He went away and went away sad - (Mk 10:17-30)
In life we encounter various obstacles that prevent us from following the Lord in freedom and to the end, to respond to His invitation. One that today's Gospel speaks of is the attachment of the heart to treasure. Wealth, material goods are not bad in themselves, but they can be an obstacle if they take the place of God, they become an idol. It was the same with the rich man in today's Gospel. Despite a righteous, pious life, and keeping God's commandments, he has a certain hunger for eternal life. For a man's treasure is what his heart endures, thoughts, desires, expectations (cf. Mt 6:21).
The power of treasure is so great that he is unable to leave everything behind to become a disciple of Jesus. For renunciation and alms giving are the medicine and the test of whom we love most, because it is impossible to serve two masters: God and Mammon (Mt 6:24). A man, having renounced the use of goods, can long for the lost good, carry in his heart regret, nostalgia and sadness, like that rich young man. So, what is the most important in all of this? The most important thing is the look…. Yes, the gaze of Jesus. We hear that Jesus looked at him with love. Literally: Jesus, looking at him because he loved him. He fell in love with him, something delighted Jesus in this young man. So, he invited him to a relationship of trust, to fellowship with him and the other disciples. Jesus called him to be his disciple, to accompany him. So, we must let Jesus look at us so that we can discover His love. It is God's love, which is always first and foremost, it changes us, it changes our heart.
Think that it is today that Jesus looks at you with love. He loves you with eternal love with the whole story of your life, with who you are and what you have, what you are looking for, what you want, what your heart goes to. Only the experience of Jesus' love enables one to change one's life. It is not about a complete renunciation of material goods, because only a few are invited to this path of life, as in the case of martyrdom. It is about Jesus' love for you, which surpasses everything, is more precious than all the treasures and goods of this world, and your response to this love. Saying "no" to God gives rise to sadness. God's Word asks us questions today. Maybe you are sad today? What is the source of sadness in your heart? Lord, when and how have I rejected your invitation? All the goods, what I have are only for me or for those in need? Lord, am I really accompanying you? St. John Paul II, pondering this pericope, said: “Christ's young interlocutor went away and went away sad (cf. Mk 10:22).
“Why sad? Maybe he realized how much he was losing. Substantially. He was losing a lot. If he had stayed with Christ, like the apostles, he would have lived to see the Passover in Jerusalem. He would have had a cross on Golgotha, and then a resurrection. And the descent of the Holy Spirit. He would have lived to see the marvelous transformation that the apostles experienced at Pentecost. They became new people. They achieved the inner power of truth and love. If this young man had stayed with Christ, he would have learned that he, the Teacher and Master, having loved his own ... loved them to the end (cf. Jn 13: 1). And it is precisely through this love that he gave them the power to become sons of God (cf. Jn 1:12). They - the people. Ordinary, weak people.” (Sat John Paul II, Speech to the youth, Westerplatte, 1987).
Jesus looks at everyone with love, he invites everyone to join the group of his disciples. If I cannot see it, maybe I have never wanted to "have eternal life"? Maybe I am at the stage of "chasing treasures" and that is where my "many pains" come from? (cf. 1 Tim 6:10) If today I do not follow Jesus, what drew me away from him?
My sorrow - what is it born of? The gospel shows that with the rejection of Jesus' invitation my sorrow came. When I am sad, gloomy, depressed do I ask myself: Lord, when and with what have I rejected Your invitations? Or maybe I can only complain, blame and accuse?
Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less. " (cf. 2 Cor 8:15) What is my treasure for, even the smallest ones? Does it prevent me from being a disciple of Jesus? Material wealth, wealth of giftedness, wealth of leisure time, wealth of work, wealth of friends, etc. Wealth ceases to be an obstacle in being a disciple of Jesus when it begins to serve those in need entirely, but it kills when it is kept solely for oneself (cf. Acts 5: 1-10).
Until Tomorrow
fr. george