The story of Jesus and the rich man

Our Sunday Gospel today is quite disturbing for people who are well-to-do as this is the encounter of our Lord Jesus Christ with a young rich man. You can read it in Mark 10:17-30.

“As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’”

20 He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at his words.

So Jesus again said to them in reply, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to pass through [the] eye of [a] needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”

28 Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 30 who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses, brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.”

There are many ways to interpret this story… one from the point of view of rich people, especially those who were born into riches who may end up in despair for the “curse” they inherited might not merit them eternal life. Another way of looking at this is from the point of view of the clergy.

When the rich man approached Jesus in homage he addressed him as Good Teacher. And Jesus replied to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” So you can say, no matter how rich or dirt poor you are, no matter how good you think you are, you are still not good in the eyes of God for as the Lord himself said, “No one is good but God alone.” So in a way of saying, not one of us can merit eternal life unless we go through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord and giver of life!

As for the rich man, when Jesus told him “Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” It was really one of Jesus’ conditions for discipleship. This is why our priests and bishops have to give up all material things in life, including their own families to follow Jesus. In the end, the Lord gives them new families when they if they become a parish priest in a community.

But the bottom line for the rich is a word called “Attachment”. Do not be attached to your material things, i.e. your car, your watch or your property because like it or not, when you kick that proverbial bucket, you cannot bring your material wealth with you. Your soul alone travels to the great beyond and the only thing and let me repeat this for emphasis…the only thing that you can bring with you is your Trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus.

In this story, we are told that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle that for the rich to enter God’s kingdom. In short it is virtually impossible for the rich to enter God’s kingdom, but only through the mercy of God can we do so as nothing is impossible with God.

After hearing this, it just makes me wonder what would happen to a parish priest from a rich community? Can he also enter the kingdom of God? This brings me to that place in Simala, Sibonga where the brothers have become rich beyond their expectation. After all, they were assigned to such a desolated place. But they have been so blessed by the Virgin Mary who cured many devotees, now they have become so rich; they have wallowed in their material abundance, forgetting their role in saving souls.

The brothers failed to teach the Marian devotees that Mama Mary always leads us to her Son our Lord Jesus Christ. They should have told the devotees to visit the small chapel where there is Eucharistic Adoration. But they failed that, now evil has befallen upon them. But God in his infinite Mercy can forgive the Simala brothers if they seek God’s mercy.

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