TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
Cycle
“B” Mk 10, 17-3O
Rich young man
Do
you know the story of the monk and the jewels ? A monk was lost in meditation
by the bank of a river. A novice put before him two exquisite jewels as a sign
of his devotion. The monk opened his eyes and picked up one of the jewels. It
rolled out of his hand and into the river. The novice immediately jumped into
the river, but he could not find it. So he asked the monk to point out the spot
where it fell. The monk picked up the second jewel and tossed it into the
river. He pointed and said, “Right there.” The monk then added, “Do not allow
yourself to be owned by objects. They’ll drag you into the river.”
Contrary
to what many people may think, Jesus invited but one person to give all his
possessions away. That individual is the rich man of today’s Gospel. The
delicious irony is that this solitary command was turned down flat by this
Gospel’s millionaire. Did the Christ never ask anyone again because he had
become gun shy at this putdown? Or could it be that we do not understand his
views on possessions and poverty? The latter I submit is the case.
Consider
certain facts: the Teacher stayed often in the large comfortable home of
Martha, Mary, and Lazarus outside Jerusalem. He never asked them to sell the
rambling house and share the dollars with Jerusalem’s poor. He never asked the
apostles to sell their costly fishing boats. We know he often sailed in them
for business and pleasure. He enjoyed parties, drank and danced at weddings, took
delight in four-star meals, and with bad people at that. He obviously enjoyed
the good life when it came his way. Why then did Jesus make this extraordinary
demand of the wealthy man of today’s Gospel?
Well,
the fellow had told Jesus of the sins he did not commit -
adultery, murder, etc.. Reading his heart, Jesus knew that the man could
not take up his invitation. Up to that time the rich man had kept the
commandments in his own strength. “Teacher, all these I have observed from my
youth” (Mk 10, 20). Jesus now asked him to do something beyond his capacity
precisely so as to bring him to the point where he needed to call out to God
for the strength to do it. He went away. He could not face the truth that he
could no longer follow God in his own strength and that he needed to receive
power from God. In order to be an achiever we need first to be a
receiver. This is a hard truth to face, as it means confronting our own
weakness and poverty. But from it comes great consolation, as we recognise
God’s closeness and love.
On
24th. March 200O, Pope John Paul II, speaking to youth on the Mount
of Beatitudes in Israel, said: “To be good Christians may seem beyond your
strength in today’s world. But Jesus does not stand aloof, leaving you to face
the challenge alone. He is always with you, to transform your weakness into
strength.” So, my dear friends, we must believe that the power within us is
greater than the problem before us. We must want God supremely, so that while
we may desire health, talents, etc., all this can only be in subordination to
his holy will. In affliction and in happiness, we must want God for his own
sake. As long as we believe that we are precious to God, we are truly wealthy
and secure with that higher security that the rich man failed to grasp and take
the risk with Jesus.
This
is well exemplified in an incident narrated by the Author A.J. Cronin in his
book, Adventures in Two Worlds. When
A. J. Cronin was a medical officer in a Welsh mining township, a middle-aged
nurse was serving the people of Tregenny for more than 20 years with patience
serene cheerfulness. Though she was loved by the people, her salary was most
inadequate. One night, when she returned from a particularly strenuous case,
Mr. Cronin ventured to protest to her as they sipped a cup of coffee. “Nurse,”
he said, “why don’t you make them pay you more? It’s ridiculous that you should
work for so little.” She looked up and said with a smile, “I have enough to get
along.” “No really,” Cronin persisted, “you ought to have an extra pound a week
at least. God knows you’re worth it.” There was a pause. Her smile remained,
but she softly replied, “Doctor, if God knows I’m worth it, that’s all that
matters to me.” In that instant Cronin saw the rich significance to her life
and the comparative emptiness of his own.
PRAYER: {Based on the words of Austin Farrer
(1906-1968)
O
God, save me from this frivolous self which misuses your creation,
This
masterful self which manipulates your creation,
This
greedy self which exploits your creation;
This
self which throws its thick shadow of its own purposes and desires in every
direction,
So
that I cannot see what it is that you, my Lord and my God, are showing to me.
Teach
me to stand out of my own light,
And
let your daylight shine.
St. Thomas’/St. Mary’s Church,
Calcutta Sunday 11th. October 2009
Introduction:
“harden not your heart” (Ps. 95). The Word of God lays bare and
exposes people to God’s notice. The Word of God renders judgement, as it once
did in exposing the disobedience of the Exodus generation in the wilderness.
People no longer fear the Word of God – its power and judgement, but of
salvation, too. It is possible to hear and ignore the word, as did the
wilderness generation. It is not possible to escape God’s judgement. Those who hear
the word of God find themselves exposed before the God of judgement and
salvation: a God of judgement for those who rebel; a God of salvation for those
who are faithful.
Standing under the claim of God’s mercy, let us confess our sins to
God and to one another.
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