October 14, 2018
Readings:
First
Reading: Wisdom 7: 7-11
Psalm: 90
Second Reading: Hebrew 4: 12-13
Gospel reading according to Mark 10:
17-30 (or 10: 17-27)
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Homily:
As usual, after
a short rest, Jesus was on the move to preach the Reign-Kingdom of God to as
many people in different places as possible.
But before leaving the house of Simon Peter and Andrew, a rich young man
interrupted their journey for he wanted to ask Jesus. “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?’” (Mk. 10:
17). This rich young man hurried up to
catch up Jesus who was very active and always ready on the move. When he caught up Jesus, he knelt down
begging him and asked him about eternal life.
He was very rich and young so he thought how to enjoy his wealth for the
rest of his life and even extended to eternal life. He addressed Jesus as good teacher. He was not referring to eternal life in
heaven when he dies here on earth, but an extended life here on earth to enjoy
his vast wealth to himself forever.
Jesus knew the
tricks of this rich young man when he called Jesus as good teacher. When you are rich and young, you are blessed
by good things in life, as mundane thinks.
In the mind of this rich young man, for riches are the measurements of
blessed and happy life, to be extended. “Jesus answered him, ‘Why do you call me
good? No one is good but God alone. You
know the commandments: You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you
shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not defraud; honor
your father and mother’.” (Mk. 10: 18-19).
Jesus as truly “good teacher,” in the sense of a truly master and
leader, taught this rich young man the eternal wisdom, that only God is good,
meaning God is the source of all goodness, of all created good things visible
and invisible, of the past, the present and the future. Then Jesus recalled one by one the Ten
Commandments, although he referred only those Commandments in relation with
neighbors. He did not refer the
Commandments in relations with God. “He replied and said to him, ‘Teacher, all of
these I have observed from my youth’.” (Mk. 10: 20). He said that he did them all from his
adolescence up until now. It was easy to
say than to do them with right understanding of the Ten Commandments. He did not actually do them for others, for
his neighbors but only for his self-satisfaction.
Despite of his
insincerity and pretention “Jesus,
looking at him, loved him and 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’.” (Mk. 10: 21).
With loving look and understanding, he was invited by Jesus to do greater thing
he did not yet do, that instead of acquiring and keeping treasures on earth: go
back home, take and sell all your properties and all the proceeds be given
lavishly and generously to the poor until you have nothing to yourself here on
earth, but that make you rich with treasures in heaven, that no rush, moth,
rats can destroy nor thieves can rob.
Afterwards, follow Jesus wherever he goes.
But, because his
intention was different and his understanding with eternal life, or the Ten Commandments
and on what Jesus’ invitation to him were not what he was expecting. He had a long face, sad and lonely, for he
did not expect what Jesus taught him to do, especially with his treasures. “At
that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possession”
(Mk. 10: 22). He went away, though sad
and lonely but he cannot leave behind his properties nor give them away to his
neighbors – the materially deprived, marginalized and poor people, for he
worked diligently, long, and hard to have them.
Because of this actuation and response
of the rich young man, “Jesus looked
around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to
enter the Kingdom of God!’” (Mk 10: 23).
Jesus looked, as he did to the rich young man, his disciples with the
same love and affection and worries that they might fall in the trap with the
same deception and trick the rich young man fell. He reminded them about wealth as oppose to
the Kingdom of God, where eternal life be found. As it was written in the Book of Wisdom (first reading), “I prayed and prudence (caution)
was given to me; I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her [wisdom] to scepter and throne, and deemed riches
nothing in comparison with her, nor did I liken any priceless gem to her,
because all gold, in view of her, is little sand, and before her, silver is to
be accounted mire (mud). Beyond
health and comeliness I loved her, and I chose to have her rather than the
light, because the splendor of her never yields to sleep. Yet all good things together came to me in
her company, and countless riches at her hands” (Wis. 7: 7-11). As compare with the wealth of this earth,
i.e., scepter and throne, riches, priceless
gem, gold, and silver, etc., nothing can replace the wealth of heaven, i.e.,
prudence, spirit of wisdom, health and comeliness, all good things together,
and countless riches at her hands; this is the Reign-Kingdom of God. The wealth of this earth cannot truly give
happiness and joy in life but only sorrow and sadness and worries. You cannot sleep well for you are afraid that
your wealth might be stolen while you are sleeping; you need also to build high
walls to protect your wealth and to hire guards to secure your property, so it
is unwise to keep wealth that makes your life miserable and tied to your wealth.
The disciples also did not expect to
hear it from Jesus and his worries. “The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply,
‘Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to past through the eye
of the needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God’.” (Mk.
10: 24-25). Jesus used an actual gate in
entering Jerusalem called an “Eye of the Needle,” were all Jewish people knew
about it, where merchants and sellers of goods pass through. He used this as an example and metaphoric
explanation in bringing to mind the attitude and desire in entering the Kingdom
of God. As compare with rich traders,
and sellers, and merchants who carry their goods in the market place, they
cannot carry them all to bring inside of the marketplace. They are required to pass through a narrow
gate called an “eye of the needle.” To
enter, they have to unload all their goods at the back of their camel or any
animals of burden, letting enter first the camel in and then one by one they
carry their items sideways in entering that narrow gate, and when inside one by
one again they load their goods at the back of their camel. Nobody can pass with heavy loads in the “eye
of the needle” except those who have nothing carrying a heavy load. The same when entering into the Reign-Kingdom
of God, nobody can enter into it except himself/herself and as long as he//she
has nothing he/she carries from the earth.
“They
were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, ‘Then who can be saved?’”
(Mk. 10: 26). As if they were saying
that they too have also material wealth, possessed properties, and even heavy
loads they are carrying, for they said, “Then
who can be saved,” meaning who can be saved with his/her properties. Can anyone be saved with his/her properties
and wealth? Does wealth can save from
this life to the next life, in eternal life in heaven, in the Reign-Kingdom of
God? Yes, of course. Any rich person can be saved if he/she does
not depend his/her life in his/her wealth but his/her faith is anchored in God
and ready to serve God through others.
Again, Jesus looked his disciples with
understanding and patience, with loving care. He understood the situations of
his followers, they also needed material things that can satisfy their physical
needs, but he would like to teach them that there is higher good that can
sustain their needs and even eternal life which only God can give. “Jesus
looked at them and said, ‘For human beings it is impossible, but not for
God. All things are possible for God’.”
(Mk. 10: 27). In God, everything is
possible. There is no impossible with
God.
Simon Peter, the leader and spokesperson
of the group who left his wife and children, his work as fisherman, even his
whole life just to follow Jesus wherever he goes. “Peter
began to say to him, ‘We have given up everything and followed you’.” (Mk.
10: 28). On behalf of the chosen
disciples, Peter told Jesus that they left everything to follow him; therefore,
they too are expecting something in return.
Jesus offered replacement. “Jesus said, ‘Amen, I say to you, there is no
one who has given up house or brothers and sisters or mother or father or children
or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a
hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and
mothers [and fathers] and children and lands, with persecution, and eternal
life in the age to come’.” (Mk. 10: 29-30).
Those who left homes, families, parents, properties for Jesus’ sake and
the gospel with persecution as well will receive more than what they are
expecting and imagining. They will
obtain double or triple rewards in exchange of what they have left behind in
order to follow Jesus Christ and his gospel, and also expecting persecution as
part of that rewards.
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