This youngster was, after all, a devout fellow. He was someone who would not have been able to simply forget what Jesus had said to him. He would have wondered . . . doubted . . . questioned. Over time eternal life might have grown more attractive and his riches less so. One way or another God would have claimed him eventually.
I return to basics, to prayer – to the regular, contemplative, resting-in-God sort of spiritual practice that sustains me. Let me become transparent to the God who dwells in my heart. Let me become who God desires that I be.
In the magazine this month we’re exploring the place of money in the life of faith and the life of the church. In this piece, Sandy Webb contrasts the relationship of wealth to faith in Matthew’s Gospel.
How do you stay engaged when troubles come, when the answer isn’t the one you wanted? It may be that it’s that beautiful liturgy. But, it might also be a nagging question that you’d like to bring out into the open. It might be joy, or creativity, or weeping, or anger, or sadness. These are all ways that we stay engaged. And whatever it may be for you, it’s a step up from walking away.
For a son not to bury a father was a sign of ultimate disrespect and rejection; to give up one’s wealth threatened his life, his well-being, his position, even potentially his family. Remember– there was no middle class. It was all or nothing.