Jesus calls a rich man Mk 10 17-22

GOSPEL OF MARK SERIES

The Bible:
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During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 10:17-22 which is called Jesus calls a rich man.

JESUS CALLS A RICH MAN.

The story begins by reminding us that Jesus is still travelling. A rich man runs up to Jesus and kneels before him to ask ‘’Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’’. The law of Moses already taught this, but the man wants something more.  What more must he do?

Jesus first challenges the man’s idea of goodness.  Why is anyone good?  Does it come from something one must do or should do, earned by a kind of legal right?  Or it, as Jesus experiences, something that comes from God as gift?

Jesus does not purse that subtle challenge.  Instead, he repeats the commandments of God which Moses gave the people.  The man has kept all these since he was young.  He has evidently lived a good life by doing all the felt he must do.

Why does Jesus look at the rich an and love him with affection?  Is it the goodness he admires in the man?  The love of Jesus for the man is better linked not to what he has just said to Jesus, but to what Jesus will say to him.

The love of Jesus, as God’s love, is a beginning rather than as end.  It is divine energy and inspiration empowering a greater good rather than a recognition or reward for good already done.

The man needs to experience not only God’s commands, but God’s commands, but God’s enabling love. He needs to be centred on the treasure in heaven.  All the rich man understands seems to be the hard words about giving ways all the riches.  He looks down and sadly turns away from Jesus.

Perhaps if this man had kept looking at Jesus and been little enough to let Jesus love him, he may have found in the face of Jesus the divine power enabling him to do what humanly he could never do.

JOURNAL REFLECTION

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are the rich young man - What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

• How have I become like this rich young man when I try to live as if I can be a follower of Jesus as the Christ of my unaided human efforts?  

• What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus show Himself as the ‘’the way’’ to me?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus? What questions do I want to ask Him?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus in the light of this teaching? 

• Is my faith in the divine power of Christ, whom we follow, large enough to make us ready to walking faithfully as a little one?

• In the light of this passage, how will you respond to Jesus as a true disciple?

• If a fellow parishioner had read this passage, what might he/she say about this passage?

• How tolerant and welcoming am I to children and outside groups (those not in my group). Am I open to them or is my attitude similar to the disciples in this passage?

• In the light of this Gospel passage what positive change will you adopt in your life and in your spiritual life.  How will you implement these changes?