Scripture Reflection, October 11, 2009: A Blank Check for God

Scripture Readings:
Wisdom 7:7-11
Psalm 90
Hebrews 4:12-13
Mark 10:17-30

Last week’s readings led us into a reflection about the true meaning of marriage as a “faithful, enduring union between a man and woman.” When we hear about the story of the young rich man in Mark’s Gospel, some of us may think, that this is a story for those who are called to consecrated life as a religious, priest or vowed lay person. Jesus’ command to the young man “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor…; then come, follow me,” may sound too radical for those of us who feel called to start our own families and will have to provide for them and their well-being. Nevertheless, we are all invited to find ourselves in the figure of the young man in the Gospel story, who could also be a young woman.

I think most of us have had moments in life when we felt called to more. More than just going to school, getting a degree, starting a job, buying a house, getting settled with the family… . Imagine yourself in the shoes of this young man or woman. Maybe you are not rich, but you have everything you need in life: a job, a house, a family, decent health care and a retirement plan. But you still feel this longing for something more. You don’t even know what this more is - maybe something more eternal than our earthly life. And then you go to Jesus and you get the unique chance to ask this great teacher: “What must I do to find eternal life?” When Jesus replies about keeping the commandments, it is like telling you yesterday’s news, because you already do everything that is required by your faith, like going to Sunday mass, participating in the Sacraments, giving to charity etc. That’s not what you wanted to hear. And Jesus understands you: You want more. You want something deeper and really meaningful. You want a sense of God, of eternity in your life. And Jesus looks at you with this expression of love and tenderness in the way that only Jesus’ eyes can look and he invites you to leave everything behind and to follow him. Can you feel how scary this must sound? Leave everything? And the “yes, but” comes into our minds: But what about the house? My friends? My school? My family? My bills? My job? Would we walk away sad, too?

But Jesus doesn’t only ask us to renounce, he also makes a big promise: “And you will have treasure in heaven.” The word treasure means more than material goods. It stands for our deepest desires and longings. The things that hold a special place in our hearts are our greatest treasures. The treasure that Jesus wants to give us, we can’t buy with money. Jesus knows that God wants to bless us with the priceless treasures of his kingdom: freedom, love, grace, peace, unity, hope, trust… God alone can truly satisfy the deepest desires of our heart. But God can’t give this gift to us if we are full of our own plans and worries and search for security. To leave everything behind means first of all to let God take over in our lives and to give our love for God the first place in our hearts. The young man in the Gospel had to renounce what was an impediment for him to follow Jesus. We, too have to let go of everything that might stand in the way of loving God first and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts and service. It is not so much the renunciation of wealth and other riches that leads to eternal life, but a life of discipleship. It is following Jesus that matters, and all Christians are called to do so. The most striking sentence for me is that the young man in the Gospel walked away sad and not happy. Giving up everything to have God as our treasure is not sorrowful, but the greatest joy.

That we can’t top God in generosity is confirmed by an expert in the first reading. The great king Solomon knows that he is just a normal man, like everybody else: “ I too am a mortal man, the same as all the rest, and a descendant of the first man formed on earth. And in my mother's womb I was molded into flesh… For no king has any different origin or birth, but one is the entry into life for all; and in one same way they leave it.” (Wis 7:1; 5-6) But then something happened that made all the difference. Instead of asking God for power or wealth, Solomon asked for wisdom: “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. I preferred her to scepter and throne, and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her …” As a king Solomon truly sought for the kingdom of God and everything else was given to him besides. (Matt 6:33) And so “all good things together came to me in her company, and countless riches at her hands.”
We usually don’t sign blank checks. It’s very risky because we don’t know what people might fill in. We like to be in control of our finances. Sometimes we do the same with God: we give him our Sunday mass - $100; some time for reflection and prayer - $50; service hours for the poor - $200. We keep the commandments and lead a decent Christian life - which is a good thing to do. But if we want to do more with our lives, God asks us to sign the blank check and let God fill in the amount. We are called to the fullness of joy. God wants to lead us to true happiness and invites us to follow him on this path to holiness and wholeness as a married or single person, as consecrated men and women or priests. We are called to follow Jesus who transforms and changes our lives. As we gather for the Eucharist this Sunday, let’s pray for the grace and the courage to follow Him when He calls our name, as the well-known song The Summons invites us to:

Will you come and follow me
If I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
And never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown,
Will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown
In you and you in me?

Lord, your summons echoes true
When you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you
And never be the same.
In your company I’ll go
Where you love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow
In you and you in me.
(by John Bell)

Birgit Oberhofer