Sunday Gospel Connection
(Mark 10:17-30 - A man with many possessions asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life.)
Today we continue reading the Gospel of Mark from where we left off last Sunday. Last Sunday our Gospel told how Jesus was tested by the Pharisees about the requirements for divorce. Recall that these chapters come from the second part of Mark’s Gospel, which chronicles the beginning of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem.
In today’s Gospel, an unnamed man approaches Jesus and inquires about what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus replies that one must follow the commandments of the Law of Moses. The man acknowledges that he has observed all of these since his childhood. Jesus then says that only one thing is lacking: he must give his possessions to the poor and follow Jesus. The man leaves in sadness, and Mark tells us that this is because he had many possessions.
This Gospel might make us uncomfortable about our possessions. This discomfort offers us an opportunity to consider our possessions and our family’s commitment to the poor. Material possessions are a necessity in our culture. Our use of these possessions and our attitude about their importance is our choice, however. It is a choice we can make with the awareness that our faith in Jesus commits us to show our care for the poor.
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