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October 21, 2018The readings today remind me of a time when my family was on vacation. We were on a beach in Florida we encountered a young girl who was flying a kite. Now it was still early and there was fog over the beach, so you couldn’t really see the kite, you could only see the girl holding the string tightly. While we were watching a man approached the young girl and asked her how she knew the kite was still in the air – she responded simply – I feel the pull! Don’t we all feel the pull of God in our lives?? Our readings today focus on how we respond to this pull.
The first reading from the Book of Wisdom compels us to seek wisdom, to discern and choose wisely for ourselves. This reading can be seen as Solomon’s prayer for wisdom. God allowed Solomon as a young man to ask for anything. He could have asked for long life, riches, power or prestige, but instead he chose wisely! He chose to ask for wisdom and understanding. If we were Solomon, what would we have asked for? I am not sure if I would have asked for wisdom.
The gospel today may be familiar to us, and it may seem simple and straight forward. But I want to suggest that we need to look deeper. Jesus truly loved this young man. He was honorable and kept God’s commandments. His only fault was not being able to give up the security of his wealth. At least for that day, the conclusion this man’s story is unclear, we don’t know what may have happened with him in the future. I would like to believe that later he did indeed join Jesus. God is always calling us again and again. However, we contrast this man’s response to Solomon’s response who chose to ask for wisdom instead of riches, to align himself with God and to seek to serve God’s people.
Whether we acknowledge it or not, our God knows our hearts. We (like the young man in the gospel) are called to respond, to look at our priorities, to ask ourselves do we have the courage and will to follow Him. Jesus asks only of two things from this young man, first to give up his wealth, and second to follow him. We are being called by Jesus today! The young man, was a good man. Jesus truly cared for him! He wanted very much to follow Christ. But when Jesus invited him to a deeper relationship, there was a cost, Jesus asked him to love God more than anything else in his life. This meant that he must turn away from what he felt gave him security. Jesus could see that his wealth and success was a barrier to him fully embracing God. When we turn away from God, when we seek false security, we also turn away from others. Turning away deprives us of serving others, deprives us of an opportunity for growth in faith and relationship with others. In this we deprive ourselves, and others of the gifts God has given us to share. When we share our gifts we are given so much back – a 100 fold. When we use our gifts, we open a window, we are embraced by our loving God and we allow others to love us in return.
Everything has a cost! Is Jesus asking us to sell everything we have in order to attain heaven? If we don’t sell everything are then going to hell? How do we understand it when He says, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” This confused disciples and perhaps us as well. But everyone selling everything they have is clearly, not what Jesus was saying. Rather, Jesus’ command is for us to examine what is ruling our life. Do we make God a priority, do we find time for prayer, and listen to what God is saying to us in our hearts? Do we acknowledge the priority of people and their needs over the temporary satisfaction of the ownership, of things or the allure of power? (pause) What may be causing us to not hear God’s voice in our lives?
The readings today also remind me of Fr. Jim and our parish members who are in Tanzania now. We pray for their safety and their journey! They listened, heard, and responded to God’s call. During their trip to they will certainly reach out and assist those they encounter and those they encounter will be enriched. However, and perhaps just as importantly our travelers will be changed as the love and care of students and all those they encounter enrich and surely change their lives.
As we prepare to share the Eucharist at this table we reflect on how we are called to follow Christ. We are daily bombarded with messages that our looks, our house, the car we drive, the latest fad or toy are the most important things in life. We know that any of these by themselves aren’t bad or evil. However, we must ask if they dominate our lives, our values? Do we put them before our relationship with God and others? We all feel God’s pull. Our gifts and talents belong to God. They are meant to be shared, to be offered back to the Lord. Jesus reassures the apostles and reassures us that when we give back, when we serve the Lord, when we move out of our comfort zones we will be rewarded. When we embrace the people of God, the poor, the homeless those at the margins, we are guaranteed a harvest of a 100 fold. None of us are beyond the love of God. God is always calling us!
Jesus looks into our heart and soul and loves us. Can we let go of those things that stand in our way, that limit our response to serve and love others and embrace our loving God? Let us not be like the rich young man who walks away sad!
