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Gospel: Mark 10: 17-30
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 human beings it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”
Peter began to say to him,
“We have given up everything and followed you.”
Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
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There’s an old saying, “People vote with their feet.”
Our feet take us where we want to go, and they prevent us from going where we don’t.
***
In today’s Gospel, a rich young man’s feet bring him to Jesus.
There’s something very beautiful and ironic about this aristocrat falling at the feet of our penniless Lord.
Although this man has both a religious heart and material wealth, something is stirring inside of him, which his riches – and even observance of the Law – cannot satisfy. He senses there’s more to life. A deeper, fuller happiness, which he cannot seem to find.
So, let’s give credit where credit is due. He’s a truth-seeking, religiously observant youth who would make any parent proud, even today.
***
This man hears of Jesus and seeks him out. “Good teacher,” he says, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” A sincere, praiseworthy question.
“You know the commandments,” Jesus says. Then he lists a few of them: laws against murder, adultery, theft, lying, defrauding, and the need to honor one’s father and mother.
“All of these I’ve observed from my youth!” the man says. God knows it. But there’s a limit to this man’s devotion; all of the laws Jesus mentions pertain to a person’s relationship with their neighbor, not necessarily one’s relationship with God.
So, looking at him, Jesus, “loves him.” This is the only time in Mark’s Gospel where Jesus is recorded as loving someone. And what does that divine love do?
Like a surgeon carving out a malignant tumor, the Lord cuts through this man’s heart, seeking to remove the one thing suffocating his devotion.
It’s not how much wealth he possesses that matters; rather, it’s how much it possesses him.
“You are lacking in one thing,” Jesus says. “Go, sell what you have. Give to the poor. Then, come, follow me.” Only then can the rich young man love the Lord with all of his heart, mind, body, and soul.
It must’ve felt like a gut punch. This rich young man looks inside of himself and weighs his options. Voting with his feet, he regrettably walks away from the Lord, returning to his estate poorer than when he left.
This becomes the first time anyone rejects Christ’s invitation to follow him.
***
Like each of us, this man wanted to follow Jesus. He wanted to be holy. Just a few verses prior, he runs up to Jesus, seeking his wisdom, eager to do his will.
Ultimately, what prevents this man from following the Lord is something we can all suffer from at times:
Fear.
He’s afraid of taking a leap of faith.
He’s afraid that, if he gives up all of his belongings, then he won’t be happy. He’ll be sad. He’s afraid that, if he follows Jesus, then the Lord will take everything fun away from him. He’s afraid of missing out on life.
He’s afraid that “eternal life” might only come after years of suffering; of generous, penniless living.
Perhaps this man walked away that day hoping there was still another way; an easier, way; a road more traveled, allowing him to maintain the status quo, some semblance of a relationship with God.
***
I’ve felt this fear in my own life. I remember walking through the doors of the seminary fifteen years ago, starting my studies for the priesthood.
I wondered deep inside, “Can I really do this? Can I give up all that Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel – my mother, my father, children, land, a home, all for his sake? What if I’m not good at it? Can I compromise with God? What if I fail?”
***
My brothers and sisters in Christ, what happens to the rich young man? He chooses his possessions; the path of perceived security; he gives into his fear.
He “walks away sad.”
Sad because he missed out on the opportunity to do something great; to discover Jesus; to seize the opportunity to satisfy his deepest hunger.
Do the fears of the rich young man resonate with you? Have you ever been afraid of letting something or someone go for Jesus, trusting he will give even more in return?
***
As we approach this altar, may we vote with our feet, leaving behind whatever holds us captive.
Take the leap of faith.
Allow God to show what the path he traces leads to: joy and peace, signs of eternal life to come.
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Image credits: (1) Home Alone (2) Adobe Stock (3) Christ Walking on Water, Julius von Klever
