Before You Go
Sometimes the Gospel story is so familiar to us that we hear it without taking away a message for us.
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.' " He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. - Mark 10:17-21
Today's Gospel reading is one such story, for it focuses on one who has great wealth, not someone like us.
But let's take a close look at the situation and see if we can find a lesson for ourselves in this.
Just as Jesus is about to leave, the man rushes to him to ask a question, and the way he addresses Jesus gets him a strange reaction. Why do you call me good?
It is almost as though Jesus doesn't trust this man's intentions. Is he seeking out Jesus for understanding or is he looking to get public affirmation of his own goodness?
The way Jesus responds makes me wonder if the man's question was asked with a strong emphasis on the word "I". What must I do?
What does someone of my station and importance have to do?
Jesus tells him "You know the commandments." Then he repeats them, but when the man says he has kept all these since childhood, something happens between them.
Mark tells us that Jesus looks at him and loves him. He sees that there are things in this man's life that are holding him back, and he tells the man to let them go.
While keeping the commandments was easy for the man, letting go of all he owns is not so easy.
To be a disciple of Christ, it is not enough that we follow all the rules. God had given us the Commandments through Moses, and while we have many stories of those who failed to follow one or another, most of us may actually manage to make it through life keeping them, like this man.
The shocking news here is that keeping the commandments may not be enough if we seek eternal life. That's where Jesus sets his followers apart from all others who follow the laws of God.
What if the man had said, "Yes?" Would he have gone on to be one of the saints we know today, like Peter or Paul? We will never know.
If we think we have locked in our ticket to eternal life through Christ, because we are followers, perhaps we should ask ourselves the question the man asked Jesus. What else can I do?
In the end, Jesus says it is really not up to us to cement our fate with actions, but it is God who makes all things possible.
So, that is who we want to please. Not ourselves. And that requires effort and thought each day. Whatever we do, we should do it to glorify God, not ourselves.
Easier said than done.
More to come...