How Can I Do More?

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, a wealthy man approaches Jesus with deep desire and evident enthusiasm. He addresses Jesus in a spirit of reverence and affection – “Good Teacher.” He comes to Jesus with the hope of finding the answer to a profound human question, a question that we might also ask of Jesus: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This man assures Jesus that he has observed the commandments of the Torah, but it is evident that he is not satisfied with such observance. He wants to do more. Mark tells us that Jesus looked on this man with love. When Jesus invites the man to sell what he has, give to the poor, and follow him in the mission of proclaiming the Reign of God, the man is left speechless. Jesus’s invitation is too much for him; he leaves with his face downcast. This episode is also is taken up in the Gospel of St. Matthew who adds that this man was young as well as rich.

As the man leaves, Jesus addresses his disciples and says something that they find rather distressing. He tells them that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God using a rather hyperbolic metaphor about a camel and the eye of a needle to make his point. They are distressed by this statement because they had been taught that God rewarded those who kept the commandments and punished those who broke the Law. This is sometimes referred to as the theology of reciprocity which is very prominent in the Hebrew Scriptures. “If you will be my people, then I will be your God.” If there were validity to this kind of thinking, it would cast God as rather capricious. This kind of thinking is completely repudiated by the example of Jesus who was a man without sin but who suffers the most ignominious kind of death.

The rich man’s desire to do more actually helps us to understand what Jesus is saying; namely, the man is asking the wrong question. No one can earn a place in the Kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is a gracious gift that God bestows on those who believe the message of Jesus and puts their faith in Him.

This Gospel encounter is a striking example of what is said in the second reading for today’s liturgy from the Letter to the Hebrews: “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” Nowhere in his teaching does Jesus say that wealth is inherently evil, but it can become a hindrance, an impediment to experiencing the life of the Kingdom that results from following Christ. Jesus has seen into the heart of this man and knows what he needs to do in order to become a disciple and discover true fulfillment.

The Scripture readings for liturgy this Sunday present a challenge to all of us. They invite us to ask ourselves: What are those things that I treasure the most? Do these treasures help me to live my faith in Christ more fully, or do they get in the way of that? Do they enable me to be a more just, loving and generous person, or not?

It may involve the intensity with which we strive after money and the ways in which we make use of our financial resources. Am I driven to accumulate more and more? Do I include the poor in the ways in which I use what has been given to me? Do I neglect my duties as a husband, a wife, or a child and concentrate on earning more money? Do I vote with my wallet or with my conscience?

The treasure we hold on to may be something other than material wealth. Perhaps it is an excessive worry about our reputations. The treasure may be our time, something in very short supply for many people. Am I so possessive of my time that I fail to take the time to share myself with people who need me? Maybe the treasure we hold on to is our anger and resentment toward others or a prejudice. A strange-sounding treasure indeed, but one that we can cling to and enjoy even though it can imprison us.

Jesus promises us that when we renounce the “treasures” that get in the way of following him we receive rich blessings that come in their place. Generous, loving people discover that truth over and over again in their lives. We are invited to pattern our lives on the One who gave himself completely on the cross – the same One who gives himself to us in the Eucharist. May we be given the grace to put aside those things that hinder us from following Jesus. And may we discover the bountiful life that comes from walking with the Lord.