Sunday, June 12, 2005
MATTHEW 19:23-30
Today's gospel reading invites us to make a reflection very similar to yesterday's reflection. Jesus says in today's gospel, "It`s easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Some of us may have the tendency to over rationalize when we hear this statement. This sort of thing: oh, it's just Jesus making use of hyperbole or exaggeration, the sort of thing the Jews of his day loved to use and hear. Or: the apostles were so startled by what Jesus said, that they asked, "then who can be saved?" To ease the Apostles' anxiety Jesus immediately softened his words: "with God all things are possible." In other words, it'll take a miracle to save a rich man, but God can work miracles.
Well, as we remember yesterday, that's not always true, there are limitations on God's miracle-making power. Let us recall the time Jesus went back to his hometown. According to St. Mark, `Jesus was unable to perform miracles there, aside from curing a few sick people. He was amazed at lack of faith [of the people of Nazareth].'
More to the point, as you will recall, in yesterday's gospel Jesus was unable to work a miracle in the heart of the rich man who wanted to become his disciple. The miracle Jesus tried to perform - separating the rich man from his wealth - failed. God was powerless to work a miracle in the rich man's heart.
That's the trouble with riches. We pass so easily from the possession of riches to being unwittingly or perhaps knowingly possessed by them and then not even God can free us of our slavery. The rich man in yesterday's gospel is a perfect example.
As mentioned in yesterday's reflection, those who are the rich are those who have steady work, secure jobs, assured incomes, comfortable homes, healthy food … all that in a country where the vast majority of the people live below the poverty line. We are the rich and therefore - we are people at risk in Jesus' eyes.
Let us ask ourselves today: can we detach ourselves, not from the basic needs for our daily living, but from our surplus? Can we detach ourselves from it and offer it to God, to Jesus, for the poor? If we cannot, then we are no different from the rich man mentioned in yesterday's gospel. God cannot work miracles in our hearts if we are unwilling. Do we want to be with God or are we slaves of money?
Well, as we remember yesterday, that's not always true, there are limitations on God's miracle-making power. Let us recall the time Jesus went back to his hometown. According to St. Mark, `Jesus was unable to perform miracles there, aside from curing a few sick people. He was amazed at lack of faith [of the people of Nazareth].'
More to the point, as you will recall, in yesterday's gospel Jesus was unable to work a miracle in the heart of the rich man who wanted to become his disciple. The miracle Jesus tried to perform - separating the rich man from his wealth - failed. God was powerless to work a miracle in the rich man's heart.
That's the trouble with riches. We pass so easily from the possession of riches to being unwittingly or perhaps knowingly possessed by them and then not even God can free us of our slavery. The rich man in yesterday's gospel is a perfect example.
As mentioned in yesterday's reflection, those who are the rich are those who have steady work, secure jobs, assured incomes, comfortable homes, healthy food … all that in a country where the vast majority of the people live below the poverty line. We are the rich and therefore - we are people at risk in Jesus' eyes.
Let us ask ourselves today: can we detach ourselves, not from the basic needs for our daily living, but from our surplus? Can we detach ourselves from it and offer it to God, to Jesus, for the poor? If we cannot, then we are no different from the rich man mentioned in yesterday's gospel. God cannot work miracles in our hearts if we are unwilling. Do we want to be with God or are we slaves of money?
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 5:05 PM 
