Maegan- On the Rich Young Man

Do you know the story of the rich young man? It's from the gospel reading over a week ago (on Monday August 18th), and I have been sitting with it ever since. If you can't recall off the top of your head, here is the text:

Gospel MT 19:16-22

A young man approached Jesus and said,
“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”
He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good.
If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
honor your father and your mother;
and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
The young man said to him,
“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me.”
When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,
for he had many possessions.

In the Pray-As-You-Go podcast of this Gospel reading, the translation they use says the rich young man went away GRIEVING, for he had many possessions. Now that word (again, I'm a word person), just about jumped out and smacked me! I haven't heard the passage translated that way before... but its appropriate isn't it? We grieve the loss of our own will.

Grief is something that is deeply rooted in the heart of a person, it's mourning a loss, it's more than just a fleeting emotion like sadness. Grief can stay with you for days, weeks, years. Grief can be oppressive.

This young man wants to enter into eternal life! He asks the Lord what he must do because he thinks he has already accomplished it. He wants the approval of the Lord as if to say: "Look how good and holy I am!" He views faith, and salvation, as a series of tasks towards an accomplishment. But the Lord looks at the heart. The rich young man, though he appears to be following all the commandments, still is not converted in his heart of hearts because he prizes his possessions above the will of the Lord. He doesn't want to let go and surrender all. He wants holiness on his own terms.

It reminds me of times in my life that I have grieved what the Lord has asked of me. My plans for college and grad school falling through, ending relationships that were not of His will, personal suffering in my life and the lives of friends and family members. Sometimes it is easier to look at the cost than the reward. In an effort to maintain "control" we hold on to the things that we think will bring us security: homes, jobs, money, time, relationships....

What attachments in your life are keeping you from the Lord?
What things (material or immaterial) do you hold onto for security instead of clinging entirely to the Lord with reckless abandon?

You see, the trap is to compare ourselves to those around us: I'm giving more, doing more, holier, etc. than my other friends/family members/ coworkers/etc. But the Lord doesn't ask the rich young man to be as good as everyone else. He calls each of us to something more: he calls us to perfection. And He is the only measure of perfection.


Lord, reveal to us our attachments, and heal us from our grief over those things. Help us to place our entire selves: our lives, our will, our dreams, our possessions, into your hands to do with as You will.

Let us pray...