As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” –from today’s Gospel
The Story of the rich man is two stories. There is dialogue between the rich man and Jesus, and after that follows conversation between Jesus and the disciples.
The rich man has kept all the rules; he did whatever was possible in his mind, to achieve the everlasting life. However, he knows that there is more. He seeks Jesus out for the greater challenge to go deeper in his walk with God. But his face falls when he learns the cost. Jesus 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.” Following Jesus is one thing; giving up his possessions is another.
The disciples at first see this test as too hard: if this is the standard, who can be saved? Jesus promises Peter, and us that one who has surrendered his/her old life in favor of the Gospel, of God’s teaching, will be rewarded a hundredfold with property, family, persecution and eternal life.
Did I say persecution? If we read beyond this passage, we find the disciples amazed and afraid at this speech. So Jesus once again explains what the son of Man must suffer.
Many times, we act the same way as that rich man did, and even as the apostles. We would say; I obey the rules, I pray, I really do not sin. But is that the true case? What about the peer pressure? How do we witness our faith, Jesus, in our daily life, in our work places, in our schools, in our society? Are we really doing what God asks us to do? Or are we sometimes ashamed of God’s rules and God Himself?
We are Disciples of Christ. Discipleship has its price, and we are all like the rich man who finds it set just a bit higher than what we expected to pay. Yes, we have to obey the God’s commandments. Yes, we have to obey the Church’s rules. We cannot be ashamed of our faith in our society, no matter what the price we will have to pay.
May God bless you and Mary always keep you in her prayers.