Walking with Jesus: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30

What are the most challenging words of Jesus? Which are the most difficult to put into our lives on a regular basis? What words of Jesus are most uncomfortable? Those words probably could be used interchangeably in the questions above.

• “Great crowds were traveling with Jesus and He turned and addressed them, ‘If anyone comes to Me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even their own life, they cannot be my disciple.’” (Luke 14:25-33)
• “So you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)
• “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek turn the other one to them as well.’” (Matthew 5:38)
• “Again, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31)
• “Then Peter approaching asked Jesus, ‘Lord if my brother/sister sins against me, how often must I forgive them? As many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I say to you not seven times but seventy-seven times.”  (Matthew 18:21)
• The young rich man in today’s gospel asked, “'What must I do to inherit eternal life? I have observed all the commandments.' 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 the statement his face fell, and he went away sad for he had many possessions.” (Mark 10:21-22)

These are some of the tough responses of Jesus. It is interesting to note that Jesus was asked 183 questions and He only answered three. He gave us a way of life to live. How am I doing in this? Am I living the life of love that Jesus lived daily? Jesus’ words certainly are challenging. Each person has many choices: Do I ignore them? Say that they are meaningless in today’s world? Do I rationalize my way around them? Do I walk away from the ones I disagree with and follow those who seem OK? Do I allow them to actually challenge me and call me to deeper discipleship?

Today the Book of Wisdom presents its central point: Wisdom, often personified as a woman, is a greater treasure than anything else because wisdom gives insight into the ways of God. “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came to me.” (Wisdom 7:7) Solomon did not ask for material gifts and earthly wealth, which leads to more questions: What does God prize? How do I respond to others in love? How do I realize that it is all about using God’s gifts to respond to those in need?

Paul is exhorting his readers to remain faithful to God. Israel's experiences illustrated their infidelity so consistently that an entire generation was denied entrance to the Promised Land. We hear the Word of God, but what are we doing about it? Jesus brings out, and Paul emphasizes, the fact that the Word of God brings either salvation to those who live its ways of love, or judgment for those who prefer their own ways.

We see this in the Gospel, which gives a concrete example with the young man who is living the “American Way:” living life to its fullest while trying to take care of others. The American Way is the gospel of wealth, which is not peculiarly American. It is essentially what people believed in Jesus’ day; that is, riches were a sign of God’s blessing. That’s why the disciples are astonished to hear Jesus say, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10: 23) The young man had lived all the commandments and yet still felt that he needed to do more ... and Jesus loved him for this. But still he hung on to what he felt was important to him and he was not willing to let it go. What do I hang on to and not let go? If the house was on fire, what would I save:? People? Things? Mementos? Does my choice say something about what I value?

Jesus challenges us in the Gospel:

• The rich young man tried to earn God’s love and felt he deserved it: “I earned it.”
• There is nothing you or I can do to make God love us more or less. God’s love is a gift and God always loves everyone unconditionally because God is good; not because we are.
• It’s hard for us to realize that God loves us because of all our flaws and sins. Does God really love me absolutely? Yes, we wrestle with this because we can’t love or even forgive like this.
• In God’s eyes, wealth does not equal privilege: It becomes an obstacle for entry into heaven.
• Another tough saying: “You cannot love both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)
• The challenging words of Jesus are an invitation to discipleship; this brings us to heaven.
  

So I reflect on:

• If Jesus asked me to leave everything now, how would I respond? What treasure gleams more brightly to me and is more attractive than Jesus?
• Did the youth in the Gospel come back?  Jesus waits for us, always loving us; do I want His love?
  

Sacred Space 2021 states:

“Thank you, Lord, for this most consoling of images. I was not brought into this world to help You out of a mess. You above all are the one who is working. Our dynamism, active in nature from the beginning of time, should humble me. You are the force of growth, and if You privilege me with the chance to add incrementally to that growth, that is Your gift to me, not mine to You.”