DAILY GRACE
June 1, 2020, Monday of the Eighth Week of Ordinary Time
Scripture: Mark 10:17-27
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.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Meditation
“‘Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said. . . .”
I don’t think Jesus liked flattery. When the rich man runs up, falls to his knees, and hails Jesus as “Good Teacher,” Jesus objects at once. Their dialogue doesn’t have a happy beginning. But Jesus does reply to the man’s question. He summarizes some of the commandments, including deference to parents, — which suggests that the man is young.
Jesus’ questioner replies eagerly that he has kept all the commandments since early adolescence.
Now the dialogue reaches its high point. Jesus looks at the rich young man with love and invites him to take the further step of selling his property and becoming an itinerant disciple. The man’s face falls, and he leaves in sadness.
What had he expected? Perhaps he had wanted to be a disciple part time, without having to sell his possessions and give away the proceeds. It seems that he wanted the best of two worlds.
This makes me reflect: do I myself want the best of two worlds? Do I want to be a disciple only part of the time? If I were to follow the Master completely, fully, without reservation, would I have to give up something? What would that be? So many other appeals come at me from all sides!
Prayer
Lord, you know my divided heart and why it is so. This world I live in is filled with much more noise than the blaring of horns, the babble of voices, the blast of music. There are siren songs that smother your still, small voice. How can I hear you in the midst of all this din? Please break through my “deafness,” my “spiritual division.”
Contemplation
“For God all things are possible.”