The Rich Young Man, the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year B

My Sisters and Brothers:

 

     I wonder if today’s Gospel story simply challenges or criticizes wealthy people who value their riches more than spiritual things?  Perhaps.  It does present us with an account of a rich young man who, although asked to give up his possessions in order to follow Jesus, was unable to do so (see Mark 10:17-30).

 

   Even though the rich young man had strictly observed all of the Ten Commandments during the course of his life, Jesus told him there was still more he was called to do. I think Jesus challenged him to make a deeper faith commitment that involved the total surrender of not really just his possessions, but actually his heart and his will as well. The young man’s failure to do as Jesus asked might be symbolic of all of those struggles we too may have as we try to overcome our own selfish temptations.
 
    I believe the message of today’s Gospel can challenge us to think about those things in our own lives that might occupy too much of our attention, our hopes and our desires. We might ask: Are there things upon which we might be tempted to place more value than for God or for his people? And does being distracted by these things indeed cause us to be insufficiently dedicated to the very noble and the many responsibilities and attitudes that our faith places upon us?

 

     And so, what are those things in our lives that possibly control us and upon which we might place too much value? Using the “seven deadly sins” as a guide, a few things on this list perhaps might be as follows: uncontrolled and selfish desire for physical pleasure, inability to maintain a healthy diet of food and nutrition, constant craving for power, money and/or prestige, lethargic and/or lazy approaches to responsibilities at work or school, over-exaggerated feelings of anger when struggling with the challenges of life or when dealing with perceived faults of others, extreme envy and/or jealousy towards others who have been blessed with success and good fortune, and lastly (and perhaps most “deadly”), bloated pride in our own accomplishments that leads us to a self-perceived sense of superiority over others.
 
     Unlike the rich young man presented in today’s Gospel, can we in contrast truly give up those things in our own lives that might “possess” us? And then, in contrast to these things, might we instead strive to be unselfish and genuinely loving towards others, good stewards of our personal health, joyfully generous with our resources, enthusiastic about our work and responsibilities, mercifully patient with and towards others, always full of kindness, and authentically humble about who we truly are?

 

     We may not have so many riches like the young man in today’s Gospel, but there may be things in our lives that prevent us from serving the Lord with our whole heart, mind and soul. To paraphrase today’s Gospel message then, I believe Jesus tells us: “Turn away from those things that possess you, place yourselves in service to others, and then you will have treasure in heaven and will be able to follow me with all that you are!”

 

     My friends, may we do this well!

 

     Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

     Find me on Facebook by clicking the following link: http://www.facebook.com/frayteo