12 octobre 2003 – 28ème Dimanche "B"

Sg 7,7-11; Hé 4,12-13; Mc 10,17-30

H O M É L I E

   A comparison between the various versions of this narrative Matthew, Mark and Luke show that the narrative underwent a rather complex evolution. I will spare you all that complexity.  Let me say only that in the present form of the text two themes are interwoven: the primitive theme is concentrated on Jewish incredulity and the second one stresses the difficulty of entering the Kingdom with riches.  Let's take them separately.

    We have to remember that at this point, in Mark's gospel, Jesus is more and more encountering incredulity and opposition from the Jews, and that he is on his way to Jerusalem where he will be crucified, as he has already announced it a few times. We have to remember that in order to get the full meaning of his invitation: “come and follow me"!

    The man who comes to him comes with a very important question that is at the heart of every human being: "How can I be saved?"  But he asks his question in the wrong fashion.  He addresses Jesus as "good master", treating him as one rabbi among others.  He simply wants to know the personal opinion of one teacher among others, reserving to himself the right to judge whether his teaching pleases him or not, ‑‑ the right to accept it or reject it.

    Jesus telling him that there is only one good God, implies already that his answer is not going to be that of a school, but a divine command that demands action rather than endless discussion.

    He recalls to the young man the essential core of the law. Let us take note of the fact that Jesus leaves aside the first precepts of the Decalogue, which are related to God and quotes only those that are related to the neighbor.  This shows that Jesus is not interested in a “life after death” that one could earn through the merit of his actions, but rather the “ Kingdom of God ” that begins here on earth in justice and charity.  The young man is a bit picked and, as a good Pharisee adds: I have done all of that since my youth.  I have observed all the law. I have a good conscience.  And he adds, probably as a kind of rhetoric question.  "What else do I need to do to be saved?"  This sort of legalism is quashed by Jesus.  "Yes, you do need to do something else.  Come, and follow me."

    At this stage the man makes it clear that his earlier questions were no more than a screen.  Faced with the challenge of faith he admits that he cannot face it.  When invited to throw aside ethical and legalistic questions, to encounter and follow Jesus, he withdraws.  In the end, believing and being saved mean attaching oneself to Jesus' person... even when Jesus is walking straight to his death.

    To this a second theme is attached ‑‑ a theme very dear to Jesus himself: the theme that nobody can attach himself to Jesus if he is not detached from everything else. The man in question could not attach himself to Jesus because he had great possessions and could not resign himself to abandon them to follow Jesus.

    The lesson of the first layer of our narrative is that salvation is a free gift from God.  Both the man who comes to Jesus, and then the disciples at the end of the narrative ask: "Who can be saved?" ‑‑ Jesus' answer is that to men ‑‑ rich or poor ‑‑ it is impossible.  Those who can be saved are those whom God saves.  To men it is impossible.  To God it is possible and he always offers that gift to everyone.

    But to receive that gift someone must have created in himself an emptiness that is waiting to be filled.  The Jewish historian Josephus tells the story of how the Roman Pompey after capturing Jerusalem in 63 BC strode into the holy of holies with some of his followers and found there nothing, absolutely nothing.  This was the Hebrew way of representing the ineffable nature of Yahweh.  And the mystics have always seen that nothingness, that emptiness as a necessary disposition to be transformed by God, to be saved.

    Jesus repeated the same message using many figures: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."

    When Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem , says to the would‑be disciple, come and follow me, he invites him to share in that paschal mystery.  But that presupposes the renunciation of all clinging and craving.  He had mentioned it to the other disciples before: no gold, no silver, no copper in your belt, no bag for your journey, no two tunics, no sandals, no staff.

    This is the story of the concrete call of one man by Jesus. Jesus always calls each one by his own name.  Each one of us has to discover what exactly his or her own call is.  But all of us, because we are all called to be saved, are called to reach in one way or another, an authentic detachment of heart.

Armand VEILLEUX