"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.' At that statement, his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions." Mark 10:21-22 Throughout Mark's Gospel, disciples of Jesus are invited to conversion from an old way of thinking and acting, to a new way - the way of Jesus. They are asked to journey from the fear of suffering and death, to walking with trust in the living God. They are asked to turn away from an attachment to their false sense of security, to the freedom of being "beloved of God." The rich man in today's Gospel reading was asked to turn away from an exaggerated sense of self, and of meriting his own salvation, to the compassionate response of love for the poor in his community. He was asked to think not only about salvation as "my salvation," but "our salvation." Today, I think we are very much like the rich man in the Gospel. We are certainly "beloved of God," but we are terrified to receive that love and to rest in it. We are caught in a complex cultural and religious web of false securities - financial security, military security, even physical and emotional security, not to mention our desire to secure our personal status in the afterlife. Like the rich man Jesus looked upon with love, we cannot extricate ourselves from the slavery of pursuing these securities, even though, as we all know, financial catastrophes happen, and there is not enough insurance in the world to ensure unlimited physical and emotional health. We cannot sustain a military budget large enough to protect us from our enemies, nor can we rely on strategic defense to right the wrongs in the world, especially when the poor suffer the consequences of our excesses. These are the false idols that trap us, and from which Jesus came to save us. No wonder so many of us are sad! Imagine the perplexity and sadness that must have overcome that would-be disciple of Jesus when told that his religious obedience was not enough, as long as his brothers and sisters were in need. Ironically, if the man had been able to give freely of his surplus, he would have fulfilled the commandment to "love God and neighbor," like the poor widow of Luke's Gospel who "gave all the life she had." (Luke 21:4b) IF the man had been converted to Jesus' way, the whole community would have benefited, and the man might have been "saved" from his own slavery to his false sense of security. As it was, he went away sad. He went away from Jesus who looked upon him with love, and away from the poor who needed to be looked upon with love by this wealthy man. What a tragic lesson! By refusing to extend the generosity of God to others, he neglected his own salvation. As Jesus knew and taught his disciples, love of God and love of others are inseparable realities. What makes us happy? What makes us wealthy? God's love makes us rich beyond all imagining, and it is pure gift for every human being! Each of us is beloved of God. This is the truth that Jesus experienced at his baptism and during his transfiguration: "You are my beloved!" This is the grounding truth of our being. We are all kept safe only in the shadow of God's wings, in that loving embrace that cannot be bought or sold, merited or secured. How shall we respond to this unmerited gift of love? Only our love of God and others can truly save us from ourselves, and our own traps of selfish isolation. Let's not go away sad today. Let's trust in the living God, who looks upon us and all our sisters and brothers with love. Prayer: Gentle, brooding Spirit, you stir our hearts to compassion for those in need. As you look upon us with love, help us to follow you by caring for all God's beloved children! Amen. |