13 October 2024 - 28th Sunday "B"
Wis 7:7-11; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30
Homily
A comparison of the different versions of this story found in the three Synoptic Gospels shows us that the story has undergone a rather complex evolution that it is not necessary to analyze at this point. Let us simply remember that, in its present state, in Mark's Gospel, the story has two intertwined themes: The first theme concerns the unbelief of the Jews and the second relates to the difficulty of entering the Kingdom of God with riches. Let us consider them separately.
First of all, we must remember that, at this very moment in Mark's Gospel, Jesus is encountering more and more unbelief and opposition from the Jews, and that he is on his way to Jerusalem, where he will be put to death, as he has already announced on more than one occasion. We need to remember this to understand what his invitation means: ‘Come and follow me’.
The young man in this Gospel presents Jesus with a truly important question that is in the heart of every human being: ‘How can I inherit eternal life?’ or ’How can I be saved?’ But he doesn't put his question properly. He addresses Jesus as ‘good teacher’, treating him as just another rabbi. He simply wants to know the opinion of one teacher among many, reserving the right to judge whether his teaching will please him or not - the right to accept or reject it.
By reminding him that only God is good, Jesus is already implying that his response will not be that of a school, but a divine command that demands action rather than endless discussion.
Jesus reminds the young man of the central core of the Law. Let us note in passing that He leaves out the first precepts of the Decalogue relating to God and quotes only those relating to our neighbor, thus clearly indicating that the eternal life He is interested in is not life after death, which we could win by the merits of our actions, but rather the ‘reign of God’ begun here below in justice and charity. The young man seemed a little stung by Jesus' answer and, like a good Pharisee, added: ’I have done all this since I was young. -- I have kept the whole Law. I have a good conscience. (In Matthew's version, he also adds this question, probably rather rhetorical: ‘What else is there for me to do? ) This legalistic attitude is castigated by Jesus, who adds: ‘You lack only one thing: go, sell everything you have, give it to the poor... then come and follow me’.
At this point it becomes clear that the young man's questions were just a smokescreen. Confronted with the demands of faith, he admits that he cannot cope. When he is invited to set aside his moral and legalistic questions in order to meet and follow Jesus, he withdraws. Ultimately, believing and being saved mean clinging to the person of Jesus... even as he walks straight to his death.
Linked to this first theme is a second - a theme very dear to Jesus - that no one can be attached to Jesus unless he is detached from everything else or everyone else. The young man in question could not become attached to Jesus because he had great possessions and could not resign himself to giving them up to follow him.
The lesson of the first stratum of this story is that salvation is a free gift from God. Both the young man who comes to Jesus and the disciples themselves, at the end of the story, ask: ‘Who can be saved? Jesus' answer is that it is impossible for anyone - rich or poor - to be saved. Those who can be saved are those whom God saves. It is impossible for men. To God it is possible, and he always offers this gift to everyone.
However, to receive this gift, we must create a void within ourselves that longs to be filled. The Jewish historian Josephus tells how the Roman general Pompey, after capturing Jerusalem in 63 BC, wandered into the Temple's Holy of Holies with his aides and found nothing, absolutely nothing. This was the Jewish way of imagining the ineffable nature of Yahweh. In the same way, mystics have always considered this emptiness, this ‘nada’ (nothing), as a necessary condition for being transformed into God, for being saved.
Jesus repeated this message using many figures: ‘Amen, Amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit’.
When Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, said to his aspiring disciple: ‘Come and follow me’, he was inviting him to share in this paschal mystery. But this presupposes the renunciation of all attachments and desires. He had told the other disciples earlier: no gold, silver or copper in your belts, no bag for the day, no change of tunic, no sandals, no staff.
This account tells the story of Jesus calling a man. He always calls everyone by their own name. Each of us has to discover exactly what our personal call is. But because we are all called to salvation, we are also all called to achieve some form of authentic detachment of heart.
Armand Veilleux