Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“And a certain ruler asked Him, . . . .’”
Twice a year we read of this encounter between our Lord and “a certain ruler” whom we know as being both rich and young. His story is found in all three Synoptic Gospels (Mt. 19:16-26; Mk. 10:17-23). He may or may not be a governmental official. It is probably more likely that he is a ruler or leader of a synagogue. Some of the Fathers see him as testing our Lord, akin to what the Sadducees and Pharisees are notorious for doing. However, it does not appear that he has come to set Jesus up so as to catch Him, that is, to splash across social media that “gotcha!” moment. His inquiry outwardly appears to be genuine and honest. He expresses strong sorrow at Jesus’ answer to his inquiry, quite unlike others who have tried to entrap Jesus and who, having been bested by our Lord, have gotten angry and belligerent with Him. In fact, in one account the Evangelist even says that Jesus looked upon this eager soul before Him and “loved him” (Mk. 10:17-23).
Like many of us who are religious souls, he ponders his salvation, which is a good thing for us to do. Am I saved? Am I being saved? Will I be saved? If our faith is as important to us as it should be, we will be examining our lives in the light of the Gospel. This is the primary purpose of Confession. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the Faith,” St. Paul counsels us. “Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Cr. 13:5). This anonymous ruler, known only unto God, comes with a religious question, “’What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life?’” At the heart of who we are, we are created by God to be religious, that is, we are created in His image Who is Himself the Holy One to be served, adored, and worshipped. This is our vocation revealed in the Garden of Genesis. “For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of His own eternity” (WS 2:23). This is what the wise Solomon tells us. “’Good Master, what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life?’”
In two of the Gospel accounts, the rich young ruler does not ask Jesus upon hearing our Lord’s answer, “’What do I still lack?’” (Mt. 19:20). He has reviewed his life and believes himself well within the commandments of God, which Jesus doesn’t dispute. This man has been devout and pious and, insofar as he’s concerned, faithful and obedient to the commandments recited by our Lord: “’Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor thy father and thy mother.’” All of these, he avers, he has kept from youth on up. His question, along with his answer, could be rooted in pride. But, if we grant him the benefit of the doubt, his question and response could be an expression of something deeper in him, that deep down he knows something isn’t quite right spiritually in his soul, that something is off, despite his best efforts, despite his religious fervor. He comes to the Physician and Healer of soul and body, even if he doesn’t understand by his greeting Jesus as “’good’” he’s dealing with the good God Who loves mankind in the flesh.
The man’s question isn’t terribly different from our own when we have been confronted with a crisis that has shaken our faith and rattled our souls or we have taken the time to truly examine ourselves to see if we are in the Faith or, said differently, to see if the Faith is in us. Does Jesus live in us? “What dost Thou want from me, O Lord? Help me! I don’t understand! Cast me not away from Thy Presence and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation!”
Any soul interested in entering the Kingdom of God or who desires Eternal Life, is conscientious about their spiritual life and relationship with God, just like the ruler in today’s Gospel. We talk to God and pray – regularly, “’Master. Teacher. Good Lord!’” But, are we ready for what this good God Who loves mankind has to say to us, either in His Word or the Holy Spirit convicting our hearts? I wonder if the ruler here – as pious as he might be – I wonder if he approached our Lord with a preconceived notion of what Jesus would say? Did he expect what he heard? Was he prepared to act on “’Thus saith the Lord’”? He comes in search of answers, but does he come prepared to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling when God speaks to him, “’Yet lackest thou one thing’” (Pp. 2:12)?
Is this how we approach Jesus before Whom we must one day stand to render an accounting of our lives? Do we approach Him truly desirous of molding our lives to Him (Rm. 8:29) or are we simply looking to be confirmed in our lackluster spiritual life? Are we looking to be what Jesus wants us to be, even if that means repenting deeply and profoundly of our waywardness – a painful act more than likely? “’Yet lackest thou one thing.”” “What, Lord? How can that be? ‘Have [I] not prophesied in Thy Name, and in Thy Name . . . cast out devils, and in Thy Name done wonderful works?’ Have I not had moving spiritual experiences in Thy Name?” And the Lord will declare, “’I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.’” For “’not every one that saith unto Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father Who is in Heaven’” (Mt. 7:21-23).
We may not be ready for what the Lord might tell us about ourselves, though we need to be if we wish to inherit Eternal Life, but we can be – and need to be – prepared to act on His Word, regardless of what He says to us. “’Whatever He says to you, do it,’” is the wisdom of our Panagia to us in all circumstances (Jn. 2:5). “’Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.’ . . . ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head.’” “’Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.’ . . . ‘Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God.’” “’Lord, I will follow Thee, but let me first go bid those farewell who are at home at my house.’ . . . ‘No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God’” (Lk. 9:57-61).
“’Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come follow Me.’ And when [the ruler] heard this he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich.” There is a godly sorrow that produces repentance leading to salvation and Eternal Life, and there is a worldly sorrow that produces death (2 Cr. 7:9-11). When Jesus says to us in all of our piety and devotion, “’Yet lackest thou one thing,’” what will we do? How will we respond? Our hearts might be saddened by the words of our Lord, but He Who bids us to follow Him stands ready with His grace to enable us if we but repent and surrender ourselves totally to Him. For with God all things are possible. The ruler had the fundamentals of Eternal Life. On a side note: these fundamentals don’t save us, that is, the keeping of the commandments, but we can’t be saved without them either because they reveal God and His will to us. If we want to know God we must heed His Word. The ruler had the fundamentals of Eternal Life, but he needed to deepen his faith and obedience, he needed to give himself more fully to the Kingdom he sought after and yearned for. He needed to surrender all of himself to God, including his possessions: to love the Lord God with all of his heart, with all of his soul, with all of his strength, with all of his mind (Dt. 6:5; Mt. 22:37; Mk. 12:30; Lk. 10:27). Why? Because God, our God, is not satisfied and content with bits and pieces – the fragments we so often offer Him and try to pass off as the obedience of true faith.
“’Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord’” (Dt. 6:4). God is whole. God is complete. God is fullness. He Who gives all of Himself to us, sparing not even His own Son (Rm. 8:32), expects no less from us being created in His image according to His likeness (Gn. 1:26-27). Our God, Sacred Scripture assures us, is a consuming fire (Ex. 24:17; Hb. 12:29), a jealous and zealous God (Ex. 20:5; 34:14) Who brooks no contenders for our affection or our allegiance. “’I AM the Lord thy God, . . . Thou shalt have no other gods before Me’” (Ex. 20:2-3; Dt. 5:6-7). God’s salvation – the Eternal Life we seek – penetrates every nook and cranny, every fiber of our being. No less can we return to Him as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and an offering of total love (Rm. 12:1-2). There is a totality involved – lock, stock, and barrel. Love – the love of God – is a consuming fire, and if a fire fails to consume it is because the fire has been extinguished. In terms of the spiritual life, that is not a good thing. May it be said of us as it was of our Lord, “’The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up [consumed me]’” (Ps. 68 [69]:9; Jn. 2:17).
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
PROPERS:
Ep. 5:9-19
Lk. 18:18-27