Culture

Jesus showed that gaining the kingdom of heaven requires more than simple piety and faithful obedience. It demands a sense of charity and surrender -- not just giving what we own, but giving who we are.

Deacon Greg
Kandra

Wis 7:7-11
Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17
Heb 4:12-13
Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27

Think it's easy to gain eternal life? Think again. That message lies at the heart of this Sunday's Gospel, the familiar story from St. Mark about a rich young man who approached Jesus with a sincere question -- but who got an answer he didn't expect or, frankly, want.

Getting into heaven, it turns out, involves more than just being good and following rules. It involves a kind of complete surrender -- and for the rich young man, it was more than he bargained on.

"You are lacking in one thing," Jesus told him. "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

That's hard enough for someone young and rich with many possessions; but what about the rest of us? Christ's message here goes beyond money and wealth. It is not only about the things we possess, but about the things that possess us.

"Children," Jesus explained, "how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!" Only after he said that did Jesus qualify it to refer explicitly to someone with great wealth. The fact remains: salvation doesn't come easily, no matter what your circumstances in life.

Confronted with this provocative episode, it's worth asking ourselves: what are the things we own -- or that own us -- that make it hard for us to enter the kingdom of heaven? What is holding us back or weighing us down?

For some, of course, it might be material wealth. But for others, it may be harder to name. Are we being held back by fear? Are we anxious or unable to place our trust in God? Are we too attached to our own sins -- pride, greed, pettiness, bigotry, anger?

Do we measure our lives by what we get, win, achieve, earn -- rather than by what we sacrifice or give for others?

Among our possessions, do we think at all about our capacity to love God and serve one another?

It's notable that when Jesus addressed the rich young man, he didn't ask him to simply do away with worldly things; no, he commanded him to do something else, to sacrifice for others in a very particular way. Here, as he did so often, Jesus was showing his compassion and preferential option for the poor.

It's also worth remembering: there are many kinds of poverty and many types of need. How do we try to address those needs in our own world? What about those who need consolation, or empathy, or prayer? Do we strive in our own lives to help those who are poor in self-esteem or hungry for dignity? Do we make an effort to defend the defenseless or help the helpless?

A lot of us are wealthy in ways that have nothing to do with material possessions or money. We may have loving families, supportive spouses, a sense of peace and self-worth that might elude some of our neighbors. Do we open our arms and our hearts to those who feel cut off, marginalized, alone, lost?

Here and elsewhere, Jesus showed that gaining the kingdom of heaven requires more than simple piety and faithful obedience. It demands a sense of charity and surrender -- not just giving what we own, but giving who we are. It demands, in a real sense, to be like Christ.

Are we ready to do that?

Among other things, the scriptures this Sunday call on us to remember what really matters. The first reading, from Wisdom, compares gold to sand and silver to mire. Wisdom and prudence are what have the most value.

Likewise, in Christ's teaching, generosity, sacrifice and charity are priceless. They point the way to eternal life, and this invaluable lesson: we are saved not by what we get, but by what we give -- and how we love.

- Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog, "The Deacon's Bench."

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