THE CONDITIONS FOR ETERNAL LIFE

Reflection for 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
(Wisdom 7:7-11; Heb 4:12-13; Mk 10:17-30)

“I prayed and understanding was given me.” Wisdom is personified and given famine attributes in the first reading of this Sunday. The author of the Book of Wisdom says he chose her above all other things, and “all good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.”

A man came to Jesus to seek direction—divine wisdom. “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus opened up two phases of the journey to heaven. The first is to keep the commandments. The man appeared to be strict in keeping the law. “Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth.” Keeping the law of God is just the beginning. It attracts us closer to God, where His love takes over.

“And Jesus looking upon him loved him...” This is the second phase of the journey.  Here love takes over, and we are summoned to surrender totally to Jesus. According to today's Gospel,  this love makes two demands on us: detachment and witnessing. To detach from wealth, pleasure, etc we must practice charity. Such charity is impelled by the love God. One who is not charitable will automatically be attached to what he owns. And his/her relationship with Jesus will be law based. If we practice charity and free ourselves,  the love now directs us to witness; “come follow me.” The charity and witnessing are inseparable.

Surprisingly,  after Jesus opened the way to eternal life to the man, “his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.” This shows he was attached to his possessions. Sometimes we do not know the extent of our attachment to person or things until there is threat of losing them. Anger also reveals personal attachments. Walking away from Jesus brings sorrow to the heart.

Above all, encounter with Jesus exposes us; He lays bare our secret thoughts (Lk 2:35). He is the “Word of God alive and active, sharper than any two-edge sword...” He discerns our thoughts and intentions, guiding us from within. The Word of God forms our conscience, constituting our principle of thought. Now the wisdom of God abides in us through Jesus Christ. Like in the first reading,  we must treasure the Word above all, and submit wholeheartedly to it.  The Word of God purifies our thoughts,  detaching us from material things. The wisdom of God is now handy! It is hidden in the Scriptures.

Therefore,  let us read the Bible often, and treasure the wisdom  therein.

Fr Jude Chinwe Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Holy Family Catholic Church,
Festac Town Lagos
Sunday October 14th, 2018.