READ SCRIPTURE (Mark 10:17-31)
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.”
Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news,who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 3But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
REFLECT ON THE READING
Jesus responds to the question by referring to the commandments, but this is not new information. All these laws were familiar to the devout man kneeling in front of Jesus. This disciple is ready to move to a deeper level. Jesus looks at him, loves him, and speaks candidly. Jesus asks the man to sell everything and give money to the poor. These words send the rich man away in grief and shock. He cannot comply because he has too much.
If Jesus loved the man, why not give him an easier answer?
How does the answer of Jesus reflect love?
How might giving away his possessions have helped this man?
PRAY
God of possibilities, give clarity to my use of money and possessions. Amen.
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