RBWords

     There's an old saying, "Be careful what you pray for because you may get it!"  The young man in the gospel scripture for today asked for a way to gain eternal life, and he got it but it was not what he was expecting!  It had never occurred to him that he would have to give up his material security to gain the "more" that he was looking for.  His life, by the standards of his time, had been exemplary.  He had kept the commandments.  But he still felt there was something "more" he could do, and he was right, but the "more" turned out to be "less."  He learned a valuable lesson in discipleship.  The security of the disciple is in the following of Jesus and not in any form of material wealth.

 

     What is interesting about this young man is that it had not occurred to him that he was dependent on his wealth.  He took it for granted.  It was part of him.  Or at least he thought it was!  This is where the challenge lies for all of us in our own efforts to be good disciples.  Can we identify what Jesus might ask US to do to gain eternal life?  Do we try to follow him on our own terms?  This scene in the gospel always reminds me of the retreat exercise with students that I have mentioned here in the past.  Each student was given some slips of paper to write down the five most important people, things and activities in their lives.  Then they were asked to discard them one by one in order of importance, beginning with the least important!  Of course all of these things were already important!  At the end of the exercise, there would not be a dry eye in the group, male or female!  They learned what we must all learn about discipleship:  Jesus comes first.  AMEN