"All things are possible for God."
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday's readings speak about the wisdom of God. First, the Book of Wisdom extols the great value of wisdom, saying, "all gold, in view of her, is a little sand, and before her, silver is to be accounted mire." The author ends this passage by saying that, when he sought wisdom first and above all else, "all good things together came to me... and countless riches at her hands."
Then, in the Gospel, we have the story of a young man who appears to be seeking the wisdom of God in his own life, asking Jesus, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" While Jesus initially tells him the basics, such as following the commandments, the young man isn't satisfied and pushes for more. So Jesus responds with more, fulfilling the Letter to the Hebrews which states, "the word of God is... sharper than any two-edged sword... able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart." Recognizing that the young man's heart was attached to the things of this world, Jesus shares the wisdom of God with him saying, "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." And the young man, failing to recognize the wisdom of God shared with him, “went away sad, for he had many possessions.”
As members of Christ's Church, we too have been called to seek the wisdom of God and to follow Jesus, and are often eager to do so. However, like the young man we’re often unwilling to let go of many of the things that hinder us, thinking it will be impossible to live without them. But Jesus assures his apostles and us, "All things are possible for God." While we often worry about what we may lose if we follow Jesus more closely, we are assured by Scripture that when we seek the Wisdom and Kingdom of God first and foremost in our lives, everything else that we need will follow. Let us pray that our hearts may respond to this truth today, and that we all may grow in our willingness to seek and follow the wisdom of God and Jesus above all else!
Want to prepare your heart and mind for Sunday's Mass? Click here to find the readings.