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Gospel: 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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This is the only time in Mark’s Gospel when Jesus is recorded as loving someone.
Yet that person also walks away from him.
Just a few verses prior, the rich young man runs up to Jesus like a child, eager to hear his wisdom. Now, all of a sudden, he’s gone.
What was it about Christ’s divine love that repelled him?
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“Go, sell what you have,” Jesus says to him. “Give to the poor. Then, come follow me.”
The instructions were clear. The door was open. But the rich young man couldn’t make a leap of faith because he was afraid.
He was afraid that, if he gave up all of his belongings, then he wouldn’t be happy; he’d be sad.
He was afraid that, if he followed Jesus, then the Lord would take everything away from him. He was afraid of missing out on life, of giving the final years of his youth to a person whom he didn’t fully trust.
He was afraid that eternal life might only come after years of suffering; of generous, penniless living.
Perhaps he walked away from Jesus because he hoped there was another way, a different invitation, a road more traveled, allowing him to keep all the pieces of his life undisturbed and the plans for his future intact while also following Jesus.
Does any of this fear sound familiar?
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This fear is a lie.
Consider what happens to the rich young man. He walks away “sad.” Suddenly, a shadow is cast over his estate, even his heart. He had the opportunity to pursue greatness, to receive divine life, but he just couldn’t do it.
Fear is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Rather, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, joy, and gentleness are. These are the things we receive when we follow Jesus.
Sometimes that path requires risks, as the rich young man discovered. But like little lambs, you and I should follow the Lord wherever he may go.
It only leads to a fuller life now and in the age to come.
What might it look like for me to follow Jesus today?
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Image credits: (1) Christ and the Rich Young Man, Heinrich Hofmann (2) FreePik (3) Adobe Stock