Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with the readers of Exaudi his reflection on the Gospel of this Sunday, October 13, 2024, entitled: “Come, sell what you have and then follow me”.
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Wisdom 7, 7-11: “In comparison with wisdom, I considered wealth as nothing”
Psalm 89: “Satisfy us, Lord, with your mercy”
Hebrews 4, 12-13: “The word of God reveals the thoughts and intentions of the heart”
Saint Mark 10, 17-30: “Go, sell what you have and follow me”
The first reading of this Sunday launches us to discover wisdom and the path to achieve true happiness. The answer is in the gospel, one of those gospels that we seek explanations for, and we say that Jesus speaks figuratively so as not to seriously commit ourselves to what He says. He continues on the road with his disciples, and they teach the most important things for following Him. Running, a man approaches Jesus and asks him: “What must I do to attain eternal life?” The question itself calls our attention. It does not seem that many people today are interested in earning eternal life. Many books and recipes appear to earn money, be successful, obtain power, but almost no one would be interested in knowing how to earn eternal life, the fullness of life. We do not know if this man is a sincere seeker of the truth, wants to follow Christ, or if he is just a Jew who wants to fulfill his religion. Jesus’ answer, for many of us, is already quite demanding: “You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not commit fraud, you shall honor your father and your mother.” Jesus does not insist on many celebrations or much worship, he insists on love and relationships with one’s neighbour. Thus, Jesus, as many previous prophets had done, affirms that the offense against the human being is what offends God. To our surprise, man affirms that he has fulfilled everything since he was little. Something that I wish each one of us could say.
“Jesus looked at him with love.” To make his proposal, Jesus does so from love. All his demand is understood only as a response of love and for love. “One thing you lack,” yes, it is only one thing, but it is the decisive one: to think in a new way, to look at one’s life in another way, to have other interests. And that is where everything gets complicated, it is not that the rich man does not think, it would seem that his thoughts work, and very well, but only in one direction: to defend, increase, consolidate his own possessions, to make his wealth grow. He is not capable of thinking of another way of living. And Christ proposes a radical following, looking at him with love, inviting him to be his disciple, to stop wanting and trusting in money. He invites him to live as he himself lives: in true freedom, happiness and love. Attachment to goods hardens the heart, makes relationships with others difficult, cools human fraternity, closes us off from sharing with those in need. In a word, it makes following Christ impossible.
The ambition for money, even if we sometimes do not have it, leads us to destroy and destroy ourselves in order to possess. The rich are never satisfied with what they already have, they always desire more and destroy. The serious problem of our world, as Pope Benedict already stated in his letter Caritas in Veritate, is not the lack of food because “wealth grows in absolute terms, but inequalities also increase… in the poorest areas, some enjoy a type of wasteful and consumerist overdevelopment, which contrasts in an unacceptable way with persistent situations of dehumanizing misery.” The real problem is ambition. Ambition causes corruption, violation of human rights, illegality, destruction of the environment for the benefit of a few, misery and poverty. Our planet, half-destroyed and exhausted, cries out to us that it has witnessed first-hand the ambitions that have plundered it and brought it to the brink of destruction. Water, air, trees, mines, far from being a source of income and well-being for all our brothers and sisters, have become the spoils of a few who plunder and steal and in the end leave the areas sterile and empty. Jesus’ statement: “How difficult it will be for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” is very hard if we take it seriously.
Following Jesus is very demanding. The invitation he lovingly makes to be one of his own demands a free heart. Not only must we leave all our possessions, but we must also distribute them to the poor. It is not enough to respect justice; we must go to the root of evil and the foundation of injustice: the ambition for wealth. Thus, that man prefers to continue “fulfilling” commandments, but he does not risk the adventure of total dedication and true love that Jesus offers. Hence, also the scandal of the disciples and the simple and easy interpretations that many seek to be able to “pass through the eye of a needle.” What is important is the freedom of the heart.
As every Sunday, the Word of God comes to demand and question us deeply, but now very closely, in social structures, in the family, in relationships: to have a free heart. Let us approach Jesus with all our possessions, little or many, and let us see if they are not tying our hearts. Let us see if our ambition has not harmed people, nature, family, or our relationship with God. Let us discover together with Jesus what we need to find a true and full life. And then let us listen to the loving words of Jesus: “Come and follow me.”
We ask you, Lord, that your grace purify us and free us, inspire us and accompany us always, so that we can discover you in all and love and serve you in each one. Amen.
