Homily-October 15, 2006
I have come to the conclusion that it is probably good that I was not born at the time and place where I would have met Jesus in person. As much as I think it would have been wonderful to walk with him and talk to him, it seems to me that Jesus was not the kind of person to have a casual conversation or relationship with. Have you ever met people like that? They can’t “shoot the bull” with you. They can’t be casual. They always have something challenging or serious to say. They’re very intense.
I’m not saying that Jesus was always serious and intense. He probably could have fun and just let his hair down from time to time but there isn’t much evidence of that in the stories we are given in the Gospels. Today’s story is such an example.
We hear how a man comes up to Jesus and kneels down before him and asks, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” What a great question! Jesus must have been happy that someone approached him with the desire for salvation. So, Jesus answers him: “You know the commandments: don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery; don’t bear false witness; etc” Well, it appears that this man has kept all those commandments since his youth. This is a good person— a faithful person. He obeyed God. What a great disciple he would have been!
Now, I’m thinking that Jesus could have said to him, “I’m so happy for you! Thank you for being faithful. Come, follow me.” But, no. Jesus has to surprise this man and the rest of his disciples by saying something shocking: “Go, sell what you have. Give the money to the poor. Then, come and follow me.” I can imagine this man just staring at Jesus when he hears these words. Taken aback by what Jesus is asking of him, he simply walks away. We are told that his possessions were many.
If you’re like me, you might feel badly for this man. What more did he need to do? Wasn’t following the commandments enough? Why the insistence that he sell all his possessions to follow Jesus? Jesus hadn’t necessarily asked that of his other disciples. It seems that Peter still had his boat and a home. The others probably had some attachments even as they were following Jesus. In a sense, it seems that Jesus blew it for this guy. He could have added another disciple to his group.
But maybe Jesus knew something that we don’t know. Maybe Jesus knew that, while this man was a good person who followed the commandments, he might have been a bit too secure or dependent on his wealth. Perhaps Jesus could see that, eventually, this man’s loyalty might be divided between his material things and the demands of the spiritual life. Perhaps the man’s pride might have stood in the way. You know, with money and possessions come some status in society. Especially in biblical times, having money was seen as a blessing from God. And the more money you had, the more you could donate to charity and give to the beggar and feed the hungry.
There was honor that came with being a benefactor. Even today, great philanthropists can enjoy having their names put on a hospital or stadium.
Perhaps Jesus saw that, as good as this person was, there was still one huge factor to consider in his life: his relationship with material things. So Jesus asks him to sacrifice the very thing that gave him security, happiness and honor. “Sell your possessions, give the money to the poor.” This is something the person was not yet ready to do so he goes away saddened.
In dealing with this person in this way, Jesus surprises him and he also surprises his disciple. Jesus is saying that wealth and possessions can be obstacles to salvation. No where does Jesus say that money or wealth is a bad thing, but it can be an obstacle in one’s spiritual life. This contradicts the popularly held view that wealth and possessions were evidence of God’s favor. Even today, there are some Christians who believe that wealth and prosperity are signs of God’s blessing. Jesus says: not necessarily so. It depends on how attached one is to material things. We all know of people whose material or financial well being has resulted, not in a blessing, but a curse of sorts. How many people in our society, motivated by greed and power, have had it all taken away from them at some point? Jesus is making it clear that possessions can be false gods if one tries to find happiness in them. It’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, he says, than it is for a rich person to enter Heaven. Strong words. Surprising words.
Another surprise comes when the disciples are questioning Jesus. They are shocked at what he has already said and they exclaim, “If the rich find it difficult to get into Heaven, then how can anyone be saved?” But Jesus points out that it is not a matter of rich or poor saving themselves. It is God’s ability to save that we need to remember. It is impossible for us to earn our way into Heaven--either as rich people or even as poor people. Being rich or poor doesn’t insure that one is going to achieve salvation. Rather, salvation is God’s gift. It comes from God’s initiative. But it helps that we remain open to that invitation and that there is nothing to distract us from receiving that gift. Obviously, the rich run the risk of being distracted and, therefore, might not readily be open to the priority of the gift. While the poor, who have little to distract them, perhaps, are most open to the gift that is given to them by God.
This is why Jesus assures his disciples that even though they have abandoned much to follow him, they will receive even more than they had in the first place. This is another surprising statement. Jesus is telling his disciples and us that happiness can be found even without money or possessions. He promises them 100 times as many houses, brothers, sisters, property and more. In a society where the goal is to accumulate much in order to be happy, Jesus is teaching that true happiness can come from divesting oneself of the world. Then, there are riches and treasures to be gained in Heaven.
So Jesus is full of surprises in this Gospel. He surprises the man who approaches him for salvation by telling him that he needs to sell everything and then follow. He surprises the disciples by saying that the rich will have difficulty getting into Heaven. And he surprises them, again, by assuring them that when they give up everything, they can still be happy and fulfilled. What a challenge for the disciples of Jesus to witness this event and to be confronted with these teachings.
And how surprising is this for us? It should be very surprising. Maybe even shocking. Why? Because the words of Jesus are relevant in every age and generation. His words are more relevant to 21st century Americans than they were for the few rich who lived in his day and age. After all, we are among the richest people who have ever lived on this earth. We have more possessions than we know what to do with. And we are the most distracted because of the materialistic society we live in. All of this practically insures that the road to salvation will be difficult for us. It is possible that even people who obey all the commandments may find it difficult to accept the gift of salvation if they place their hopes only in this life. How will we respond? Will we pay heed to the challenges of Jesus in this regard or will we, like the rich person in the Gospel, simply turn and walk away because of that message? The choice is ours.
We are told that “where your heart is, there also is your treasure.” Are our hearts caught up in the material things of this life.? If so, that is the extent of our treasure. However, if our hearts are firmly fixed on the good things of God’s Kingdom, then it will be easier to let go of this world’s shallow blessings and take hold of the treasure that will last forever.