Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

 

 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 not 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 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus arose from Capernaum in Galilee 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 them 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 the 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 also 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 not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "   And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."   My study Bible comments that this man does not come to test Jesus, but to seek advice from one he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Jesus' response is not to deny that He is God, but rather to lead the rich man to that knowledge.   Note also that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God; however, as my study Bible suggests here, this man had an earnest desire for eternal life and sensed that he still lacked something.  Therefore, in such a context, he continue to press Christ for the answer. 

 

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 the text tells us specifically that Jesus loved him.   My study Bible comments that to be perfect ("one thing you lack") one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  It adds that nothing is gained unless this sacrifice is given freely.  But the specifics of how a person follows Christ will vary for each one.  In this case, wealth had a great grip on this rich man and his identity, so his only hope was to sell and give away his possessions.  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study Bible notes, to give away his possessions is the least of Christ's instructions to this man.  To follow Jesus in all things is a much greater and more difficult calling.  

 

 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."  My study Bible cites various interpretations which have been suggested for this impossible image of a camel to go through the eye of a needle.  One suggestion has been that the word wasn't "camel" but an Aramaic word that sounds alike and, in fact, means "rope."  Another has been offered that the "eye of a needle" was actually the name of a very narrow city gate, through which a camel might barely squeeze if it were unloaded of all of its baggage (symbolizing wealth).  There is an expression in the Talmud, "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  In any case, the image shows the impossibility of salvation for those attached to riches.  And the key is really in the understanding of what it is to be "attached" in this sense.  My study Bible says that this is made clear by the disciples' response, "Who then can be saved?"  But by God's grace, even things which are impossible for us of our own efforts alone can come to pass.

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."  My study Bible remarks that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children here.  Again, it cites the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, who explains this as referring to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Moreover, here believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual one.  That is, the fathers and mothers of the Church, sisters and brothers in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  

Of course this story is always somewhat shocking, no matter how many times we have heard it before.  Imagine being asked to give up everything one owns.  The concept is striking, for in our lives we seem to depend upon accumulating, saving, amassing things we need -- and not only for ourselves but for our families.  It is imaginable here that these possessions aren't really things this young man has accumulated by himself, but that he has inherited from his family.  In Matthew's Gospel, we're told that this is a young man (Matthew 19:20), and even in this story here in Mark's Gospel, we can see from the way he seeks out Christ, and the way Christ advises him, the youth in this person.  The idea that Jesus loves him tells  us about a kind of tenderness toward a young person who sincerely seeks the good.  But to give up wealth and possessions, particularly what we may assume is family wealth, and likely inherited property (as this society is not the upwardly mobile industrial period we know), speaks to how difficult this command might really be for the young man.  To give up these possessions likely means giving up family identity, for inherited wealth played a great role in this society, especially on the Council (particularly among the Sadducees).  Luke tells us, in fact, that this young man is a ruler, and so likely occupies an important and possibly inherited place in the society (Luke 18:18).  All of these things combine to tell us of the difficulties, hurdles, and obstacles this young man (whom Jesus loved, let us remember) had to struggle with in order to follow Christ's command to sell whatever he had and give it to the poor.  But those things illuminate struggles that may come our way, too, if our faith leads us to follow a different set of values than our parents or family would prefer.  Perhaps we also are led to follow a path where our lives are not dominated by the struggle for wealth, or to gain social position or status.  For these pursuits still play a great role in our world, in the status and esteem in which we're held by others, and in the ambitions parents, family, and loved ones -- even friends -- may have for us or wish to share.  In yesterday's commentary, we explored to an extent what it means to "make your eye single" in the command Jesus gives in Matthew 6:22.  That is the language of the King James Version, which is much closer to the Greek.  In the same passage (and also in the Sermon on the Plain in Luke's Gospel), Jesus continues with this illustration of single-minded focus by teaching, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).  In this context, we can see how the demands placed upon this young man by his wealth and possessions can get in the way of following Christ with a single-minded focus.  His family ties, his inherited position, his place as a ruler linked to to his wealth -- all of these would easily create a conflict of interest with the discipleship required by Christ of His followers, particularly at this time.  We can imagine the struggle ahead as Christ's ministry becomes one perceived with hostility by the religious rulers, and Christ is persecuted and killed, as His followers will become persecuted in the synagogues.  We know that Christ had other followers with a wealthy or prominent background, such as Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea, but in the tradition of the Church it is assumed they left these things behind to follow Christ and instead played significant roles in the early Church.  St. Paul is the other great example we have of a man who left everything behind, including his life as a Pharisee, to follow Christ.  In today's passage, the disciples themselves speak of all the things they have left behind to dedicate themselves to following Christ as they are led by Him to do so.  All of these things should combine to sober us to the possibilities regarding where Christ will lead us, to the things we might even be led to give up ourselves.  As. St. Chrysostom teaches, the ways in which we are taught to give up things in our lives that stand in the way of following Christ in a single-minded and fully committed manner will be different for each.  We don't all share the same task, the same pursuit which Christ asks of us.  Neither do we share the same types of attachments to let go.  But one thing He asks for is our full hearts, with nothing kept back.  The process of faith is that lifelong honing down by casting aside the things that stand in the way of its growth, the things we don't need, and taking up instead the way He asks of us.  With sober hearts, let us consider where He teaches us to go, and what it means to grow into the fullness of the life He offers.

 

With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible

 

 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 not 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

Yesterday we read that Jesus went from Capernaum 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 them 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 the 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 also 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."  My study bible comments here that this man doesn't come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one whom he considers to be simply a good Teacher.  Jesus' response does not deny that He is God, but rather is designed to lead the rich man to such knowledge.

 

"You know the commandments:  'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "  And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."   My study bible says that formal commandments does not make a person righteous before God.  This man had an earnest desire for eternal life.  But he sensed that he still lacked something.  Therefore, he continues to press Jesus for the answer.  Jesus responds in a very instructive way, by naming the commandments with which this man is already familiar:  "You know the commandments."  In this way, Jesus both affirms he is already seeking holiness, but leads him toward the desire for a fuller answer.

 

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.   In order to be perfect, one must be willing to sacrifice all and follow Christ, my study bible tells us.  It says that nothing is gained except if that sacrifice is given freely.  But the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  As wealth had a great grip on this person, his only hope was to sell all and give away his possessions.  According to St. John Chrysostom, my study bible says, giving away possessions is the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.  

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."   There are various interpretations of the image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.   Some suggest the possibility that the word was not camel, but the Aramaic word for "rope" sounds alike, and one can see a parallel to "thread" in that image.  Some suggest the "eye of a needle" was a name for a city gate that a camel might get through if first it were stripped of its baggage, which would symbolize wealth and possessions.  In the Talmud there is the expression "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."   My study bible adds that whatever the phrase refers to, it displays the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  It says that this is clearly evidenced by the response of the disciples:  "Who then can be saved?"  Yet through the grace of God, even those things that are impossible for human beings can come to pass.

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."  My study bible explains that Jesus is not commanding believers to divorce spouses or abandon children.  Once again, it cites St. Chrysostom, who says it refers to keeping faith under persecution, even if it means to lose one's family.  It also means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).   Believers are promised a hundredfold of hoses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense.  These are the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship of fellowship.  Neither do we leave out of our consciousness the entire communion of saints, angels, and an entire creation that groans and labors with birth pangs for the renewal in Christ (see Romans 8:19-23).

It's important to understand the sense in which we place all things in the hands of God.  According to my study bible, this man -- whom we are told is young elsewhere (see Matthew 19:16-22) -- was too attached to his wealth and possessions.  It seems likely that the hold they have on him is part of his identity in the society.  Those possessions, for a young person, likely tie him to family and position.  So, when we understand Christ's command, I think it's important that we put these things, as well as the difficulty of doing them, in the context of identity.  So often, our call to a closer communion with Christ is all about a willingness to give up something that is cherished not simply because of the comfort it brings us, or the ease in our lives, or any other benefit, but those things also constitute part of what we consider to be our identity.  They are things we rest upon to know and define who we are.   We say to ourselves, for example, "These are my friends," or "this is my home," or "my group."  But in truth, we are often called out of those aspects of identity to a greater or deeper walk in faith, so that we are drawn closer to God.  At times, we might experience a great loss does not come about voluntarily, and that also constitutes a particular loss of identity.  If we lose a job this can easily happen; we may find ourselves stripped of something by which we identified ourselves, both to ourselves and to the world.  When any sort of political event or current state of affairs gets very intense, we find people identifying with political party or country, or one side in a battle, or any other element at play in a significant happening.  To lose faith in someone or something is a painful experience, because it involves a rethinking of the personal identity we have tied up in whatever that is.  Whether it is voluntary or involuntary, when we lose something to which we are attached, we also must adjust to the stripping of notions of identity that go with it.  And therein comes our faith, therein comes Christ.  This young man is attached to his riches.  It's not just that he is rich, but he is defined by it.  He goes away sorrowful, not simply because Christ has asked him to sell all he has and give to the poor, but because the choice is too great for him to make -- and the choice is between his life as that particular rich young man, and a life in Christ.  No matter how much he thinks he wants the eternal life Christ offers, in the end he goes away sorrowful.  Everything comes down to this sort of a choice.  Sooner or later, we come up against a choice about identity that involves what we love and cherish, and that which tells us who we think we are.  This is the profound nature of the call of Christ, which goes deeper than everything else we're attached to.  St. Paul writes, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).  It doesn't matter what we've set our heart on as identity:  that great job or promotion, the big house everybody will admire, the perfect family.  Neither does it matter how nominally "good" that choice is.  The call of Christ will come to ask us, at times, which is more important to us, which place has our loyalty:   our closeness and faith in Christ as identity, or our cherished identity that comes from something else in our lives, and frequently from what we might regard as possessions.  The disciples, over the past several readings, have just been instructed to give up their aims of being "great" in terms of worldly honor and kingdoms and positions of power,  and now here we are presented with this rich young man, who is told to sell what he has and follow Christ.  Let us note that Jesus is not minimizing that sacrifice, nor is He telling this young man lightly what He needs to do.  This is a sincere young man.  The text tells us that Jesus loved him.  There is no telling where a life in Christ, after such a great sacrifice, could have led him.  We certainly know where it led for the apostles, and the honor in which they are held in the Church for all of her history.  It becomes of the greatest importance to consider this rich young man when we find ourselves facing loss in our own life, because in itself this story teaches us to turn to Christ in our emptiness and vulnerability.  We are not stripped bare of possessions for the sake of loss, nor left empty for the sake of emptiness.  Sometimes we may find ourselves facing a loss even through a great tragedy.  But such times become an opportunity for forming and shaping a deeper identity and dependence on Christ, for filling that loss with pure gain.  As Christ said, that gain is "a hundredfold" now and in the age to come.  But we have to be willing first to tolerate that "the first shall be last, and the last first."  That is, there will be times that demand our humility as a way of advancing forward and seeing our way through to the life Christ offers us in place of the past.  We do this with God's help and grace, but He also asks for our cooperation in this work.

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God

 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "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."

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For 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 those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."

- Luke 18:15-30

Yesterday we read that Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called them to Him and said, "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."   My study bible says that infants are the standard of faith by which adults receive the kingdom of God, and not the other way around.  It quotes Theophylact commenting on this section:  "A little child is not arrogant, he does not despise anyone, he is innocent and guileless.  He does not inflate himself in the presence of important people, nor withdraw from those in sorrows.  Instead, he lives in complete simplicity."

Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to 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,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"  This man does not come to test Jesus, but rather he is asking advice from someone whom he considers to be a good Teacher.  Jesus' response doesn't deny He's God, but rather He's leading this ruler to understand the foundation of "goodness," and to the commandments of God.

And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."  To credit this man and his character, we are given to understand that he has an earnest desire for eternal life and he senses that he still lacks something, so he continues to press Jesus for an answer.  My study bible notes that here, as with the Pharisee in yesterday's reading, above, formal observance of commandments doesn't make one righteous before God.  This understand couples with Jesus' earlier statements about entering the kingdom as a little child.

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."  But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.   My study bible says that to be perfect, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  This is the one thing the ruler lacks.  Nothing is gained unless the sacrifice is given freely.  But the specifics of how each person will follow Christ is different for each person.  Since wealth has such a grasp on this rich ruler's identity, his hope was to sell and distribute his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom suggests that giving away his possessions is the least of the instructions from Christ here.  To follow Him in all things is not only a greater but a more difficult calling.

But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.  And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!  For 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 those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"  But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."   The image of a camel going through the eye of a needle is one for which many people have suggested possible interpretations.  Perhaps the word for camel is similar to one for rope (in Aramaic), thus introducing an analogy.  Perhaps the eye of a needle was the name of a tiny city gate through which a camel might squeeze if it were relieved of all its baggage, which would symbolize wealth.  There is also a similar expression in the Talmud:  "For an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But however we wish to explain this saying, one thing is clear (and Jesus' linguistic brilliance assures that we will be drawn to it over and over again), that a camel passing through the eye of a needle conveys the impossibility of salvation for anyone who is attached to riches.  The difficulty this conveys for people (for how many feel no attachment for whatever wealth they have?) is evidenced in the seemingly stunned response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"  But with God's grace, even what is impossible with men is possible with God.

Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."  So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."   The disciples reflect on the sacrifices that they have made.  My study bible suggests that Jesus is not telling believers that they need to divorce spouses or abandon children.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.   It also tells us that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith ( see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  Here Jesus promises believers many times more houses or relatives, not necessarily in an earthly but a spiritual sense, as my study bible puts it, of "fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship."

Losing family or possessions (things connected with our "worldly" lives) is always a sad and hard thing.  But Jesus doesn't speak here of leaving things behind that are unnecessary to our well-being or rather to our lives of faith to One whose healing and counsels are always "wholistic"; that is, concerned with the whole lives of His flock.  Our Teacher is not a severe aesthete, does not call us all to a kind of severe asceticism, but rather to a life that is truly healthy -- meaning that our concerns, lives, actions, aims, and plans for ourselves fulfill all of who we are:  soul, spirit, mind, strength.  Nothing should be left out.  When we're asked to make some sort of sacrifice, it is never to the detriment of the fullness of life, but rather in order to enhance it, protect it, and fulfill new possibilities in terms of who we are and who we can be in His sight.  For this rich ruler to leave his possessions to the poor not only means "treasure in heaven," as Jesus says.  It also means an expanded life, understanding, and identity as a disciple of Christ.  We don't know what this rich ruler may have become or found for himself as a disciple, but we can understand that even for the greatly desired gift of eternal life, he seems unwilling to make the sacrifice that Christ suggests for him.  This isn't so much a failure to make a sacrifice as it is a loss for the young man of something much better and richer.  It tells us that we may be asked to give things up when we can't see around the corner or into the future what it is that we will gain in our lives as a result.  The richness of a blessed life isn't so much in the material things we gain as it is in the whole fabric of life that is enhanced and given beauty which is palpable to us in a deeply internal sense.  C. S. Lewis refers to this beauty as Joy (see this article from the Guardian on a recently-discovered letter in which Lewis writes about Joy, and also his book, Surprised by Joy).  We have only to look at the apostles themselves to understand the difference in their lives between the time they were fishermen, for example, to the destiny they would find as Christ's disciples and apostles.  We don't know what the road holds for us when we make sacrifices.  We're not given absolute assurances and promises about what the journey ahead will hold or will be like.  Sacrifices, let us note, are not minimized in the Gospels.  It's clear to Christ how deeply difficult for the rich ruler the sacrifice is that Jesus has suggested that he make in order to find the great gift of eternal life with Him.  Even the disciples note what they have left behind in order to follow Him.  Thus, we have the great tension of faith.  Let us be reminded of Jesus' words in such matters.  Recently we've read that He's taught,  "Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" and "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  In chapter 9, He taught, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (see this reading).  Never does He minimize the difficulty of sacrifice, but the fullness of life to which He calls us is only possible through such sacrifices, as the attachments He calls us to give up to follow Him are those things that stand in the way of the life He offers, the joy and the beauty of participation in God's love in the way He has made possible for us.  Let us remember that grace calls us forward, just as it compelled Christ in His great mission in our world, out of a life as Jesus of Nazareth.  He was the first, and we are all called to take up our crosses and follow Him.