Bible
Study: 1 Peter 1, 3 to 9 and Mark 10, 17 to 27.
If you
recall, last week, when Jesus made a commentary about divorce, it didn’t sit
well with his disciples such that they had to ask him again when they got to
the house. Do you really mean what you have just said? That Moses gave a wrong
commandment? It was just too disturbing to say the least.
Today,
behold a young man came to Jesus and wanted to know how to inherit eternal life.
He had a very compelling C.V for heaven in that he had kept all the
commandments from his youth and was completely infallible. Jesus looked through
his heart and discovered one thing was missing. He trusted more in his riches
than in God.
So Jesus
asked him to go and work on this. Jesus wanted him to sell everything he had
and give them away to the poor. At that saying, the young man’s countenance
fell and he went away sorrowful. He didn’t even consider attempting to do what
Jesus was saying to him because for him, letting go of his wealth is nothing
short of suicide.
And when
Jesus saw how he turned away in sorrow, Jesus said: “How hard it will be for
those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.” This statement was too
harsh and too shocking. To be rich is to be blessed by God and this is a state
of life a lot of people crave for. We all know how difficult life can be when
one is poor and unable to provide his or basic needs so we pray to God each day
to bless us.
But then,
Jesus quickly made a clarification. “Children, how hard it is for those who
trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God…” Riches by themselves are not the
problem! The problem is with us. The problem is when we now believe so much in
riches, when we place our entire trust in money such that we literally begin to
worship riches.
The problem
is when we hold so tightly to our possessions that we consider it a crime to
give anything away to others in need. The problem is when riches blind our eyes
to poor, the hungry, the homeless, the sick and less privileged. The problem is
when we disrespect God by committing sin just to maintain or increase our
wealth. By so doing, we say to God, “who are you, how dare you tell me what to
do or not to do when money can give me all these nice nice things in life.”
If you
want to know whether you really trust in God, ask yourself if you can survive,
if for example you were to lose everything you have. Do you believe that with
prayers, you will get food on your table? Do you believe that God can truly
take care of you? Are you more confident in your faith than in your bank alert?
Honestly most of us are like this young man. We all want to go to heaven, but
we end up in sorrow because of our unwillingness to let go of our riches. This
is what Jesus was talking about in the parable of the sower. Because of
our riches, we are like seeds that have fallen among thorns. Jesus explains in Matthew
13, 22 “As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but
the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves
unfruitful.”
Dear friends,
to be truly Christians, we need to live in the world knowing fully well that we
do not belong to this world. Even if we are lucky to be rich, let us not allow
our riches become our downfall. Let us never place our trust in riches and if
we are not so lucky to be rich, let us not look with envy at the rich or get
angry with God for not blessing us too. You may not be wealthy but if believe more
in riches than in God, you are no better than those who will find it difficult
to enter heaven.
As St.
Peter encourages in the first reading this morning, nothing should be an
obstacle for us in serving God, not even an empty stomach. We may not have all
that we crave for but we should not be discouraged when God does not bless us
with an abundance of wealth. In this you rejoice, though now you may suffer
many trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold
which is tested by fire may redound in praise.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, give me the
grace not to be carried away by the world or by material riches. May I always
place my trust in you. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.
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