Fr. Eduardo Emilio Aguero, SCJ
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B
Gospel Reflection – Mk 10:17-30
What is it that we consider most precious in our lives? What is the deepest desire of our hearts that we wish to ask the Lord for? Riches? Money? Health? Power? Peace?
The first reading of this Sunday answers this question: “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her” (Wis 7:7-8). Young Solomon also asked the Lord for the gift of wisdom (1 Kings 3:10-15).
But what does the Bible understand by wisdom? I once asked some children if they knew what wisdom was. A little girl stood up and said candidly: “To be wise is to ‘savor’ life”. I was deeply amazed by her response! Psalm 34:8 came immediately to my mind: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”.
For the sages of Israel, “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord”, which means humility and reverence before Him. Wisdom arises from their life experience. The wise are “present”, that is “aware”, in each moment of their lives, in a contemplative way, to the daily events of their lives and surroundings. Under the light of God’s word, they developed the ability to discern and respond to God’s will in the here and now.
The poor of spirit and the meek can live life to the fullest experiencing God’s smile in the deepest corner of their souls. They sing with the psalmist: “Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days” (Ps 90:14).
The rich young man of today’s gospel longed deeply for wisdom. He hoped Jesus would answer his desire: “(He) ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Although he showed great respect for Jesus, he was not looking for Him, but for the right teaching or instruction that could lead him to eternal life: He was after a “good teacher”, to what Jesus reacted by saying: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.”
So many people are looking for recipes or formulas that will give them a magic solution to their problems or their desire for happiness and joy! Jesus tells us today that the answer is not found in a doctrine, a philosophy of life, or a fundamentalist ideology. Only the encounter with Jesus Himself, knowing Him, following Him, and loving Him can grant us the fullness of life! He is the only Son of God, the source of all goodness for us. This was the experience of Jesus’ first disciples: “We have found the Messiah” (Jn 1:41).
Jesus noticed that this young man wanted more than just fulfilling the commandments. Then, looking at him with love, He sees the opportunity for a challenge that would change the life of that man forever: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
The young man was shocked and went away sad, refusing the good master’s invitation. He wanted a religion he could manipulate, unable to detach from his wealth and to see beyond his own family and comfort zone. He left sad and frustrated because he made the wrong choice and got away from Jesus, the source of true life. According to St. Teresa of Avila, he lacked a measure of madness, to leave behind everything for the sake of Christ.
The key to our vocation is humility and detachment! A genuine encounter with Christ results in a change of heart and mind on our part, which the Bible calls “metanoia” or conversion that will lead us to leave behind our old style of life.
After the man had left, “Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”. This was something Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand: They “were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, ‘Then who can be saved?’”. They hadn’t yet realized that by following Christ, they had much more than the young man. We also tend to be affected by what many believe and fall into the illusion that wealth, power, and money can give us happiness and security.
Peter wanted to understand more. Therefore, he shared with Jesus their experience of leaving behind their former life for His sake: “We have given up everything and followed you.” This is what it means to be “poor in spirit”, to recognize Christ as our only treasure. Those crazy enough to put everything at stake to follow Christ will possess “the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:10-11).
Jesus is not only a “good teacher”, but he is “the only Teacher” (Mt 23:8), “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:16). Let us sing with the psalmist: “Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!”