in today’s Gospel, “It is easier for a camel to past through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Poverty does not imply being penniless. Even the poor can be consumed with selfishness and greed.
Spiritual poverty implies being detached from what we have, to the point of letting go of something should someone else be in greater need, be it time, money, or things.
For example, when an opportunity for charity arises, how easily do we respond? Do we calculate how much we can give without feeling the pinch, or do we freely give what is asked of us?
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Herein lies the real difference between the rich young man and the disciples – not wealth itself, but the attachment to it. Whereas the young man could not let go of anything he owned, the disciples gave up their greatest possession – life itself in order to follow the Lord.
May we follow their example, spending ourselves for the sake of the Gospel.
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