Homily
for the
28th
Sunday of Ordinary Time
Oct.
13, 2024
Mark
10: 17-30
Villa
Maria, Bronx
“As Jesus
was setting out on a journey, a man ran up … and asked him, ‘Good teacher, what
must I do to inherit eternal life?’” (Mark 10: 17).
Christ and the Rich Man (Heinrich Hofmann)
We may
begin by noting that Jesus’ journey is toward Jerusalem, toward his complete
surrender to God’s will. Then we may
note that when this man asks about “eternal life,” that’s equivalent to “the
kingdom of God,” which Jesus was speaking of when he blessed the children,
indicating also that one must accept or receive the kingdom like a child (Mark
10:13-16). And immediately before that
passage, he’d explained God’s intention—or God’s will—regarding marriage (10:6-12).
This
passage about the man’s desire, then, is related to receiving God’s kingdom and
following God’s will.
The
commentators uniformly point out that the man makes 2 errors in his question to
Jesus. 1st, he addresses Jesus as
“good.” Jesus corrects him at once. Not that Jesus isn’t good, but God alone is
good; God is the supreme good. That’s
where our focus belongs. Back to God’s
intentions, God’s will.
2d, the
man asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Wrong question! No one can do anything to inherit life or to
come into the kingdom. God is the actor. God does something for us. We can only accept or receive his gift—like
children, as Jesus has just said.
The man
rattles off all his good deeds, his observance of the commandments. As St. Paul warns repeatedly, there’s no
salvation in just following the Law. So
Jesus tells the man there’s more; and he tells him with love (10:21). He must surrender himself to God by
dispossessing himself, giving to the poor, and following Jesus.
Jesus is
on his way to the cross. Jesus is
surrendering to God’s will. He’s
dispossessed himself completely. That’s
the road into the kingdom of God.
The man
isn’t ready for that. “He went away sad”
(10:22), more concerned for his possessions than for responding to God’s call.
After
Jesus comments further on the dangers of wealth, the apostles are “exceedingly
astonished” (10:26). Do they think God
saves only the rich? Well, that’s still
a common misperception. You’ve heard of
the “prosperity Gospel.” Be faithful to
God, and you’ll prosper.
No, Jesus
replies. Only God can save us (10:27).
Peter
sees an opening: “We’ve given up
everything and followed you” (10:28). Good
old Peter! Can’t keep his mouth
shut. But he’s right, up to a
point. Next week, James and John will
ask Jesus for the places of power at his side when he assumes his kingship, and
the other 10 will be furious with them—because all of them are more concerned
about their own prestige than about God’s kingdom. So much they have to learn!
Well,
sisters, you and I have set aside everything and committed ourselves to Jesus. So we’re home free?
Not
exactly. There’s still a lot of the rich
man or of Peter or of James and John in us.
On the memorial of Mother Seton, we read in the breviary a selection
from a conference she gave to her sisters about doing God’s will. Realistically, she notes that sometimes we do
our duties only half-heartedly or grudgingly, or we complain about conditions
in the house. She says that one sister “cuts
herself a cross of pride; another, one of causeless discontent; another, one of
restless impatience or peevish fretfulness.”
She then calls upon her sisters to let God’s grace “carry us through
every obstacle and difficulty.”[1] Without saying it in so many words, she urges
them to surrender to God by selling their possessions—their self-centeredness—and
give all to their sisters, and to follow Jesus into God’s kingdom.
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