Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary TimeTwenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B

Readings: Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30

Who can be saved?

We have a rich young person today coming to Jesus to ask what he must do to ‘inherit eternal life.’ as it turns out, he has been a faithful observer of the Law and was a good person. Jesus then challenges him to do something he did not expect: to go and sell everything, give it to the poor and come follow Jesus. The Gospel says, ‘he went away sad for he was a man of great wealth.’

It seems that the young person had in his thoughts, that following the Law to its letter would guarantee him a place in eternal life. He seems to want to have an ‘yes’ from Jesus for his way of life, so he could continue to live as before. He seems to be satisfied with what he had and just wanted a nod from the teacher, so he does not need to do anything more. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as he had expected. His idea of living a good life was not anywhere closer to inheriting eternal life. Rather, he had to give up everything, that he felt as his own. He was asked to part with what was dear to him and give away his security. He had to lose control of his wealth and instead become dependent. This was hard for the young person. This was something he couldn’t do.

Being rich is something all of us desire. To own things, to eat good food, to live in a modest house, to have some holidays in a leisurely place is something all people look forward to. And I don’t think Jesus has problems with that. But the issue comes when we completely submerge ourselves in indulging in these ventures and forget that we have something more important in life, that is to do God’s will. God’s will is that, we share what we have with the other, live a life focussed on God, and depend on God rather than on our possessions.

The young man today, though had been living a good life, did not depend on God. he had his wealth as his security. He was focussed more on his own salvation, so he did not have to worry about the other. In the teaching of Jesus, we all are responsible for each other. Our wealth is something we need to share with the other and all of us together enter the eternal life.

Let us pray today for the generosity of heart, so that begin to depend on God. we begin to make God as our focus. Let us not be blinded by our possessions, rather be enlightened by God’s Spirit. And let this be our prayer, that we all together, hand in hand enter the kingdom of God, which Jesus promised us.

Amen.