Word to the Wise
Monday, February 27, 2017 - Monday in the 8th Week in Ordinary Time
[Sir 17:20-24 and Mark 10:17-27]"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" [Mark]
Jesus could see the intensity of this man's faith. We are told: "Jesus, looking at him, loved him..." But the man was not anticipating what Jesus said in reply after hearing of the man's faithfulness to the commandments. Nor were the disciples, either. The man had many possessions. Both he and the disciples would have seen this as evidence of God's approval and blessing for that faithfulness. Instead, Jesus offers him a way to go deeper. In a sense, Jesus says, "You have settled for second best." The possessions stood between the man and discipleship.
The astonishment of the disciples and the sadness of the man lead Jesus to comment on the uneasy relationship between material wealth and discipleship. Salvation does not come in the form of material blessings. In essence, Jesus challenges the man and the disciples to choose between "things" and following Him. Salvation comes from faith and not from wealth. The man thought of his material blessings as proof that he was in right relation with God. Jesus says otherwise.
There are many examples in our culture now of church communities where the "gospel of prosperity" continues to be preached. It is hard to understand how this can be done in the light of Jesus' continual warnings, but it is there both in Catholic and Protestant churches. Today's gospel scene can challenge us to look and see how we are impacted by this kind of thinking. AMEN