Brian’s Reflection: The Weekend, Sat, Oct 10, 2009

Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing;
go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

- Jesus to the rich young man, Mark 10 [Proper 23B RCL]


It seems to me that the issue in this passage is the difference between, on the one hand, a “conventional” ethical, moral Life (which often is vapid) and, on the other hand, Transformation and the Freedom to transcend the limitations of our mortality.

Jesus is not concerned with the “things” themselves that the young man – who represents us – had. “Things” are morally neutral. Jesus is concerned with their power over us. At the top of the list of such “things of power” are Sin and Death. Being a follower of the Gospel of Jesus does not take away Sin and Death; they are part of human nature. Rather, the Gospel is a path of denying power to Sin and Death. The object is To Live Fully. We will sin (i.e., deny Love), but we can turn away (repent). We will “die to this mortal Life”, but Death is seen as a gate into deeper Life, and loses its power (fear) over us.

The “many possessions” that the young man had were a millstone around his neck. Jesus, loving him and seeing into his soul, knew this. As great teachers often do, Jesus went right to the heart of the problem. Perhaps the young man later gained power over his “things” and used them to enhance his own and others’ lives.

The question: What is keeping us from breaking free of what holds us back from Joy, from Delight, from Love? Can we deny it power?

Brian+