The Rich Young Man

Our first reading from Wisdom tells us that The Word of God – the Logos – who is Jesus Christ as prophesied through the entire Bible – sees everything. Nothing is concealed from him and we each must render an account before him… Two Sundays ago our second reading was from James, who warned about the judgement: “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire.” It is clear from sacred scripture that what matters to our Lord at the end is how much we loved. How big is your heart? Do you give what you can to help those in need? In the final judgement you can forget about your degrees, your resume, bank account, 401K, your jewelry, or your new car or your boat!

Our Gospel reading follows the same theme. Mark tells us the rich young man meets Jesus as he is "setting out on a journey." Jesus is not traveling around the countryside stopping to visit friends and relatives. In the next chapter St. Mark will tell us that Jesus enters Jerusalem. He is deliberately going to the place where he will die and he has been inviting people to become his disciples by following him, and that's precisely where the man encounters Jesus, ‘on the way to Calvary’.

The man admits to having obeyed the commandments and we learn he has many possessions. The prevailing belief at the time was that possessions were a sign that a person was favored by God. Conversely, the sick and poor were cursed. He is a good man and he is ‘blessed’ in his life. But on his own, and despite his apparent fortune, there is one thing he still lacks, "eternal life."

Things start off pretty well for the man. When Jesus reminds him of the commandments he responds, "Teacher all these I have observed from my youth." "Jesus, looking at him, loved him." Then Jesus asks the man to put aside what would have made him feel secure and blessed in his relationship with God -- his wealth. The man had all he needed and wanted and Jesus asked him to give it up. If he did give away his possessions, he must have reasoned, what would he have to show that he was in good standing before God?

But the answer was literally staring him in the face! He would have Jesus and that would be more than enough. Think about it, had he done what was asked, following Jesus would have taken him to Jerusalem. He would have shared in the last supper, seen Jesus suffer and die on the cross. He would experience the miracle of the resurrection and then, with the other disciples, he would have been gifted with what he was so earnestly desiring, "eternal life." He may have found his way to the upper room at Pentecost and receive the Holy Spirit and start to build the Church… But Jesus was asking too much.

Notice that Jesus didn't ask the man to be just ‘spiritually poor’ or to simply be ‘detached’ from material things… He actually asked him to give up his material possessions. Then Jesus goes on to tell his disciples how hard it would be for anyone with wealth to enter the kingdom of God – reminiscent of what we earlier heard in Wisdom and James… But this teaching is a hard one especially for those of us who are doing well, it makes us uncomfortable.

In recent weeks we have heard Jesus repeatedly tell his disciples to put aside their ambition and desire for power. His instruction on the conditions for discipleship continues.

Religious practices and observances are not enough. They are not enough for us. Jesus asks the extraordinary from his followers, their very lives, to follow him into life.
The rich man fades into the background. Now Jesus engages those already following him, his disciples. He says twice, "how hard" it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God and then, "How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God." Now he is speaking to his disciples who have no riches. To make his point more vivid he adds, "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." This no watering down what he just said and the disciples are rightly astonished. They respond, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus then speaks the ‘grace response’ that lies behind each of his teachings and actions. " For human beings it is impossible but not for God. All things are possible for God." Even a very good person cannot adequately respond to God on his or her own. It’s not enough to ‘just be nice,’ or to pray so many novenas… discipleship requires a self-emptying.

We cannot follow Jesus' way without God's grace (which is his gift) – We must accept God's kingdom like children who can claim no power or rights on their own (MK 10:13-16). Jesus is asking that we make a total commitment to him, trusting God in our smallness – whether you are unemployed or a four star general. "I assure you” says Jesus, “ that whoever does not accept the reign of God like a little child shall not take part in it.”

I am often guilty of skirting around Jesus' message which is literally: "Go, sell what you have and give to the poor...." because I admit it makes me very uncomfortable. Well, we nevertheless must face the hard reality of letting go of those things we cling to for security. It is the Gospel, but it’s not easy for any of us who can sympathize with the young man. But I think Luke 12:42 is most informative for our purpose: “ For whom much is given, much is expected.”

No superficial answers will suffice here. All of us who seek the Kingdom will have to ask for the gift of wisdom to know how to respond honestly to Jesus' call to "sell what you have." As a response to the gospel the Wisdom reading is of help. It prompts us to pray for "the spirit of wisdom" (Wis7:7). The subject of our first reading chooses wisdom over everything else. It's God's gift to help us reflect on our unique journey on the way and make prudent choices according to His ways – not our ways.

A man in my Thursday scripture study recently asked me how we can know when we’ve given enough, or for that matter how much to give in my particular situation. I remembered what Mother Teresa said to an American businessman who asked the same question of her: “Give until it starts to hurt” was her response. Sacrificial giving of ones possessions to follow Christ requires removal of those things we cling to which are really barriers to our joining Christ on the way. And that choice can hurt and cause us to have to change our plans.

Wisdom will help us discern what exterior possessions, or interior dispositions, those attachments, we must put aside to follow Jesus and receive life. The story of the rich man makes it clear that even living an upright life is not enough to enter the reign of God -- for that we must pray for wisdom, give generously with love and then rely completely on God who sees all and knows all.