REFLECTION

Gospel

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.”

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 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.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.                                                                                    Mark 10:17-30

Reflection

We all have encountered some very smart people over the course of our lives.

Some could be labelled as “genius” because of their keen ability to comprehend the unfathomable. Some we might label as “Google heads” for their ability to recite facts and figures others must search the internet for. And some, unfortunately, might be called “know-it-alls,” because they are firmly convinced of the rightness of their own opinions, and they refuse to entertain the opinions of others.

We place a high value on intelligence, not only our own, for what it can do for our self-esteem, but also on that of others, as it impacts culture and society. But even more esteemed than intelligence is wisdom. So, what exactly does wisdom look like? According to numerous studies, key attributes found in wise people include:

1. Self-knowledge, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and in which direction your moral compass is pointed.
2. A willingness to look at the world from another’s point of view and consider how that view influences their life and decisions.
3. Reserving judgement or decisions until the issues have been identified and thoroughly discussed.
4. Living a life rich in experiences – both positive and negative – and then being able to reflect upon those experiences as resources to guide future actions.
5. Practising humility, knowing that to grow in wisdom, we must continue to learn each day, whether it be through study or interactions with other people.

For those of us who wish to be wise, the list might seem daunting, but upon closer examination, are not these characteristics very similar to those we try to embody in our daily lives as good Christians?

Through prayer and reflection, we ask God to help us overcome our weaknesses and guide us to make better decisions. Do we not strive to be more understanding of those around us whose views differ radically from ours, not judging them, but rather, seeing and loving them as neighbours, as Jesus instructed us to do? When we give of our time, talent, and treasure to help those less fortunate, do we not use those experiences as building blocks, to enrich not only those we serve but also our own understanding?

As we continue forward in our messy world, let us remember that as followers of Christ, we are continually striving to be more humble and more reflective about our strengths, weaknesses, and ability to make good decisions. Let us be clear with ourselves and stand firm in our Catholic values, realising that we will make mistakes, but we can learn from them and use them to grow in wisdom. Let us not rush to judgement but take the time to thoroughly consider the issues.

And most importantly, when others are in need, let us not hesitate to humbly offer the benefit of the wisdom that God continues to instil in each of us.      

Julie Leonard Religious Education Leader/Wellbeing Leader