The Rich Young Man and the Cost of Mission
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
MK 10:17-27
As Jesus 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. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were amazed at his words. So Jesus again said to them in reply, Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God. They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, Then who can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, For men it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.
Grace Prayed For
I pray for the grace of detachment from anything that hinders my total availability for God’s mission.
Reflection
In this encounter, we see the tension between religious observance and the fullness of our Baptismal Mission. The man had kept the commandments—the foundation of a moral life— but Jesus invited him into something deeper: a life of total self-gift. Our Baptismal Mission reminds us that our identity is rooted in being sent into the world to reflect Christ’s love. For the rich man, his ‘wealth’ wasn’t just money; it was a security that replaced trust in God. Firstly, Prayer is the space where we allow Jesus to ‘look at us and love us,’ as He did this man. Without this contemplative gaze, the call to give everything feels like a burden rather than an invitation to freedom. Secondly, Community is vital because the man left alone. In a vibrant Christian community, he might have found the courage to let go, supported by others who had done the same. Finally, Mission requires us to identify our own ‘one thing’ that we lack. To incorporate this into our lives, we must ask: what attachment keeps me from being a person for others? Our mission as the baptized isn’t about perfection; it is about availability. We are called to live with open hands so that we can receive the treasures of heaven and share them with a world in need. When we realize that salvation is ‘impossible for men’ but ‘possible for God,’ we stop relying on our own strength and start relying on the Holy Spirit received at Pentecost.
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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