ALL YOU NEED ARE
OPEN HANDS TO RECEIVE THE GIFT
OPEN HANDS TO RECEIVE THE GIFT
Jesus singled out his wealth as
his obstacle. Wealth, in and of itself is not a problem, but attachment is.
A camel is an
unattractive animal with a large hump on its back. The picture of such an
animal attempting to pass through the eye of a needle is ludicrous at best. The
picture is a typical form of Hebrew overstatement for the purpose of making a
point. The point is that some people bring with them obstacles that make it
impossible for them to enter the Kingdom of God. When Jesus spoke to the man in
the Gospel, He singled out his wealth as his obstacle. Wealth, in and of itself
is not a problem, but attachment is. Jesus saw an attachment in the heart of
this man, which forced the man to walk away from Jesus. He could not accept the
challenge of detachment even with the help of God. He didn't even try!
Wealth may be a
problem for some people, but we should not limit our view by concentrating on
the matter of money. The real point is that any obstacle must be able to be
given up. If it is not riches, it may be something else. Simply being poor is
no guarantee because a poor person may be improperly avaricious. Their own life
may be directed toward getting to the point of wealth possessed by those whom
he envies.
Today, in Mark's
Gospel, we read, "Jesus, looking at the man, loved him and said to him,
'You are lacking in one thing'" (Mk 10:21). Our heavenly Father knows
everything about us, including the difficulties that are going on in our lives.
What obstacle, if any, is in your way of having a true and complete relationship
with God in your daily life? Do you take the time each day to reflect and
ponder on these things that get in the way? God knows us better then we know
ourselves!
An attachment
interfering with our advancement toward the Kingdom may be a particular person,
an object, or even a way of acting. Each of us must examine our own life to
determine the obstacle. We unite with Jesus in the giving up of His life
voluntarily on the Cross. From Him, especially in Holy Communion, we can draw
the strength we need to remove from our shoulders the bloated hump of
attachment. With God, all things are possible.
The rich young man
comes to Jesus looking for the answer to eternal life. The question he asks
Jesus reveals the concern of the rich: "What must I do to inherit eternal
life?" The answer, of course, is "nothing." Inheritance is a
gift. All we need are open hands to receive the gift. Jesus asks us to do what
He asked the rich man to do. Let go of all the things to which we cling - our
assets, our accomplishments, and our pride - and open our hands to receive His
gift of life.