August 18
The
Rich Young Man
(Part 2)
Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30
Today's Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30 (The Rich Young
Man - Part 2)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to
you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again
I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than
for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard
this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus
looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all
things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up
everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them,
“Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son
of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone
who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children
or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more and will
inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be
first.
Reflection:
The disciples' reaction is the most honest reaction
in today’s scripture: if this is true, who then can be saved? They understood
exactly what Jesus meant, and it terrified them, because wealth wasn't the only
thing weighing them down: pride, comfort, self-reliance- all the quiet ways a
person can be rich without ever owning much of anything.
Jesus doesn't soften His answer. He confirms it's impossible. And then He adds
the only sentence that makes the whole Gospel bearable: With God, all things
are possible. Salvation was never going to be something you climbed your way
into through your own effort. It was always going to have to be given.
Our Lady is proof of exactly that. She wasn't saved because of wealth, status,
or achievement; the Church holds that from the first moment of her existence,
she was preserved by a grace she didn't earn, prepared by God alone, so that
even her yes was itself a gift before it was ever a choice. If anyone
understood that salvation is impossible for us and possible for God, it was
her.
What are you still trying to climb your way into, instead of letting it
be given to you? Our Lord’s love for you is immeasurable; all we have to do is fully surrender to Him in our lives and love Him with all our hearts.
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
