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Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But 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 bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."
- Matthew 19:13-22
On Saturday, we read that after teaching the disciples about humility, becoming like a little child of faith, care of the little ones and mutual correction in the Church, and forgiveness, Jesus departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, '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." They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce from your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it."
Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. This is an emphasis on the teachings of the previous three readings (see links above). But in those readings, Jesus' reference to the "little ones" meant the humble faithful of the Church who would be in the disciples' care. He taught that to enter into the kingdom of heaven one must become "like a little child" -- that is, humble and embodying the characteristics that make for faith. Here the disciples rebuke the mothers because they thought the children unruly, and and that they "diminished His dignity and Teacher and Master" (according to Theophylact). But Christ sets the little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven. Children are invited to participate in the Kingdom and the life of the Church.
Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But 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 bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The emphasis on "good" and what or who is good is really an emphasis by Christ that what is good in life comes from God, and that a good life comes from dependence on God for the "good things" of life -- of soul, body, and spirit. He begins with the commandments of God given to Moses.
The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" My study bible says that formal observance of commandments doesn't make one righteous before God. This man had an earnest desire for eternal life and sensed that he still lacked something -- so he continues to press Jesus for an answer.
Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." The real goal of a spiritual life, for an eternal life, is closeness to God, a union with God. This young man was a very wealthy man; given his depiction here and in other Gospels one can assume his identity was defined by his wealth and position. That is, a social identity. Often called a "rich young ruler," it's implied that he is a type of aristocrat whose wealth is in landed properties (as the Greek word translated as "possessions" literally means). My study bible says that wealth had such a grip on this rich man that his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions. The goal is following Christ, and whatever impediment is in the way of that goal is eventually voluntarily given up. The specifics of how each one follows Christ, therefore, will be different for each person. St. John Chrysostom writes that giving away possessions is the least of Jesus' instructions here. Following Him in all things is a much greater and more difficult calling.
To detach from the things we "love" in order to follow a greater and more profound love is indeed the stuff of maturing, and of spiritual maturity. This is about releasing impediments to the love of God, to the love of Christ. It is just as Jesus taught the disciples earlier: "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire." Those body parts named by Christ were images of ways of thinking and being in the world, habits even dear or close, that had to go in order to truly fulfill their calling and mission. So it is for this man often described as a "rich young ruler." His wealth isn't just something to which he was deeply attached, it was an attachment that became an impediment in the way of following Christ. It's important that we understand that carrying our crosses means we come up against such impediments in our own lives, but that they may be different for each of us depending on our own orientation and lives. St. Francis is a saint for whom this was the call. A rather profligate son of a well-to-do merchant, St. Francis was called to give up things to which he was attached in order to rebuild the church of his time. Returning his father's possessions, he declared himself to be dependent upon God. He modeled himself after one such as John the Baptist, a man of extraordinary humility before God and of single-minded determination to live only for God's work as he was called to do it. But for every great holy ascetic there is also the work of individuals who are called to live holy lives for God in the most commonplace of professions and walks of life. Each is capable of being called to the qualities described in my study bible as exemplified in the "little ones" -- humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved. In our relationship to God, these are the qualities that count, fruits of the Spirit. We will each be led as we are uniquely called to fulfill that mission of love and service; no one is a carbon copy of another. The real goal of such work is love, true love of God which teaches us love of neighbor. How that happens for each one, the things we may be asked to cut off or give up, depends on how we are called. The end result is riches that are too deep to fathom, an internal joy and love, an intrinsic value worth the greatest pearls and treasures. That is, a life transfigured. And "all things added unto" these.
