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, after passing through Galilee, Jesus 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."  In contrast to the Pharisees and others who come to test Him, this man is looking for advice from one whom he considers to be simply a good Teacher.  My study Bible comments that Jesus' response does not deny that He is God, but is designed to lead the rich man to this 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."   See Exodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20 for these commandments cited by Jesus.  My study Bible comments that formal observance of commandments does not make one righteous before God.  This man had an earnest desire for eternal life and sensed that he still lacked something.  Therefore, he continues to press Jesus 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.  My study Bible explains that to be perfect (Matthew 19:21), one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  Nothing is gained unless this sacrifice is given freely.  It notes that the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  As wealth had such a grip on this rich man, his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom suggests that giving away possessions is actually the least of the instructions Christ gives here.  To follow Him in all things, my study Bible says, is a fare 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 notes that there have been various interpretations suggested for this impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  Some say that the word was not camel, but "rope" (the Aramaic word sounds alike); or that the eye of a needle was actually the name of a city gate through which a camel might barely squeezed if it were first unloaded of all its baggage, which symbolizes wealth.  Additionally, there is an expression in the Talmud which is similar:  "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever the source of the phrase, it shows the impossibility of salvation for those who are attached to riches.  My study Bible says that this is clearly evidenced by the response of the disciples, "Who then can be saved?"  But by God's grace, even what is 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."  Here my study Bible comments that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children.  According to the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, it says, this refers to keeping faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  But also, it means to accept that unbelieving family members may cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).   My study Bible adds that believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but in a spiritual sense -- the fathers and mothers of the Church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  

 

One would presume that this was a rich young man (Matthew's Gospel tells us that he was young) because his wealth was inherited, or due to family position within the society.  He might have been among the wealthy landowning class of Jerusalem at that time, many of whom were members of the Sadducees, and held high positions within the ruling Council and the Temple.  But, be that as it may, it seems safe to assume that with such possessions also went family and social structure.  In short, in such an economy, especially as compared to our own, great possessions did not come easily outside of social position and inherited wealth.  We live in a world where in recent memory a robust economy and certain economic structures can give a promise of upward mobility, of wealth through hard work, and acquired education or specialized business skills.  But Jesus did not live in such a world.  Nonetheless, even in our time of economic fluctuation, possessions and family structure still seem to go hand in hand.  Let us note that when the disciples speak of what they have left behind to follow Jesus, those possessions such as homes also include leaving family behind.  So, this young man's great attachment to his possessions, we can assume, is something other than a kind of selfishness or greed.  It is about how difficult it is to give up what we think we have, and how attached we become to the things we own that define us and give us a sense of who we are.   While in Christ's time societies were far more stratified than in modern economies, we still tend to associate identity and status with possessions, perhaps even more so than at any other time in the past.  So let us give deep consideration to what Christ teaches here.   So many problems seem to hinge on an inability to let go of attachments of one sort or another, and here Jesus is offering an alternative:  "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  If one follows modern programs dealing with addiction and a host of other problems, one is familiar with what is called the Twelve Steps.  Such a program hinges on reliance on a higher power, and stems originally from programs with a Christian orientation.  We still suffer from similar maladies today, as human beings, that Jesus addresses in the Gospels.   Not least of such problems are attachments:  things upon which we rely which are impermanent, which can disappoint, but more importantly, which can get in the way of a deepening reliance upon God.  It is this deepening reliance upon God which is where our faith leads us and teaches us to go, for this is the substance of the gospel of the Kingdom which Jesus preaches.  While we may not all be in the circumstances of this rich young man whom Jesus loved, we may all face similar struggles of attachment and the need for growth, especially the kind of growth that feeds our souls and psyches, a reconciliation with God and with our circumstances.  We all have choices to make, and Christ is here to teach us what those choices come down to, and what we might rely on.  Let us remember His love and His teaching, for it all still applies, even in new and modern circumstances.  For even with persecutions, God's love remains the worthy exchange for what ails us.

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.

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

 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 man who are first will be last, and the last first."

- Mark 10:17-31

Yesterday we read that Jesus 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 that this man does not come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from a person whom he considers to be a good Teacher.  Jesus' response is not one that denies that He is God, but is meant to lead this rich young man to that 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."    This young man has formally kept all the commandments.  But my study bible comments that formal observance of commandments alone does not make a person righteous before God.  This young man had a true desire for eternal life, but he sensed that he still lacked something.  Therefore, he continues to pursue the answer from Jesus.

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.  My study bible makes an important statement here, for all of us.  Our dependency upon Christ also depends upon the sacrifices we make to follow Him.  That is, what we freely and willingly give to make room for Christ in our lives.  This man lacked only one thing.  My study bible says that the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  Because wealth had such a strong hold on his identity, his only hope was to sell and give his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom comments that to give away his possessions is the least of the instructions Christ gives to this young man.  But it is a preparation.  To take up the cross, and follow Him 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."   My study bible tells us that through the centuries, there have been many interpretations suggested for this impossible image of a camel going through the eye of a needle.  Some suggest that the word is not camel, but rather "rope" which sounds similar in Aramaic.  Others suggest that there was a city gate called the eye of a needle which was so tight that a camel could barely squeeze through if it were first unloaded of all of its baggage -- symbolic of wealth or possessions to which we are "tied" or "attached."  In the Talmud there is a similar expression used:  "for an elephant to go through the eye of a needle."  But whatever it is that the original phrase refers to, it clearly conveys the impossibility of salvation for those attached to riches or possessions.  The disciples' astonished response, "Who then can be saved?" tells us the impact of Christ's statement, and the scandalous impossibility of salvation that is suggested.   But even for things that with men are impossible:  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 man who are first will be last, and the last first."    My study bible says that Christ is not commanding believers to divorce spouses and abandon children here.  Rather, according to St. Chrysostom, this indicates the struggle to keep faith under persecution even if it means to lose one's family.  It may also indicate the need for acceptance that unbelieving family members might cut off ties because of the believer's faith (see 1 Corinthians 7:12-16).  My study bible adds that believers are promised a hundredfold of houses and relatives not in an earthly sense, but rather in a spiritual sense.  This includes the fathers and mothers of the Church, all our brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.  Again, Jesus repeats His words to the disciples about what it is to be great, and how greatness is connected to notions of sacrifice and service (see Saturday's reading).

What is sacrifice?  Why does it matter?  In the theology of the Church, to grow in the likeness of Christ also depends upon our willingness to sacrifice.  In the past several readings, Christ has been speaking about the notion of greatness among the apostles.  He has repeatedly emphasized that to be great -- or "first" -- among them, one must be prepared to be "last."  In order to truly assume positions of great responsibility and authority in the Church, each one must be prepared to sacrifice impulses that would lead to abuse of power and corruption.  Jesus gives illustration of the difficulties of this process by using metaphors of bodily mutilation:  a hand, a foot, an eye.  These stand in for those impulses of selfish abuse and exploitation and personal passions (see Saturday's reading).  They stand in for examples of impulses to abuse power over others.  In today's reading, Jesus calls upon a rich young man to make sacrifices and to give to the poor.  This calls us to the heart of what is understood as "righteous" behavior.  But it cuts even more deeply into the truths of who we are.  St. John Chrysostom, early father of the Church and the one whose name is borne on the liturgy that shapes all traditional worship services, is acute enough to teach us that this is not a question of simple justice, but that, in fact, it is the path we all must go to perfection in Christ.  This young man is asked to do this not for the sake of the poor, but for his own sake.  His attachment to his riches is too strong; he is unable to truly "follow Christ" without first making such a sacrifice.  We can see how devastatingly difficult it is for the young man, who goes away disappointed.  Perhaps our greatest clue here is the explicit statement in the Gospels that Jesus loved him.  This is a strong, active statement, and is borne out in the command Jesus gives to him that follows:  "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."   It is giving this command that is the action of divine love in Christ for this young rich man.  So it is with each of the disciples who have left all and followed Him, and so it is with us.  As St. Chrysostom, in his understanding and wisdom, points out, we may not be given the same commands.  We each will have different things to which we are so fully attached that such attachment stands in the way of a deeper identity we will find in our communion with Christ.  Nevertheless, to give away or cut off from ourselves such attachments may feel like cutting off a hand or a foot or an eye.   It may be that we are asked even to leave family members behind, or other relationships that we hold dear, should they prevent us from a fully loving communion with Christ in the heart, an understanding of ourselves as a follower or disciple of Christ.  The things or even people we find ourselves deeply attached to may be pulling us away from the direction Christ wants us to go toward.  Our own beliefs and choices or habits may do the same.  The way of the cross that Christ proposes for each of us (in His command to the rich young man) is a way of giving up what stands in the way of this depth of identity in Christ.  In this context, we may sacrifice what the world thinks is good, but it is in order to receive what Christ thinks is good for us, a true greatness that bears Christ into the world through us.  Is there something standing in your way of making such a choice?  Do you find yourself at the crossroads of a difficult decision?   Let us note clearly that the sacrifice Jesus calls for from the rich young man seems dramatically nonsensical on strictly worldly terms.  So may it be in our own lives.  But it is in the following through of those choices that we find ourselves and come to ourselves.  It is the way of the cross for each, and in doing so we find substance that doesn't exist for us otherwise.

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

 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on then 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 Jesus finished telling the disciples about conduct within His future Church and the values of the kingdom of heaven (see readings from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), He 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 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 then 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.  My study bible says that, according to Theophan, the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ rejects this thinking, and He once again (as in Wednesday's reading) sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Children are therefore invited in the Eastern and other churches (even as an example to adults) to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion.  As in the earlier reading on Wednesday, Jesus will repeatedly urge the disciples to humility, and little children serve as an example of such.

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."  My study bible says that this man (unlike the Pharisees in Saturday's reading, above) does not come to test Jesus.  He is rather seeking advice from one whom he considers to be no more than a good Teacher.  Jesus' response does not deny that He is God, but is rather designed to lead the rich man to this knowledge. 

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?"  To observe the commandments formally doesn't make one righteous before God, according to my study bible.  This man has an earnest desire for eternal life and he senses that he still lacks something.  So, he continues to press Jesus for the 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.   To be perfect, my study bible says, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  As Creator, Christ puts us where we need to be and knows us more deeply than we know ourselves; this is a mystical reality for us as human beings.  Nothing is gained, my study bible adds, unless this sacrifice is given freely.  The specifics of how one follows Christ will be different for each person.  In this case, wealth had such a grip on this rich young man, that his only hope was to sell and give away all his possessions.  St. John Chrysostom, my study bible notes, says that giving away possessions is the least of Jesus' instructions here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

The rigors of discipleship may take us to all kinds of places which are unexpected when we begin the journey.  But one thing is clear, and has been clear from Christ's teachings to His own disciples before this point in the Gospel:  to follow Christ we will be asked to make sacrifices.  But those sacrifices, while seemingly nearly impossible, are not sacrifices of things we truly need in terms of what is best for us or wholly good.  In our earlier readings, Jesus has spoken to the disciples about cutting off a hand or foot or eye rather than harming one of the littlest ones who will be in their charge in the Church (Wednesday's reading).  Jesus makes a similar statement to all of us in the Sermon on the Mount (5:29-30), in the context of committing adultery.  These figurative images are meant to convey to us the importance of making sacrifices -- even of things seemingly indispensable to our character or that are deep desires -- if they are not really good for us, not really profitable in the light of the kingdom of God.  In other words, there is a distinction here between things which are truly loved and things which serve as attachments or distractions from our real purpose and true fulfillment of character and persona.  In this rich young man's case, it is not the riches that are evil.  If we take a cue from St. Paul, it is, in his words, the love of money (my italics) that is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10), connected with greed and sorrows and as a snare that works to push people to stray from the faith.  What is important here is the attachment that keeps us from being fully manifest in that Kingdom as the persons we are called to be in His light and guidance.  If faith is a journey, then the things that we need to discard along the way are not things that lead us to love, but rather the things that lead us away from it and into the sorrows which St. Paul mentions.  Jesus clearly loves this young man (Mark's Gospel explicitly tells us so, see Mark 10:21).  He does not ask him to sacrifice his patrimony, inheritance, and possessions simply for the sake of sacrifice or to command a loyalty that is demeaning or humiliating.  Rather, Jesus expresses to this young man what is best for him out of the fullness of love.  This is something that is necessary for the rich man's well-being, so that he may in fact find himself.  What he will lose is that which leads him to a false sense of self and creates a false confidence in what leads him away from true substance and salvation.  What we can each take away from this encounter is something repeated many times in the Gospels:  that what seems like an intense and deep sacrifice is often that which we need to make so that we may, in fact, find ourselves -- find what is truly better, richer, stronger, and deeper.  It is so that we may find the depth of who we truly are and can become in Christ's light, and bearing likeness to Him.  We lose our lives so that we may find them, and this is the fullness of the meaning of the Cross and its way for us in each of our lives.  We may have, for example, a proclivity toward anger, or a desire for power over others, a habit of manipulation, or possibly we have relationships we would be truly better off without.  As my study bible says, for each person these instructions will be unique and different, depending upon what we truly need.  But the promise of a fuller, deeper, and richer personal life remains for each.  The disciples leave their lives as fishermen behind, and take on the role of pillars of His Church, adding along the way confidence, strength, leadership, wisdom, heroism.  What will you find when you lose what you think you need, in His name?  Such is the true mystery of faith.

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

 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

 Yesterday we read that, after His teachings on 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 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.  My study bible explains that the disciples rebuked the mothers for bringing little children to Christ both because their manner was "unruly" and because they thought (according to a commentary by Theophan) that children "diminished His dignity as Teacher and Master."  But Christ rejects this thinking.  Instead, He sets little children as an example of those who inherit the kingdom of heaven.   Children, my study bible says, are invited to participate in the Kingdom through prayer, worship, baptism, chrismation, and Communion -- even as example to adults.  See also Thursday's reading, in which Jesus used a little child as an example of humility required of those who are greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and of all those who must be received in His name and cared for by His disciples.

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?"  We note that (unlike the Pharisees in yesterday's reading, above) this man doesn't come to test Jesus.  But neither does He completely understand Jesus through faith.  He calls Him "Good Teacher," and this is how he sees Christ.  Jesus' response does not deny that He is God, but is designed to lead the man to this understanding.  In His response, Jesus first goes to the Law and the commandments received through Moses.  But this young man is already aware that formal observance of commandments isn't enough.  This does not make one righteous before God.  Rather, he has an earnest desire for eternal life and senses that there is something that he still lacks.   Thus, admirably, he continues to press Jesus for an answer.

  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.  To be perfect, my study bible tells us, one must willingly sacrifice all and follow Christ.  There is nothing gained unless this sacrifice is freely given.  For each person, the specifics of how one follows Christ will be different on a "particular" level.  For this rich man, because his wealth has such a grip on his identity and place in life, his hope is to sell and give away his possessions.   St. John Chrysostom is cited by my study bible.  In his commentary, he states that giving away possessions is really the least of Christ's instructions here.  To follow Him in all things is a far greater and more difficult calling.

We have to ask ourselves, "What is faith?" in the context of today's reading.  Christ asks something startling of this rich young man, which we can all agree is exceedingly difficult.  In the context of society, most likely he is defined by his great possessions and his status in life, and that of his family.  He wouldn't be the first, and certainly not the last, no matter what the economic structure of a country in any time and place, whose life would be so defined by what he owned.  Clearly he is a highly moral young man.  He follows all the commandments named by Jesus.  We cannot call him merely selfish nor self-centered.  But he lacks perfection, and perfection is found in an identity that is not necessarily that which is given us by the world and our worldly circumstances.  Perfection calls to us through faith.  What Jesus gives to this young man is the gift of holiness, of participation in the Kingdom, and that Kingdom calls us out of our worldly understanding of ourselves to something more.  It is only there we find "perfection."  Let us make note that Mark's Gospel tells us that Jesus gives this advice because He loves the young man (see Mark 10:21).  The command to sell all that he has is not given as rebuke nor test; it is given as a gift and an invitation of welcome to greater riches than the young man can understand.  He will have treasure in heaven, an exchange that is richer than what he thinks he owns, which can disappear in a day.  (If we consider the coming destruction of Jerusalem, we can imagine what happens to this young man and his class, particularly if he is a landowner.)   But there is, more importantly, no doubt that Jesus' call to "follow Me" is one that will take this young man outside of the life which he knows, and outside of the identity he knows of himself.  To follow Christ is to leave everything behind in one sense or another, and particularly those things to which we are most attached.  This, in such a context, eventually and surely becomes a call for each of us.  We may find ourselves even coming back to the life we know, but as different persons, for the call to "follow Me" means that life becomes an experience of participation in a Kingdom that will define how we relate to our world.  Jesus' call to this rich young man is one that breaks him off from what defines himself, and seeks to give him primary relationship to Christ first before all things in this world.  Our relatedness to Christ is meant to take priority, but also to come between ourselves and all else as mediator.  It is Christ as "the way, the truth, and the life" that gives us our lives back in a sacramental form, even made holy by the life and presence of the Kingdom and our participation in it.  This is the lifelong journey that starts with "follow Me."   It is an invitation into the love and holiness that defines and underlies this Kingdom He brings into the world and shares with us.  Jesus' instructions to the young man will be followed by countless numbers of saints to come, those who seek holiness and make the most extraordinary commitments to a life of devotion to God.  But His words to "follow Me" are for each one of us; and on this journey of faith we will each find things of which we need to let go as identity, so that He can give us the image in which He has created us and in which we conform to the things of the Kingdom, even as we live our lives in this world.   We are drawn into a place we can't define ahead of our experience of its grace, we are called to holiness which will most likely look nothing like what we expect and perhaps even think is desirable.  As St. Chrysostom says, each will be called in one's own way, and the struggle for us is simply to answer "Yes."

Many who are first will be last, and the last first

 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 then 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 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."  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.  My study bible notes that this man doesn't come to test Jesus, but rather to seek advice from one He considers no more than a good Teacher.  Christ doesn't deny His divine identity as Messiah, but gives an answer designed to lead this man to knowledge of Himself.    We notice how the conversation evolves:  formal observation of commandments does not convey full righteousness before God.  The man senses he still lacks something and presses Jesus for an answer.  I think it is most important that we note what the text tells us, that Jesus loved him, and in this spirit of love gives him the answer about what he lacks.  This rich young man with great possessions is given the answer that is necessary for him:  it is this that he is most attached to, and that stands in the way of finding what he seeks.  St. John Chrysostom's commentary on the story of this rich young man in Matthew's gospel tells us that to give away his possessions is the least of Christ's instructions.  To follow Christ 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 then 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."  Jesus speaks to His disciples of the difficulties of detachment and sacrifice, themes that have run under the surface of His teachings from the time the disciples were disputing among one another who was the greatest.  About His words to the disciples, my study bible says that He's not commanding believers to divorce spouses or abandon children.  Once again, St. Chrysostom's commentary on the similar passage in Matthew is cited.  St. Chrysostom comments that this 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).  The promises of hundredfold returns are traditionally interpreted to mean in a spiritual sense:   fathers and mothers of the Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, and houses of worship and fellowship.    He also speaks of persecutions that will accompany blessings.

Just prior to Jesus' Transfiguration, and the beginning of His teachings on leadership and humility to the disciples, He began to teach them about the way of the Cross in connection with His predictions of His own suffering, death, and Resurrection.  He taught, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"  All of the lessons included in our readings since then seem to emphasize this way of the Cross, and the understanding of appropriate sacrifice.  Jesus does not ask this young man in today's reading to give up his possessions merely because the concept of sacrifice is good in and of itself.  He is offering him an exchange, teaching him what is better for him:  the gift of eternal life in exchange for that which stands in the way which we hold dear.  In some sense, as the "follow up" discussion with His disciples makes clear, this is the offer and the teachings He gives to all of us.  It is the way of the Cross, and the way in which we each must take up our own crosses in life.  What do we give in exchange for the fullness of relationship and participation in the life of Christ that is offered us?  The giving up of his possessions for this man is akin to the sacrifice Jesus said might be necessary for us as we seek to grow in participation in the Kingdom, when He spoke of giving up a hand or a foot or an eye in Monday's reading.  What we may be called to give up may feel as deeply essential to our identity as those things, and as this rich young man's many possessions.  But the fullness of life He offers in return is incomparable.  We return to His question, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"  Our sense of our selves and our world can only expand -- even a hundredfold -- through the kind of life He offers in return.  Jesus ties in the teachings in today's reading with the ones on humility in leadership from Saturday's reading, in which He said, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."   He reminds His disciples once again, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first."   When we consider the challenges of discipleship and their difficulty, we remember that He has also included the work of God in us that makes it possible.

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

 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.

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 left 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 points out that this man approaches Christ as "a mere human" and Jesus responds as the same.  He puts emphasis on the goodness of God, and focuses the man's attention entirely on the same.  Then Jesus goes on to affirm the power and validity of the Ten Commandments as a guide to life; this obedience, says my study bible, is "an essential aspect of the quest for righteousness and eternal life."   In this way, the Gospel also establishes for us what type of man is before Jesus, and his righteousness in accordance with the Mosaic Law.

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.    I think it's important that we note first what the Gospel tells us:  Jesus loved this man, and with this motivation goes on to teach him what he must do.  My study bible has a lengthy note here:  "Jesus recognizes and approves the man's moral righteousness.  But He tests him at his point of greatest vulnerability, where he needs to repent most.  It is his money that is keeping him from salvation.  Jesus challenges him with the ideal of total sacrifice for His sake.  The command to sell all is for this man, or for any other whom Christ may call in this particular way, but should not be construed as a universal requirement.  Christians are to use their possessions according to God's purposes, above all to help the poor and needy, but they are not to reject ownership of property. However, voluntary poverty is a legitimate part of a freely chosen way of life -- for example, for monastics."

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!"  My study bible tells us, "Riches grip the heart like few other things.  When people trust in money more than in God, refusing to return their wealth to Christ, they fail to gain eternal life."

"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."  My study bible says here:  "Jesus uses an exaggerated image to indicate the extreme difficulty of entering the kingdom for those given to riches."

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."  This is an interesting passage:  the disciples are stunned at His teaching (Who then can be saved?), but at the same time, Peter soberly reflects, We have left all and followed You.  My study bible points out here that justification is never by faith alone, though it is by faith apart from the law (Gal. 2:16).  It says, "God calls on people to believe and to act because they believe."

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."  A note here reads:  "Discipleship is radical self-denial, a total offering of oneself to God.  This implies readiness to give up dear possessions or even relationships that stand in the way of following Christ." . . . "That disciples will receive earthly rewards a hundredfold now in this time is not an absolute promise:  countless saints and martyrs were not so rewarded.  However, God has a way of returning and multiplying earthly blessings along with persecutions to faithful men and women according to His will."

There's a lot to think about in today's reading, particularly in terms of how we view wealth and how we live with it.  There are multiple parallel things going on here.  There is first of all the young man, who is not only a morally upright person in all ways the Law might require of him, but we're told that Jesus loves him.  So here, the attachment to wealth goes deeper than merely a moral or perhaps even an ethical approach to how we may use wealth.  I think this is important to understand here; Jesus is getting to our very core of ourselves as human beings, how we think of ourselves, and what we are attached to.  This is something He will do with His teachings over and over again.  He will ask us to go to our hearts, to our core, and make choices there, especially about what we love.  So often we tend to identify ourselves with our possessions.  Our homes and what we have become symbols, tangible things we show to one another, of who we are.  I think this is the place where Jesus is taking this young man when He asks him to give away what he has to the poor.  Possessions are just that -- they are things we have, not what we are.  By teaching that he should give his possessions away, Jesus is clearing the way in a psychological sense for a true identification:  "treasure in heaven," and "take up the cross, and follow Me."  It's a radical re-setting of identity, of what real treasure is in the heart, and what comes first in what we love.  That is what is going on here.  The disciples reflect that they've done the same (through Peter's sobering realization) and this tells us something about what it is to follow Him.  Perhaps we may not even understand where it is we're being led, but upon reflection, we see what He has taught us and how He has taught us.  They've left everything behind for His sake and the Gospel's.  Perhaps, each in our own way, Christ may call upon us to do the same, and if we reflect we may come to realize how we were led -- even when we didn't quite realize it at the time.  The difficulties signified by a person who is, perhaps, born into great wealth are no joke.  Again, we come to the problems of identification with the possessions we have.  And, I think that particularly for we who live in a modern world full of tremendous material capacities, there is really a great danger when we take all of these things for granted, and lose sight of who we truly are and our dependence on God.  We also can't merely focus on ethics or morals as the things that save us; this young man already is an upright and righteous person in those terms.  Who we know ourselves to be changes how we act.  Jesus' radical prescription for the spiritual health of this young man may also be a prescription many in our modern world can voluntarily take -- at least psychologically -- by seeking to see ourselves as God sees us, and not identify with what we have in life as the things that define us.  God may give us many blessings in life, but they are just that, blessings.  They do not form the core of who we really are.  For that we need to be radically clear about who we are in the heart, what we truly love and treasure, who and what tells us who we really are.  Blessings are meant to be put back in God's hands, so to speak, to be used responsibly the way God teaches us to be stewards of whatever gifts we have; I'd say that talent and even children also come under this topic of blessings or gifts.  This would be a sacramental kind of life.  We may suffer from persecutions in living this type of life, but the gift we get back is the great gift of who we really are, possession of our souls, for which there is no substitute and no security greater, nor freedom, nor independence of heart.  In this way, the first may be last, and the last first.  We can't do this all by ourselves, but with God, all things are possible.