Twenty-Eighth Sunday of the Year (Year B)

 Twenty-Eighth Sunday of the Year – October 13, 2024

Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30

(image courtesy: Google)

There was once a wise woman traveling in the mountains who found a precious stone in a stream. She placed it in her haversack thinking it would be useful sometime.  The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and she opened her bag to share her food with him. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked if she might give it to him. She did so without hesitation and they finished their meal. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.  However soon he discovered that he was unable sleep frightened of robbers and of his own life.  Feeling miserable he came back to the woman a few days later, to return the stone to the woman who had willingly given it to him. 'I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I'm giving it back.   Give me something much more precious. I want you to give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone without any hesitation.”

How true is this within us? We often yearn for immediate satisfaction. The gospel encourages us to look beyond the present and find joy solely in Him. It is not about possessing wealth, but rather not letting wealth possess us. Let's reflect on the connection between wealth, discipleship, and the Kingdom of God. The liturgy challenges our attachment to material possessions and highlights the superior value in devotedly following Christ.

Today's First Reading discusses the invaluable wealth found in wisdom, which brings genuine happiness and liberates one from fear. Its supreme benefit is leading one to eternal life. Wisdom is not attainable through human effort alone; it is a divine gift. King Solomon implores God for this precious wisdom. Indeed, God does not deny such a gift to those who earnestly seek it. The pursuit of wisdom is essential to discover it. Earthly possessions cannot compare to wisdom, with benefits that extend beyond our temporal and spatial existence. The Book of Wisdom states in its initial chapters that God fashioned men and women for the purpose of eternal life. In the quest for true wisdom, one serves God and embarks on the path to eternity.

In this Gospel passage, a man runs up to Jesus with a sincere and burning question: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This is a profound and universal question that reflects the deep yearning of the human heart for something more than the passing joys and pleasures of this world. The man recognizes Jesus as a moral and spiritual authority, and he approaches Him seeking guidance for his own eternal future.

Jesus responds first by affirming the importance of keeping the commandments, listing several of them, which the man asserts he has kept since his youth. Yet, the man still senses that something is missing in his life, something beyond mere rule-following. This encounter highlights that while obedience to God's laws is essential, it is not sufficient for a full and flourishing spiritual life.

Jesus, looking at the man with love, discerns that his heart is divided. “You lack one thing,” Jesus tells him, “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” This invitation is both personal and universal. It is personal because Jesus sees the particular obstacle in this man’s life—his wealth. It is universal because it speaks to all of us about the need for detachment from material possessions and attachments that prevent us from fully following Christ.

The man’s reaction is telling: "When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions." Here, we see the profound struggle between worldly attachments and the call to radical discipleship. This man, who genuinely desired eternal life, finds himself unwilling to part with his wealth, which had become a barrier between him and God.

Jesus' subsequent teaching to His disciples is even more sobering: "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples are astonished, perhaps because wealth was often seen in their culture as a sign of God's blessing. But Jesus clarifies His point further with the famous image: "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."

Jesus is not condemning wealth itself, but the hold that wealth can have over the human heart. When our possessions possess us, they become obstacles to experiencing the fullness of God's love and grace. Wealth can create a false sense of security, autonomy, and self-sufficiency that blinds us to our deep need for God.

This teaching challenges us to examine our own relationship with material goods. Are we attached to wealth, status, or possessions in ways that prevent us from fully following Christ? Are we willing to let go of whatever hinders our discipleship?

The disciples, grappling with the radical nature of Jesus’ teaching, ask, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus responds with a message of hope: "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible." Salvation, in the end, is not something we can earn through our own efforts. It is a gift from God, made possible by His grace. While it may seem impossible for a rich person—or for any person—to enter the Kingdom of God, God's grace can transform hearts and make all things possible.

Peter, ever eager, points out that the disciples have left everything to follow Jesus, as if seeking assurance of their own salvation. Jesus reassures him, promising that those who have left behind worldly attachments for His sake will receive a hundredfold in this life—along with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come.

This promise is not about material rewards but about the spiritual and communal richness that comes from living in communion with God and His people. The “hundredfold” is found in the joy of discipleship, the support of the Christian community, and the deep peace that comes from living a life centered on God rather than on wealth or possessions.

The Lord invites us to reflect deeply on our relationship with wealth and material goods. The rich young man’s encounter with Jesus reminds us that true discipleship requires radical generosity, not just with our possessions but with our very selves.

Following Christ means being willing to let go of whatever prevents us from fully embracing the life He offers. It means trusting in God’s providence rather than in our own security. And it means finding our true treasure not in what we possess, but in who we become in Christ.

Let us pray for the grace to respond to Jesus’ invitation with hearts open to His transforming love, willing to leave behind whatever binds us and to follow Him on the path to eternal life.

Happy Sunday