Wisdom to follow Jesus

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 10:17-30

"Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him, and he said, ‘There is one thing you lack. Go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But his face fell at these words and he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth." 

We may not also understand Jesus' words, thus, losing the opportunity to serve him when he calls us.

In the first reading, from the book of Wisdom, it says: "I prayed, and understanding was given me;
I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me."

We need wisdom to discern what God wants, not what we want.  Wisdom is the mind and heart of God himself, revealing his plans for the world and the contents of his heart.  Our minds and hearts, because of sin, are alienated from God. But with the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can still find our way back to God.

"Go and sell everything you own ..." calls us to develop a spirit of detachment to material things.  They are simply what they are, instruments to an end.  The end is important in discerning wisdom.  Is it God who is our final end?  Then why are we so preoccupied with material concerns that we don't have time to serve the Church and others?

"Give the money to the poor ..."  Another component of wisdom is thinking about others instead of self.  The self is the third priority of our lives.  God is first, others are second, we are third.  If we all make ourselves first, we won't have have the compassion for others.  And if a whole community would be composed of selfish people, imagine the devastation to that community!  But is the community is composed of sharing people, imagine the life that flows in the community!

Only in following Jesus could we experience the fullness of life!

"Come, follow me..."  Actually, this SHOULD be the theme of our lives!  Following him does not come only as we nearing death.  Following should happen while at the peak of our lives!  Only then could we experience the real joy of following him each day and the excitement each day brings.  But this is the message: only in following him till the end can lead us to the fullness of life!