On the Only Good

Reflection on Wis 7:7-11; Ps 90:12-17; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30

In the gospel reading, Jesus lays down the essential truth regarding
Christianity. When a rich man asked the Lord, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?", Jesus answered that only God is good and reminded must him about God’s commandments concerning our relationship with other people. When the rich man quickly declared that he has observed all of these commandments from his youth, Jesus responded: "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (Mk 10:21)

Jesus teaches that merely refraining from harming others in observance of the
commandments is not enough. More importantly, we must to do good to others.
When Jesus lovingly told the rich man "You are lacking in one thing”, He meant that he needed to have the disciple’s heart- the heart that burns in intense love for God, the heart that cultivates, cherishes, and manifests this love of God through love of others, the heart that worships the one and only true God in every facet of our life.

Lacking this, the rich man could not give up his "many possessions" to follow Jesus. The love of riches impede discipleship. Those who love to amass wealth find it hard to humble themselves, to surrender control over their life to God, and to depend entirely on Christ. The poor, on the other hand, have nothing and no one to depend on but God. Thus, Jesus said that it was easier for the camel to pass through a needle's eye than for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mk 10:25). Jesus warns us of the dangers of attachment to power and wealth when he said "You cannot serve God and mammon." (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13). He asks us to make our choice between the love of God and the idolatrous love of power and wealth.

"Teach us to count our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of
heart." (Ps 90:12).

We could also make gods of a cause, an idea, a group, an activity, our accomplishments, our convictions or principles, our ways of doing things, our community- by being excessively attached to them, even in the course of serving God. We could be so enamored with our community that we forget that it is not the end, but a means to the ultimate end- God Himself. Our community’s primary mission is to help lead people to Christ- the only Way to the Father.

To be true to our purpose, we must be like Solomon in praying for prudence and understanding, and pleading for His Spirit of Wisdom (Wis 7:7). We must rely on the Holy Spirit to work through us, to lead and to guide us in all our ways. More importantly, we must allow God to develop in us the disciple’s heart, to grant us the qualities of true inheritors of His kingdom: emptying of self, poverty of the spirit, humility, obedience, charity and openness to His Spirit.

Let us give up worldly goods for the Goodness that comes only from God --the
only one who is truly Good.