Missing the Call
A Homily by
Christ and the Rich Young Ruler
by Heinrich Hoffman1
If the words of today's gospel were a play, it would have three acts:
- Act 1: The Enthusiasm of the Rich Young Man
- Act 2: Jesus' Teaching on the Danger of Riches, and
- Act 3: Spiritual Maturity and Purity of Heart
Act 1: The Enthusiasm of the Rich Young Man
In the first act the conflict of the story is revealed: The rich young man, ran to Jesus, knelt at His feet, and asked, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'1 That he was referred to as 'a rich young man' implied that he may have been a member of an influential or royal family. This is confirmed in other gospel texts that refer to him as the 'rich young ruler'.
No doubt he had heard Jesus' preaching on the 'Kingdom of God' and perhaps Jesus' statement that, “whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”2 So, he ran to Jesus in childlike enthusiasm, knelt at His feet, and asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”.3 That he knelt at Jesus' feet indicated he recognized Jesus as a great prophet or possibly the promised Messiah. He recognized Jesus as an authority on eternal life.
Jesus responded saying that the first requirement of salvation is obedience to God and He quoted a few of the commandments given to Moses. For Jews there were 613 commandments, not just ten, and they constantly argued about their relative priority. Salvation, in Jewish moral theology, was obtained by fidelity to the commandments.
The rich young man considered himself to be a faithful Jew. He replied that he has kept all these commandments since his childhood. It's likely that he was expecting Jesus's affirmation. Jesus, looked at him, took stock of the purity of his heart, and with great love said, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, and follow me." 4
In this encounter the conflict in the rich young man's heart was revealed. He was thrown into shock by Jesus' reply, Being rich meant he was blessed by God. The poor were thought of as cursed. Giving away his possessions not only meant the loss of his wealth and power but it meant adopting a public perception of sinfulness. Scripture tells us that “his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions”.5
Jesus' intention wasn't to dissuade the rich young man, but to fully address his question. Jesus admired his enthusiasm and looked on the young man with great love. Inheriting eternal life is not a matter of genealogy. It is not just a matter of avoiding certain sins or following ritual practices, it is embracing and actively participating in the Will of God – to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’6 The attachment to his wealth and power prevented the rich young man from following Jesus without restrictions.
Act 2: Jesus' teaching on the dangers of riches
Jesus told His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”7 Jesus knows the seductive power of wealth. It's not the wealth itself. Wealth when used properly can promote great virtue. There are several saints who used their position, wealth, and power for good. However, much more commonly, the temptations of wealth and the affects wealth has on our attitudes and behavior can be very dangerous to our spiritual life.
The 'rich young man' occupied an elevated position in society. He was treated with great respect, consulted in community affairs. His opinions were sought and his requests were honored. No doubt he wielded power and influence.
He came to Jesus not knowing what he was asking. Neither did he recognize what Jesus was offering. The invitation of Jesus to 'follow Him' should have brought the rich young man profound joy. This was an invitation Jesus extended only to a few. He was calling the young man to a religious vocation, to be one of His disciples. What a privilege! What an opportunity to grow in faith and serve at the side of the Master. Yet Jesus' invitation only brought sadness to the rich young man's heart. He couldn't overcome the seduction of his wealth – the temptations of power and prestige. Hopefully, as he matured, he sought Christ with a faith as strong as his enthusiasm.
The seductions of wealth and power are many: a false sense of independence and security, over-reliance on our own ability, excessive focus on ourselves, and disengagement from the spiritual life. Like other spiritual disorders, these desires are never fulfilled. Enough is never enough! Our passions become an all-consuming obsession. They permeate our souls and leave us empty – not in communion with God, not even at peace within ourselves. And, we become entrenched in greater and greater efforts to satisfy our inordinate desires.
Act 3: Spiritual Maturity: Purity of Heart
Jesus said, “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.”8 The desire of the rich young man's heart was to see God. It should be the primary desire of every heart to be with our Father and Creator for all eternity.” Yet, our vision often becomes blurred and we seek fulfillment in inappropriate ways.
Scripture tells us to “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”9 The rich young man is certainly not unique. We all have obstacles that block our path to Jesus, obstacles that prevent us from following Him without restriction. Note that Jesus was not saying that everyone should sell their possessions and give them to the poor. Jesus read the rich young man's heart. He addressed specifically the virtues that he lacked. That's the value of effective spiritual direction.
In clinical psychology there are two general approaches to healing, one is to go back and discover the cause of our injury, and the second is to go forward from where we are, focused on the person we would like to be. Both approaches are valuable. In spiritual direction we seek to know ourselves more fully, to know our inner selves at the deepest levels, while at the same time growing in virtue and deepening our relationship to Christ. Most priests will eagerly provide spiritual direction depending on the requirements of their schedule.
Regarding the first psychological approach, examining our past, many of us find ourselves confessing the same sin repeatedly. One possible cause for this is that we do not uncover the root cause of our sin, and the root cause may not be obvious. The root cause for many sexual sins, for example, may not be a simple matter of lust, but an inordinate desire for acceptance. The root cause of gossip could be a deep feeling of inferiority. Spiritual maturity demands examining our behavior and discovering the root cause of our behaviors.
The second approach, that of becoming the kind of person we want to be, also demands examining our sins. St. Ignatius' theology states that every sin is caused by a corresponding lack of a specific virtue. In this approach, the sin is classified, and we work to develop the lacking virtue. To counter the sin of pride, we seek to develop the virtue of humility. To counter the sin of greed, we perform works of charity. To counter the sin of sloth, we engage in a plan of prayer and service.
Another aspect of spiritual maturity is prayer. Prayer is the first aspect of religious life to be abandoned where sin exists. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The divine image is present in every man.”10 “Nothing is equal to prayer; for what is impossible it makes possible, what is difficult, easy. For it is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin. Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly damned.”11 Prayer creates purity of heart.
The poet and singer Bob Dylan once wrote, “You're gonna have to serve somebody … it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody.”12 The rich young man ran to Jesus with a childlike enthusiasm. He asked Jesus, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?'13 Jesus responded, “Come, and follow me." 14 The rich young man missed his calling. He had the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of our Lord. He had the opportunity to grow in spiritual maturity. He had the opportunity to be transformed in the purity of Our Lord's heart. Had he come in faith; had he exchanged his earthy wealth for eternal treasures; instead of going away sad, today we may have been celebrating the life of a great saint.
Scripture tells us, “No servant can serve two masters … You cannot serve God and mammon.”15 You cannot serve greed and charity. You cannot serve lust and chastity. You cannot serve pride and humility. You cannot serve the flesh and the spirit. You're gonna have to serve somebody … it may be the devil or it may be the Lord.”16 “[Choose] today whom you will serve.” 17 Jesus says, “Come, and follow me." 18