Gospel MT 19:16-22
A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
Reflection:
A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
The young man had a wrong view. He saw Heaven as something to be earned by “doing” good.
Jesus responded by telling him, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
In other words, Jesus is saying that Heaven is not a reward to be earned by doing good deeds; Heaven is attained as a result of living a good life.
The young man is still confused.
He asked Jesus, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
This is truly a decent young man for he is able to answer honestly:
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
The young man had lived his life in obedience of the commandments, but as many people do, he still had a feeling that something was “lacking.”
“Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.”
What does it mean to “be perfect?”
I think of the innocence and trust that a parent sees in the eyes of their newborn baby and they say, “She’s perfect.”
What does our Father see when He looks at me?
Does He see the innocence that comes from living a good life? Does He see the trust that comes from being dependent on Him alone?
“Treasure in heaven” are acts of love, not done in an attempt to “earn heaven”, but in an unselfish desire to bring God’s love and hope to others.
Acts of love also bring treasure on earth; a deep joy that fills the void that was haunting the heart of the rich young man.
“Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.
When it comes to the commandments, unlike the rich young man, I cannot say, “All of these I have observed.”
I do not have “many possessions,” but I have much more than many people. Still, I do not “sell all that I have.”
Yet, I do not go away “sad,” because I have every confidence in God’s love of me. God, the good Potter, is still in the process of molding me: I am a work in progress.
I don’t ever expect to earn “eternal life.” But, I believe that when I stand at the gates of heaven what I lack in perfection will be made up for by the love and mercy of God.
After all, wouldn’t I do the same for my own son?
“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8