Today's is the "Eye of the Needle" gospel, a difficult assignment.
A man interrupts Christ with the question "What shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?" Christ recites the later commandments--interestingly avoiding the commandments about God--and the man acknowledges his acceptance of these commandments. Christ "looking at him, loved him, and said to him: one thing is wanting unto thee: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor....and come, follow me."
The man is distressed. But it is the apostles who are "astounded at his words"--and they have already made these sacrifices. Then they ask "Who, then can be saved?"
The brilliant short story writer, Flannery O'Connor, described her writing to hitting the reader with a two-by-four because she thought her points too important to be lost in subtlety. She probably learned this from the New Testament. Christ has already shown he loves this questioner, regardless of his possessions. Even the apostles--who have already given up their possessions--are shocked. So there is something more at work here. Some of this conversation is aimed at the old Hebrew notion that wealth is related to the value of the person. Successes run parallel. The apostles may well be surprised at the negation of this tradition. But they also must be shocked at the impracticalities here (reminiscent of the notion of leaving one's family--and presumably one's responsibilities). So, they ask, who can be saved? Christ's answer is the real point here: "With man it is impossible; but not with God." The is no temporal solution to the question of spirituality. You live in Caesar's world; give to him what you owe. But it has nothing to do with your relationship with God. It is another world. And your success in it is totally dependent upon Him.
Two-by-four.
A man interrupts Christ with the question "What shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?" Christ recites the later commandments--interestingly avoiding the commandments about God--and the man acknowledges his acceptance of these commandments. Christ "looking at him, loved him, and said to him: one thing is wanting unto thee: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor....and come, follow me."
The man is distressed. But it is the apostles who are "astounded at his words"--and they have already made these sacrifices. Then they ask "Who, then can be saved?"
The brilliant short story writer, Flannery O'Connor, described her writing to hitting the reader with a two-by-four because she thought her points too important to be lost in subtlety. She probably learned this from the New Testament. Christ has already shown he loves this questioner, regardless of his possessions. Even the apostles--who have already given up their possessions--are shocked. So there is something more at work here. Some of this conversation is aimed at the old Hebrew notion that wealth is related to the value of the person. Successes run parallel. The apostles may well be surprised at the negation of this tradition. But they also must be shocked at the impracticalities here (reminiscent of the notion of leaving one's family--and presumably one's responsibilities). So, they ask, who can be saved? Christ's answer is the real point here: "With man it is impossible; but not with God." The is no temporal solution to the question of spirituality. You live in Caesar's world; give to him what you owe. But it has nothing to do with your relationship with God. It is another world. And your success in it is totally dependent upon Him.
Two-by-four.
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