by Fr Fabian Dicom
Wisdom 7:7-11
Psalm 89:12-17
Hebrews 4:12-13
Mark 10:17-30
Theme: All Things Are Possible For God
An elderly man bought a lottery ticket and won RM1 Million. His children found out before he did but were afraid to let him know, knowing that he had a very weak heart and he might not be able to handle the shock. So they went to the Parish Priest, a close friend of their father for advise.
The priest assured them “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.“
So he met with his friend, the father, over drinks. And in the middle of their conversation asked, “Frank, what would you do if you won a million Ringgit?“
Without any hesitation, Frank replied, “I would give it all to the church.” And the priest dropped dead with a heart attack.
Don’t get any ideas. I will be very suspicious if any of you come to me with that. Please see the Bishop.
Now, while this story adds a bit of humour, today’s Gospel is not really about money or possessions. It is about something much deeper. And that is our relationship with God.
Rabbi Abraham Heschel once said that three things are necessary for us to connect with God:-
#1 – God’s willingness to love us.
#2 – Our capacity to receive that love.
#3 – A moment for the two to meet.
God’s willingness to love us, our capacity to receive that love and that moment when these two meet.
The beautiful truth Heschel insisted is that these three elements are always present. God is always loving us and we are always capable of receiving that love. And every moment offers us the chance to connect with God. It is possible.
So finding joy in God’s love is simple and ever present, as natural as breathing in and breathing out. Yet, paradoxically connecting with God can feel illusive. And that is what today’s Gospel addresses.
A young man approaches Jesus, seeking eternal life. He is a good man, faithful to the Commandments but he feels something is missing. Jesus looks at him with love and tells him, “You lack one thing. Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven. Then you follow me. Follow me after that.“
The young man walks away sad, we are told. Unable to part with his wealth and this also implies that he was not willing or not ready to trust Jesus. He is not a bad person. He is just deeply attached to his possessions. And that attachment and the lack of trust prevent him from fully following Jesus Christ.
We often find ourselves in that man’s shoes. Don’t we? We live moral lives. I believe we all do. We follow the rules. We come to Mass. We pray. But when Jesus asks us to take that step deeper, maybe in our prayer, maybe by reading the word of God, maybe in an encounter with someone, maybe in the call for help from someone else. We are called to take that one step and follow Him, follow Him deeper. When He asks us to let go of something that we hold dear, perhaps we hesitate.
This story speaks to our attachments and how they can hold us back from fully embracing the life God is calling us to.
Now Richard Rohr crystalised this truth in a beautiful saying. Rohr says this:
Sometimes the greatest obstacle to the next good thing that God wants to give us is the good thing we already possess.
He is saying that. Sometimes the good things when I ask people, “Father life is good“. Yes, if you ask me, life is good as well. And the Lord says “Okay it is good but I still want you to move further.“ And that is the difficulty Richard Rohr is saying.
We can become so possessive of what we already have that we close ourselves off to what is yet to come. And Rohr points to a pattern of the Christian life. And this is the pattern:-
Letting go so as to receive.
In contrast, the First Reading from Wisdom shows us Solomon who prays not for riches, not for power but for wisdom. He understands that true wealth lies in knowing and doing God’s will. Now this wisdom comes when we let go of our own desires and begin to see the world through God’s eyes.
I am reminded also of a story by Fr Anthony de Mello who tells of a monk known for his wisdom and humility.
One day a man came to him in search of advise, saying: “I have everything, wealth, property and a good family. But I feel empty inside.“
The monk smiled and said: “Go into your room, close the door and sit quietly. Then ask yourself: What is the one thing you cannot live without? That is what is standing between you and your peace.“
The man did as he was told and after some time he returned. “It is my pride” he said “I have been building my identity on what others think of me. I can’t let that go.“
The monk’s advice mirrors Jesus’ invitation to the rich young man. It is not about having wealth or possessions. It is about what we allow to control us.
What keeps us from trusting God fully?
For some of us, it may be our wealth. I doubt it would be most of us. But for others, it could be our need to control. Our need to have power. Our image or even our fears. So these attachments are not necessarily material. These attachments are mostly psychological and emotional.
The three temptations of Jesus highlight these three things. If I break it down:-
#1 – I am what I do
#2 – I am what I have
#3 – I am what others say I am
and we get attached to these.
This is where the letter to the Hebrews, the Second Reading, comes in. It reminds us the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. God’s word is not meant to simply comfort us or affirm our choice.
No! Never! It cuts through our illusions, revealing the attachments we often hide even from ourselves. And sometimes we are blinded that we can’t see these attachments that paralyse us, that keep us from moving forward, that keep us from following Jesus Christ.
It challenges us. The word of God challenges us to examine our hearts honestly. And we want to do that right now.
Pope Francis often says and I quote him:
The Gospel calls us to live with open hearts, to be close to the poor and the marginalised. It is not enough to keep the Commandments, You must also live in love.
This is the treasure in heaven that Jesus is referring to. The treasure of living with a heart open to others, especially those in need.
For us gathered here this evening, the invitation from Jesus is clear and challenging. But it is also an opportunity for something greater. He is not calling us to simply follow routines or go through the motions of our faith but to embrace a life that transforms us and impacts those around us.
Let us pause and ask ourselves where is Jesus inviting me to take the next step of faith when He says “Follow me.“
This is not just a gentle nudge. It is a bold challenge to rethink our lives. This is an invitation to that moment that the Rabbi says:
God’s love connects with our capacity to accept Him.
Jesus’ call to the young man was not just about money. It was about the attachments that hold us back, like our need for approval, the desire for power and the habit of being complacent. What if we took this invitation today seriously? What if we chose or rather what if we choose to step into the unknown, offering our time and help to those in need? Maybe it means letting go of our judgments and our fears and instead being open and genuine?
And I don’t want to be cliched because at the end of the day we end up with this: “How much we can reach out?” Year in year out, day in day out this is the consistent message of Christ, the message of the church:
Love God and love neighbour.
We don’t get it then we are at the wrong place.
Imagine the change we would see if we focused less on what others think of us and more on being ourselves. Each of us, and I believe this with conviction, each of us has gifts and stories that can lift others up. By connecting with one another, we can build a community of love and support. This isn’t just about giving something up. It is about finding real joy in our connections and our purpose.
Let us not shy away from this challenge. Together we can discover that taking this next step is where true joy and a full life in Christ begin.
To end, today’s Gospel invites us, invites you, invites me, to trust that when we let go. And this one you just have to trust that when we let go, God is always with us.
Like Solomon, let us ask for the wisdom to see the world as God sees it.
May we find the courage to take our next step in faith, remembering that Jesus’ call is not a burden but an invitation to true freedom, the freedom to live generously, love deeply and follow Him wholeheartedly.
May God’s word touch our hearts today and guide us toward a more authentic discipleship, free from the things that hold us back but open to the love and freedom that Christ offers.
Amen.
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