A man came to Jesus and said,
“Good teacher, what shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
He said to him, “Why do you call
me good? No one is good but God alone. If you want to enter into life, keep the
commandments.”
He said to him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder.’
‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer
false testimony.’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’ And, ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’”
The young man said to him, “All
these commandments I have obeyed from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Jesus, looking upon him, loved
him and said, “If you want to be complete, go and sell what you have; give to
the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the
young man heard this, he went away sad, for he was one who had great
possessions.
Jesus looked around, and said to
his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into
God’s kingdom!”
The disciples were amazed at his
words. But Jesus said, “How hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter
into God’s kingdom! It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than
for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom.”
They were astonished, saying to
him, “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus, looking at them, said,
“With people it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible
with God.”
Peter began to tell him, “We
have left everything, and have followed you.”
Jesus said, “There is no one who
has left house, or family or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the good news,
who will not receive one hundred times more in this time, with persecutions, and
in the age to come eternal life. Many who are first will be last, and the last
first.”
Reflection
The problem with wealth is
the way people value it, seek it, serve it, and trust it rather than God. For
the wealthy, God is often one thing among many in their lives; for the poor,
God is the only thing they have. How seriously do you take these words of
Jesus? Do you imagine they are intended for those who have far more wealth than
you? Are there people who consider you to be wealthy?
Prayer: Help me not become so
attached to things of this world, Lord, that I prefer them to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment