Commentary
Right Intention, Wrong Direction
The man described in this
Sunday’s Gospel passage probably had every earthly possession a person in those
days could have. And with the wealth came social status, respect,
power …. It was very likely that he had it
all.
Often time we have thought of
his failure in following Jesus.
However, in all fairness, he
should at least get the credit for knowing that he does not have everything yet.
By the common understanding of his time, he
must have been on good terms with God.
Wealth was considered a concrete sign of God’s reward to those who were
walking in God’s way.
Whatever people might have
thought of him, he knew that he was still missing “eternal life.” So he
came “running” to Jesus and asked the question, “What must I do to inherit
eternal life?”
He asked the wrong question,
thinking of eternal life as something he could achieve or gain by doing things.
[1] As Jesus pointed out, eternal life or entrance to the
Kingdom of God is first and foremost God’s free and gracious gift.
But at least the man knew that he did not
have everything yet.
How about me? Do I even know that I need God? Or the more possessions, talents, popularity,
power, and opportunities I have, the less I think of God? If so, I am even further off than this man.
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[1] Francis J. Moloney, The
Gospel of Mark: A Commentary.
Peabody, MA: Hendrikson Publishers, 2002; p. 199.
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