27 May 2013 - exorcising our possessions

27 May 2013 - exorcising our possessions

Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

We are called to leave aside everything which is taking the place of God in our lives.  If we spend a thought on these temporal things we know they can't satisfy us.

And yet:

At that statement, his face fell, 
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

We aren't so different.  We are so attached to the things of this world and so accustomed to the habits of our lives as they are now that we can't imagine a different way.  We think that without these short term pleasures there is only the pain of a vacuum and emptiness.  If we list what these things our for us and imagine divesting ourselves of them do not our faces fall?  So we run from one frivolity to the next as the emptiness that underlies all this threatens us and presses in at the edges of our minds.

Yet Jesus promises us treasure in heaven.  How do we trade these riches which we can see for the treasure which we do not yet fully experience?

“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”

So we turn to God, knowing that he is calling us to something we can't do on our own.  If we think we are doing it on our own we need to reassess where our treasure truly is.  The treasure in heaven is something only God can give.  The same is true for the freedom from the riches of this world.  Laying down those riches looks very much like the cross to us.  But he is faithful to help those who seek him.

How great the mercy of the LORD,
his forgiveness of those who return to him!

We are beset by temptations in this world.  Even if we aren't focused on them we still experience the pleasures of this world (and that isn't necessarily wrong or sinful).  But they often tempt us to turn aside from our pilgrimage.  They try to shout down the still small voice calling us on.  But if we trust in God we have nothing to fear.  He has freedom even now for those who take shelter in him.

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.