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Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do mot defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
- Mark 10:17-31
Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught then again. The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him. And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her." And Jesus answered and said to them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." In the house His disciples asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery." Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do mot defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth." This story begins with an earnest desire: what shall this man do to inherit eternal life? My study bible suggests that the young man thinks of Christ as a "good teacher," and not the Christ, but Jesus gives a subtle hint here: No one is good but God. My study bible says this answer is designed to lead to knowledge, rather than denying that Christ is God. Once again (as in yesterday's response to the Pharisees), Jesus defers to Moses. All these commands of the law the man has kept since his youth, but he knows it is not enough, there is more.
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. It's important that we understand that Jesus loved this man. His teaching to him isn't made out of a sense of oppression or strictness. It's made from love, a true offer of what the man asks. What Jesus asks of him is full discipleship, without limitations or reserve. St. John Chrysostom comments that giving away possessions is the least instruction -- to follow Him in all things is greater and more difficult. This is not a teaching for everyone, but one directed for this person with great possessions. My study bible says, "The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person." Discipleship is the act of putting all of one's life in the hands of Christ.
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible." The image of a camel suggests one that is laden with all kinds of baggage. There's a similar phrase to this one in the Talmud, "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle." Other suggestions of interpretation have been made such as that there was a narrow gate called the "needle" or that the word for camel in Aramaic is similar to that for "rope" -- thus suggesting a metaphor more in keeping with the eye of a needle. A rope could theoretically be broken down into all its threads and put through the eye of the needle. But any way we might look at it, we're talking about the difficulties of wealth and possessions and our tendency to be deeply attached to them. This young man is essentially a good person with good aims and desires, but he can't love Christ enough to follow this difficult command. Identity may be bound with wealth in such a way as to make us inseparable voluntarily. My study bible points out the great astonishment of the disciples, who ask, "Who then can be saved?" It's a wise question; one need not be inordinately wealthy to be deeply attached to one's possessions. Ultimately, everything we do in discipleship is made possible with the help of God, through faith.
Then Peter began to say to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You." So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time -- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions -- and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Peter's reflection gives the understanding that these disciples have each done what the young man could not do, left all and followed Christ. And we note what they have left behind, besides material possessions: families and home. Again, we bear in mind that this isn't a command for everyone, but it is what has been asked of these disciples and apostles, putting all in the hands of Christ. We note Jesus' promise of return -- but with persecutions. An abundance of spiritual return will certainly be theirs; fathers and mothers of the Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, houses of worship and fellowship. Jesus warns them that although they are the first of His disciples and apostles, they must be prepared to be "last." Later on, St. Paul will write to the Corinthians, "I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men." (1 Corinthians 4:9). He continues, to those who are "last but first," "We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now."
St. Paul's words to the Corinthians really teach us about sacrificing life for the sake of the gospel. They illuminate Jesus' teaching that "many who are first will be last, and the last first." Those of us who follow later, or "last" may have a much easier time of it, accepted by society in ways that "the first" were not. But these lessons aren't just for those first disciples and apostles. The lesson of attachment remains an effective and important one. The idea that formal observance of the commandments doesn't make us righteous before God is still an important one. A sacrifice is freely given, and it's given from love and trust (or faith). Really, what Jesus is asking this young man is to trust Him. But it's too much to ask. A heart given to Christ is one that learns to discern, and not merely formally observe. It's one that has relationship in prayer, which is dialogue and not just demand or plea. I had occasion, once upon a time, to give away nearly everything I owned to the poor, in the course of a move I felt I had to make in faith, in a situation in which I could not bring them with me. Upon retrospect, it was the most freeing thing I have ever done, while appearing foolish to others. But we don't just empty, we give in order to receive a more full relationship with Christ. What we clear away in attachments makes room for a depth of faith and love for Christ, and the strength of faith. Christ's words on return have been true for me, although unexpected, but my relationship to my possessions was changed. The apostles stand as examples, leaving behind everything -- and this tells us that there are also times when relationships must be left behind, or perhaps changed. They are also forms of attachments that can get in the way of our faith. What's primary to us in one life may be changed by a life in Christ. We remember that to carry one's own cross means that the specifics will really depend on what each one of us needs and is called to, but the truth remains that we're "all in" when we commit, we place our lives in Christ's care, we trust. The rest is between Him and us, and up to Him. That is an ongoing process of discipleship. And lest we lose the understanding, the Gospels also teach us about wealthy men who are righteous, such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. But they put their possessions in service to Christ, even risking reputation and life by publicly showing their support at the time of His trial and death. Everything depends on what the heart truly loves.
