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Mark 10:26-38
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?* No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’ He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” 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.
Grace Prayed For: To grow in interior freedom; to become more aware of disordered attachments that get in the way of loving, God, others, myself
The dust swirled around Jesus’ feet as He prepared to leave. The sun, a fiery disc sinking towards the horizon, cast long shadows across the parched earth. Suddenly, a figure darted through the crowd, footsteps heavy with urgency. A young man, his face etched with both hope and a flicker of anxiety, fell to his knees before Jesus. The rough fabric of his tunic pressed into the dry ground, mirroring the way his question pressed upon Jesus’ heart: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
His voice, raw with emotion, hung in the air. Jesus, eyes deep and knowing, met his gaze. A gentle smile played on his lips as he countered, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” The question wasn’t a rebuke, but an invitation to see beyond titles and recognize the true source of all good.
The young man, his brow furrowed in thought, seemed to ponder this for a moment. Then, his voice gaining in confidence, he listed the commandments: “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.”
Jesus listened, his gaze unwavering. In the young man’s words, a tapestry of his life unfolded: the sacrifices made, the temptations resisted, the path of righteousness he had diligently walked. A sense of satisfaction, almost a whisper of pride, must have filled the young man’s heart.
And then, Jesus spoke again, his voice a quiet murmur. “You are lacking in one thing.” The words hung heavy in the air, breaking the fragile bubble of self-assurance. His next statement was like a soft wind, carrying away the foundations of the young man’s perceived self-worth: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
The young man’s face, etched with hope just moments before, crumpled. His eyes, glistening with unshed tears, reflected the sun’s dying embers. His heart, once filled with pride, now ached with the weight of a choice. Could he relinquish the tangible comfort of his possessions for an intangible promise of heavenly treasure? The setting sun cast an orange glow on his retreating figure, his silhouette fading into the dusty horizon, a stark reminder of the sacrifice true faith demands.
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post