[00:00:05] Hello! My name is Sally Moriarty-Flask; welcome to From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, October 13, 2024, the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. This week's episode is entitled: Being Too Comfortable and in these readings, we’ll learn that true wisdom isn't simply accumulated knowledge, it is seeing the world from God's perspective. As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following: Do we focus our attention on accumulating the goods of this world for our own benefit alone? Or do we put our focus on using the goods of this world to help others?
[00:00:59] Let's begin in prayer. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:05] Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of your commands that help us live according to your will. We ask that you help us see the world with your divine wisdom so that we can give a good accounting of our intentions, our thoughts, and our actions when we meet you at the end of our earthly lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[00:01:35] Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's listen to what God is telling us in the Scriptures.
[00:01:42] The Gospel this week is from Mark 10: 17-30.
[00:01:48] Just like last week, this week's Gospel has a shorter and a longer version. This week the shorter version leaves out the last 3 verses of this passage, but keep in mind that you may hear something different this week at your parish's Mass, if they choose to use the shorter version.
[00:02:08] “As Jesus was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.”’ And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.’ And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, ‘Then, who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.’ Peter began to say to him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.’”
[00:04:35] This passage picks up where we left off last week. Remember, we are in the Travel Narrative of Mark's Gospel, which describes the journey to Jerusalem – and, as with any journey - there are stops along the way. Jesus stopped in Judea in last week's Gospel, now he's getting underway again.
[00:04:56] To put this in perspective, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem at the beginning of chapter 11 of Mark's Gospel - so, we're nearly there! Now let's jump in to this week's Gospel…
[00:05:10] “As Jesus was setting out on his journey”
His journey - again - to Jerusalem, that is resuming.
“a man ran up and knelt before him”
Kneeling is an attitude of profound homage; the type of homage that's offered to God.
[00:05:27] “He knelt before Jesus and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’”
There's a lot to unpack in that short sentence… first is how the young man addresses Jesus - as Good Teacher - so, what is his underlying purpose here and how does he REALLY see Jesus? He kneels in homage, but then uses the title Teacher rather than Lord. Then he uses the word must - what MUST I do - referring to the 10 Commandments and, in fact, the entire Mosaic Law.
[00:06:13] And then the heart of his question is about inheriting eternal life. So, he knows the Law but somehow still isn't satisfied with it… he thinks there must be more that he can do. And we learn - from the ensuing exchange - that he's right - there is more he could do, but was that really the answer he was hoping for?
[00:06:41] “And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.’”
[00:06:49] Remember, I said last week that whenever Jesus answers a question with a question, that's a hint that he wants his listeners to go deeper… to look at things differently… to see if perhaps they missed something. And the hint Jesus gives about what is missing is clear if WE look a little deeper. Often those who proclaim the Gospel put the emphasis on the word good – “Why do you call me GOOD?”
[00:07:20] But again, I think we're missing something! I think the emphasis should be on the word ME. And let me explain why. At some level, this young man has recognized the true Jesus, right? He kneels before him in homage… acknowledging his divinity - on some level. But he is also clearly still skeptical because he addresses Jesus as Teacher… Good Teacher, in fact, not Lord… or Good Lord… or Good Master. Now, it's not that Jesus isn't good or that he isn't God… he is both! But why did this young man REALLY seek Jesus out? Was it because of his reputation? The miracles he performed? His teachings? His kindness?
[00:08:20] That's what Jesus is really asking the young man to examine for himself. Why do you call ME good if - at the same time - you don't acknowledge my divinity? And yes, from the standpoint of understanding this Scripture passage, it's important for us to examine the young man's motives. But at the same time, that should direct us right back to ourselves. It is just as important for us to examine our own motives when we approach God in prayer. Why do WE pray? Is it because we're expecting to get something out of it? Are we looking for an immediate answer or a miracle? OR do we want to spend time with the God we love and who loves us? Jesus goes on to say…
[00:09:23] “You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’”
[00:09:37] Now, for those of you who know the 10 Commandments, I may not necessarily need to point this out, but I'm going to anyway.
[00:09:45] The 10 Commandments are found initially in Exodus 20 and then repeated in Deuteronomy 5. And the list Jesus recites does not include - or reference - any of the commandments having to do with our relationship with God… all of the commandments in that list have to do with the young man's - and our - relationships with others… except for one! There is one phrase - one commandment - in that list that is not part of the Decalogue. And that is: “Do not defraud” which is actually from Deuteronomy 24, in a section labeled Various Laws. It has been suggested that perhaps Jesus added “Do not defraud” to the list because that was a particular failing of the young man.
[00:10:43] That verse about defrauding in Deuteronomy has to do with paying workers a fair wage. Was that, perhaps, how the young man got to be rich? We don't know for sure - the Scriptures don't tell us - but that should serve as a reminder to us that we need to be fair and just in our dealings with others… not just in money, but in every way.
[00:11:16] “And the young man said to him, ‘Teacher, all these things I have observed from my youth.’”
But again - it begs the question… did he really observe ALL those commandments? Or was there something lacking?
[00:11:33] Remember, I said at the beginning of this Reading that the young man approached Jesus for a reason. He clearly knows the Law, the Mosaic Law, but he isn't satisfied with it and thinks there must be more that he can do. Which leads us, again, to look at ourselves. Do we really keep the commandments? Do we really treat everyone justly - with fairness and respect? If we asked God to answer that question ABOUT US - would we be happy with his answer? And would it be the same as ours?
[00:12:22] “And Jesus looking upon him loved him”
[00:12:27] This is the only time this phrase - “loved him” - is used and this gaze of divine love should have captivated that young man. But he was so preoccupied with his own situation that he didn't even see it! How sad is that? How tragic! How many times does God look at US with love and we don't see it because it comes in the guise of another person?
[00:13:08] “So Jesus loved him and said to him, ‘You lack one thing’”
[00:13:16] And what is that one thing? Jesus goes on…
“Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
[00:13:31] Sell what you have and give to the poor - in other words, make things right, do what is just and fair, care for the needy - that one thing that the young man may have been lacking - then come and follow me.
[00:13:53] That invitation – “follow me” - is the same invitation extended to the disciples when Jesus first called them. And that simple - yet immensely complex phrase: “follow me” - represents the first 3 Commandments in the Decalogue, in the 10 Commandments (the ones that govern our relationship with God) and, at the same time, it invites the young man to offer his total and unconditional surrender to God.
[00:14:31] Now, the Scriptures are the living word of God, so that same invitation is being extended to each and every one of us. We should feel God's loving gaze on us and offer him our total and unconditional surrender… to him and to his will for our lives.
[00:15:00] “At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.”
[00:15:09] This is, I think, the saddest sentence in this entire passage. First, the young man rejects Jesus’ invitation - so that alone is sad.
[00:15:24] But the really heartbreaking part is the reason for the young man's rejection - Mark tells us: “for he had great possessions” - he had many possessions - he was unwilling to give up his earthly wealth for eternal life with God in heaven. It is far too easy to become comfortable with earthly riches… wealth and power engender a false sense of security in us… they teach us to trust ourselves rather than God… and, when hoarded, they are useless for gaining access to the kingdom of heaven. You'll notice I said WHEN HOARDED. Wealth, in and of itself, is not bad - it's what we choose to do with it that matters.
[00:16:24] If we are fortunate enough to accumulate wealth in this world, Jesus is clear what we are to do with it: “give to the poor and follow him.” That is precisely - those words are precisely - what led Saint Francis of Assisi down the road of radical poverty!
[00:16:46] Now, not everyone is called to that extreme level of sacrifice - but everyone IS called to SOME level of sacrifice! Now, Jesus has just experienced a rejection of his invitation, so how does he explain that to his followers? Mark tells us…
“Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.’”
[00:17:19] I'm going to say again, here, that Jesus is not denouncing wealth, per se. Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that wealth lets us exist comfortably in this world. Saint Augustine, however, took that a step further and said, “when we possess more than we need, we possess what belongs to others.” So, Jesus is not denouncing wealth here - he is denouncing an unhealthy attachment to wealth… an inability to use wealth to benefit others rather than just ourselves. Then Mark tells us…
[00:18:05] “The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children’”
Look how he addresses his followers! Jesus is not speaking directly to the little children - like the ones he encountered in last week's Gospel - he is speaking here to his disciples!
“Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
[00:18:44] Jesus uses an absurd image here - a great exaggeration - to make his point. A camel would have been the largest beast familiar to a 1st century Jew… and the eye of a needle the smallest opening they could imagine. He, of course, is speaking figuratively here, not literally. But that comment - those words - are directed towards those who have an unhealthy attachment to wealth. “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches” - that unhealthy attachment to wealth.
[00:19:35] “And the disciples were exceedingly astonished”
Literally - stunned!
“and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’”
[00:19:47] In the 1st century, wealth would still have been seen as a sign of God's favor, so the disciples’ question really reflects that viewpoint. In their eyes, if those who are favored by God can't be saved, then what hope is there for anyone? That is the question they are really asking.
[00:20:14] “Jesus looked at them”
That is the same gaze of divine love with which he looked at the rich young man earlier in this Gospel.
[00:20:27] “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.’”
[00:20:40] In the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture for the Gospel of Mark, theologian Mary Healy writes: “The kingdom of God is something utterly beyond human achievement. It cannot be earned, it cannot be claimed as right, it does not come as a reward for good behavior. It depends solely on the goodness of God, who freely offers it as a gift. So great is this gift that it must be recognized as God accomplishing the impossible, FOR ME.” So… “all things are possible with God.”
[00:21:31] “Peter began to say to him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed you.’”
[00:21:38] That almost sounds sort of like a plaintive type of cry, doesn't it? Almost as if Peter is asking, don't we get any credit for what we've done? Or perhaps there's a bit of boasting there instead… look what we've done - that should entitle US to get into heaven. But remember, the kingdom of God is a gift… freely given, not earned! No matter what we've done on this earth, it's not earned!
[00:22:14] “Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel’”
[00:22:32] That's the first half of that sentence, and there's a lot to unpack, so let's delve into that a bit.
[00:22:39] What things does Jesus list as a person leaving? He says: house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, lands… all things that would have made life comfortable for a 1st century Jew and, in fact, things that make life comfortable for us today as well… if we're being honest. Giving these things up - or being willing to give them up - points to the radical nature of the Christian life of discipleship. And again, think back to Saint Francis of Assisi, who DID give up all of that! And why are they given up? Why are these things given up? For Jesus’ sake and for the sake of the Gospel - both of which are priceless! So, Jesus is acknowledging the sacrifice made by his disciples and saying that their sacrifice hasn't been in vain. He goes on…
[00:23:58] “There is no one who [has given up these precious things] who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands”
Great! The disciples must be thinking, okay, we're on easy street. But Jesus goes on to say there is a cost…
“[You will receive these things along] with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.”
[00:24:30] Now let's compare the two lists, because there are items that are deleted… some that are changed… and some that are added. And that is all significant.
[00:24:44] First, the things given up: house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, lands. So, basically, family and home - those things that bring meaning and place to our lives.
[00:24:59] That certainly puts things in perspective, doesn't it? And it certainly makes giving up wealth sound ever so much better… rather than giving up everything else. Wealth seems sort of unimportant, in comparison. But then let's look at what is gained.
[00:25:19] Houses, brothers and sisters, mothers - not mother - mothers, children, lands.
[00:25:29] And here's what's added: persecutions.
[00:25:33] Let's break those gains down a little. Disciples gain houses? Well, yes, gained is the warmth of hospitality extended by other Christians as the word spreads. Brothers and sisters are gained? Yes, the warmth of adoption into the Christian community.
[00:26:02] MotherS, plural?
[00:26:04] Absolutely! Mary, the mother of Christ, becomes our Spiritual Mother and Holy Mother Church. We don't use that term as much anymore, but it's still valid and appropriate, especially here, especially as it applies to this passage. Lands? You bet - Christianity has grown and spread to countless lands.
[00:26:33] So far, the lists are pretty comparable. But what's missing? Well, father - he's there in the first list, but not in the second… why? Because of God the Father. God, himself, is the Father of this new family.
[00:26:56] And what is added? And this is only in Mark, but persecutions are added - because, truthfully, it's not a question of whether or not the disciples will be persecuted… it's a question of how. And it's not a question of if… but when. Jesus’ words here give the disciples a taste of what their future will be. Remember, this travel - that Jesus has undertaken to Jerusalem - has been to prepare his disciples for what they will encounter.
[00:27:41] And they're almost there… they're almost at their destination. He is saying to them… these things WILL happen! But he ends with a message of hope.
[00:27:56] “And in the age to come eternal life.”
[00:28:03] That is our ultimate goal, right? That's the outcome we all want. It's what we are made for! So, we know we need to keep the Commandments… we know we need to do the three things required of any disciple (so, deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ) … and we know that we may be called upon to leave behind the comforts of this world. Those things reflect what is called detachment - the detachment that is expected of all disciples, which includes us!
[00:28:43] Detachment being a focus on God rather than on ourselves… a focus on the goodness of God rather than on the goodness of this world. We should love this world - absolutely - but only after loving God first! Because loving God allows us to see the world in the right order… to see things in the right way. These things also present an honest assessment of the difficulties of discipleship, and they serve as a reminder that the REAL heart of discipleship lies in our total surrender to God and to his will for us and for our lives.
[00:29:35] So… are we truly willing to see the world from God's perspective? And to put the goods that we have in this world toward the benefit of others - in whatever way we can - rather than just keeping them for our own benefit?
[00:29:59] So let's turn to our First Reading, which is from the Book of Wisdom 7: 7-11.
[00:30:09] “I prayed and understanding was given me; I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her. I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light, because her radiance never ceases. All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.”
[00:31:00] Now, the Book of Wisdom is part of a group of books called Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament, and those books are: Job, Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach, and Ecclesiastes.
[00:31:15] And remember here, ladies, that wisdom is always personified as female, and furthermore, that it is understood as seeing things from God's perspective, not our own.
[00:31:32] Wisdom is greater than any goods of the earth, and it cannot be earned. It can be sought out, but it cannot be earned. Therefore, while it IS a gift from God, we must actively seek it out.
[00:31:51] Remember, in the First Book of Kings, Solomon pleased God by asking for wisdom rather than riches, so God granted him both. And because of that God given wisdom, Solomon is generally regarded to be the author of the Book of Wisdom. So, let's dive in…
[00:32:15] “I prayed, an understanding was given me; I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.”
Again, while divine wisdom is a gift, we must earnestly seek it out. Praying and calling upon God, represent asking or seeking. We must first seek out wisdom, and once we have acquired it, then we will know what to do with everything else! Everything will be put in its proper perspective!
[00:32:57] “I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her. Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her.”
[00:33:22] The Scripture is basically telling us here that power, influence, wealth, possessions - no matter how fine they are - all the goods of the earth - are less important than divine wisdom. That is the challenge for us, though, isn't it? It's so easy for us to be captivated by the goods of this world and let our egos guide our actions rather than God's wisdom!
[00:33:55] “I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light, because her radiance never ceases.”
[00:34:05] This Scripture is reminding us that wisdom is more important than even our own personal well-being.
[00:34:13] “All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.”
[00:34:23] Remember that Solomon asked for wisdom and received it along with uncounted riches and power. The lesson for us all here is that when we see life from God's perspective, we will know how to properly manage not only our worldly goods but everything else in our lives, too. It's easy to understand why this reading was paired with the Gospel.
[00:35:02] The rich young man may have had accumulated knowledge and accumulated earthly goods, but he lacked divine wisdom and put his faith in his worldly possessions rather than in God. So, this is a not-so-subtle reminder to us to beware of trusting ourselves alone rather than looking to and relying on God.
[00:35:37] Our Psalm this week is Psalm 90, and the response is, “Fill us with your mercy, Lord, and we will rejoice.”
[00:35:46] And here are the verses:
[00:35:50] “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands.”
[00:36:33] I have to stop here very quickly… establish - in the NAB (New American Bible) - is translated as prosper. So, I'm going to read this as if it was from the NAB.
“And prosper the work of our hands for us, yes, prosper the work of our hands!”
[00:36:50] The RSV (Revised Standard Version), which is the translation I typically use, says: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us, yes, establish the work of our hands!”
[00:37:07] I just think the RSV translation doesn't work quite as well in this particular verse as it does in the other verses. And I think it's difficult for us to understand what the psalmist is really trying to say… establish the work of our hands upon us - rather than: prosper the work of our hands for us. Read it both ways, listen to it both ways, and see what you think. But I think prosper the work of our hands - in other words - make it grow, make it fruitful… that makes more sense than just establish - make it happen. That's why I wanted to point out the difference.
[00:37:53] Now, this Psalm is a Communal Lament. And if you remember, a few weeks ago we heard from Psalm 54, which is an Individual Lament. At the time, I explained that a Lament Psalm has five parts and we could easily identify each part in Psalm 54 because it was so short.
[00:38:18] Psalm 90 is much longer, and because of that, we don't encounter all five parts of a Lament Psalm in the verses that are chosen for this weekend.
[00:38:35] But from what we do hear, it is clear why this Psalm is paired with the Gospel and the First Reading. That leads us then to the Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews 4: 12-13.
[00:38:53] “Brothers and sisters: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”
[00:39:25] And again, I'm going to also include the NAB here, because I think it makes more sense. So that last sentence then becomes:
“And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.”
[00:39:46] I think that makes a whole host more sense than “with whom we have to do.”
“To whom we must render an account” just makes - is - more understandable.
[00:39:58] Now, this is our 2nd of 7 passages from Hebrews, and it begins to where last week's passage left off. As I said last week, Hebrews is undoubtedly a brilliant theological treatise on Christ as both the perfect sacrifice and the high priest who offers that sacrifice. But - and we cannot lose sight of this as well - it was also written to encourage a Christian community that was becoming increasingly indifferent to the call of their Christian faith and, at the same time, growing weary of adhering to the demands placed upon it by that faith. Now, there's a word for that! Remember I talked about theologians like to make up words! Well, there's a word for that… and it's called acedia. And that word means laziness or indifference in spiritual matters. So, for that very reason, this letter speaks directly to us today!
[00:41:17] We all experience weariness in our faith at times. It comes with being a Christian in our modern world and in our modern culture. We become tired of always being good Christians… especially when we see bad things happen to good people… or bad people - people that we view as bad - getting what we consider to be good rewards.
[00:41:49] That makes being a good Christian quite challenging at times. So, let's go back to the beginning. The passage begins by saying…
“For the word of God is living and active”
[00:42:04] I'm going to bring in the NAB translation again because that says: effective… living and effective. But regardless of how it's translated, the message in this case is the same. That's why I didn't mention it before.
[00:42:22] Scripture comes to us from the living God, and it is precisely HOW God speaks to us, which is why it can speak to all people at any time in history.
[00:42:38] And these words remind us that God's word - in the Scripture - is always able to speak to us, to teach us, and to guide us, to help us understand God's will for us and for our lives.
[00:42:59] “It is sharper than any two-edged sword.”
That image is a little less effective, if you will, in today's parlance. But what the author is trying to say is that it is always effective in addressing any concern, or - to put it another way - to cut to the heart of the matter. So that alone - that image of a sword - while we don't use swords in wars or battle or competitions commonly anymore, still, cutting to the heart of the matter is a phrase that anyone could understand.
“Piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow”
In other words, God's word reaches all the way to our innermost self, our most private thoughts and feelings, those personal things we keep hidden from everyone but ourselves. And why?
[00:44:13] “To discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
[00:44:19] Now, God knows us better even than we know ourselves, and he can distinguish between our conscious and unconscious motivations… or to put it another way… our thoughts and intentions. That's what the Scripture said…
“the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare”
Meaning that nothing can ever remain hidden from God - no creature is truly able to hide from the
all-seeing, all-knowing God. That should not seem frightening to us! Remember, God knows us better than we know ourselves and - despite all of that - he still loves us!
“but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”
And again, that NAB translation is…
“all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account”
If you watched my trailer for this podcast, I did say I would bring in other translations whenever I felt they were appropriate, and this is certainly one of those times. The NAB (New American Bible) does a better job of translating those words than the RSV (Revised Standard Version) does that I normally use. So, the author is telling us that everyone must be ready to give an account to God for the actions they undertook in this life. And we hear that very same message in chapter 14 of St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, where he says; “We shall all stand before the judgment Seat of God and give an account of ourselves.”
[00:46:23] Again, these words are not meant to frighten us! But they should serve as a gentle reminder that we need to make changes now while we can. So, let's revisit the question I asked at the beginning.
[00:46:42] Are we accumulating the goods of this world for our own benefit alone? In other words - in Gospel terms - are we behaving like the rich young man in today's passage from Mark and rejecting Jesus' invitation because we have many possessions and we're selfish?
[00:47:07] Or will we be guided by divine wisdom to see the world from God's perspective and use the goods of this world to help others to whatever extent that we can?
[00:47:22] We know what we are supposed to do. We know how we are supposed to act. God himself has told us that in the Scriptures. We just need to make sure that we're listening!
[00:47:43] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, please send me an email at
[email protected].
[00:47:52] Thank you for listening and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain and may he hold you, safe and secure, in the palm of his hands.
[00:48:04] From His Word to Our Hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions. The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask. Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with permission of the composer. All rights reserved. Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
