SUPREME GOOD

In the Gospel of Mark (Mk 10:17-30), Jesus gives another radical and uncompromising teaching and the focus is on wealth. He is preparing His disciples for His impending death. He is on His way to Jerusalem and His Cross. He teaches them about the proper way of using wealth because riches and possession could own, possess and corrupt us. He is the wisdom of God and He wants us to be fully alive and totally free. He restores us to our original integrity and harmony in our relationship with God, with ourselves, with others and with the things around us. The Gospel of Mark narrates that a man ran up to Jesus, knelt down before Him and asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The irony here is that Jesus is on His way to die and give His life and this man is asking how to live and receive life. Yet Jesus is patient and He uses this occasion to reveal the truth. He challenges the man to make a leap of faith, walk the extra mile and go further. He says, “You are lacking in one thing. Go and sell what you have, give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me” (Mk 10:21). What is that one thing that this man is lacking and is also lacking in us? It is Jesus because He is eternal life in person. Discipleship is to seek Jesus above all things and to achieve that is to have a complete detachment which opens us to God who is the supreme good, absolute treasure and One that matters. When the man heard this, his went away sad because he had many possessions. The source of his blindness is his wealth that could lead him to self-destruction. The problem is not wealth but our attachment to it. In the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 7:7-11), King Solomon was asked by God to make a choice. Solomon chose wisdom instead of riches, long life and defeat of his enemies to serve his people. Wisdom from God is deep insight into the real meaning and purpose of life which is service because it is love in action. It is the key to happiness and security far superior to all riches. St. Paul says that no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has imagined what God prepares for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). The invitation is to seek Jesus above all things and the rest will be given unto us.