16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:16-26
Questions for Reflection:
Why do you suppose the young man was sad? What might have been going through his mind?
What is it about wealth that warrants Jesus poignant warning about its perils on one's spiritual journey?
What good news is there for you in this reading?
Prayer of the Week:
My dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You now to be restored in You, to be renewed in You to receive Your love and Your life and all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day.
Father, you love me with an incomprehensible love but I ask now that You give eyes of faith to see the magnitude of Your love for me. I pray that I might know the length and width and height and depth of Your love for me. I want to know Your love and I want to know You. Thank you for loving me so well through Jesus. His sacrificial unconditional love for me blows me away. Thank you for putting Your love into action through Jesus. I receive Him and all His life and all His work which You made sure was done for me and every other human being. What love! What grace!
Father, Son, Holy Spirit I confess that I can so easily despise Your love through my thoughts, words and deeds. One way I do this is when I compare myself to others in such a way that results in envy, jealousy and resentment towards them and You. I realize that at times I am prone to thinking that You are less gracious, more stingy and less giving with me than others. I can even do this when I look at what my life lacks and conclude my sin or failures must have turned You off somehow ……… oh I am so sorry for all the ways I limit my perception of Your grace, love and goodness to me. I do not want to envious of others and resentful of You.
I receive and trust Your complete and total forgiveness and ask Your help with living free today. Fill me afresh Holy Spirit so I am free to see and enjoy Your many graces, many blessings, many gifts in my life. I get to enjoy You Jesus and what You have given me …. which is so very much. I do not have to be lured into the trap of looking at what others have and what I don’t have which takes my soul into lifeless places. I am in Your care and I rejoice that I get to enjoy You Jesus today … all day, every day. Thank You for You!
Amen
