(Audio)
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
This risk is real for all of us. People for most of history would consider what we have to be untold riches. This doesn't doom us. But it does mean that we should be on our guard. Lent is a perfect opportunity for us to analyze our lives to see what things might be taking priority over Jesus. What, if asked, do we have trouble relinquishing? Maybe we can cut back or refrain from such things for a time. While doing so we can learn just why we were clinging to those things. Did we not trust Jesus to provide for us? Did we cling too much to love of comfort so that it took precedence over love of God and neighbor?
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
Jesus asks us to relinquish only that which keeps us from following him. He truly knows that the treasure waiting for us in heaven is worth more than anything we might accumulate here below. He wants to make our hearts unencumbered, that they might be light enough to rise with him.
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”
We can't try to empty ourselves on our own. If we do we will experience only emptiness at the bottom. We need the power of Jesus to make it possible. His yoke, even when it consists of laying down our wealth, is easy and light. When we share his yoke we, like his disciples, are sent out with nothing extra. Like his disciples we always have enough.
To the penitent God provides a way back,
he encourages those who are losing hope
and has chosen for them the lot of truth.
God knows that we drift. Even as we learn to give up something we slide into taking solace in some other earthly delight. Even though we are so incorrigible he is nevertheless always ready to welcome us back. We are made to delight in him. He offers himself to us to be our joy.
How great the mercy of the LORD,
his forgiveness of those who return to him!
We can see how we are doing by praising God. Is there joy in it? Or is it rather obligation from which we wish to return to our many possessions? Jesus has the power and the desire to give us joy in praising him.
Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.
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