It’s almost comical how often the Israelites turn away from God and worship other gods. God tries to bring them back, raising up judges “to deliver them from the power of their despoilers,” but as soon as those judges die, the people return to their old ways of worshipping false idols. It would be easy to dismiss these ancient Israelites as foolish. It would be easy to assume that we have our priorities correct. After all, we’re not worshipping the Baals. We’re worshipping the one true God, keeping God’s commandments, and living like…

the young man in today’s Gospel? This young man faithfully observes God’s commandments. He desires eternal life and acts upon this desire by consulting Jesus, a wise teacher. But when Jesus tells him to sell all that he has, give it to the poor and then follow him, the young man “went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

The young man’s possessions keep him from fully following Jesus. His possessions have become a false god, an idol no better than the Baals. As a Jesuit who took a vow of poverty, I technically do not own any possessions. Again, it would be easy for me to dismiss this young man as foolish and assume that since I don’t own possessions, I am free to follow Jesus. Yet, I have clothing, food, means of transportation, and shelter. And I know that the use of these things can lead to idolatry. Having recently moved this summer, I know exactly how many boxes I need to pack “my” books, and I question if these many books possess me! I also see how I can become too attached to other things in my life, which can lead to an idolatry no better than the ancient Israelites and the rich young man: my favorite foods or television show, my routines and comforts, social media, podcasts and streaming services.

Fill in the blank: I went away sad, for I had many _____

Jesus is calling us to a deeper relationship. Are we free to follow him or do our attachments and idols hold us back? The good news is, like the young man, we all desire that deeper relationship. Can we ask Jesus to help us identify our idols? Can we ask for help to be freed from our idols?