Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 19: 23-30
August 22, 2023 | Tuesday

Today’s Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to you: it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, believe me: it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of the needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

On hearing this, the disciples were astonished and said, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and answered, “For human beings it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Then Peter spoke up and said, “You see, we have given up everything to follow you. What, then, will there be for us?”

Jesus answered, “You, who have followed me, listen to my words: on the Day of Renewal, when the Son of Man sits on his throne in glory, you, also, will sit, on twelve thrones, to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. As for those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for my  Name’s sake, they will receive a hundredfold, and be given eternal life. Many who are now first, will be last, and many who are now last, will be first.

Today’s Reflection:

We need to understand that the challenge of Jesus for the rich to enter the kingdom of God entails difficulty because, for a Jewish righteous person, wealth is an integral part of God’s blessings. While there is no question about the inherent goodness of wealth as it comes from God’s grace, what Jesus challenges in us which can be very obvious in the lifestyle of rich people is their acts of clinging to their wealth as if life can never be complete without it. This kind of outlook i  life drains man’s basic trust in God. Jesus’ call to the rich is not only to challenge the materially favored. All of us even those economically poor can be a victim of a wrong normative valuation in life. Jesus challenges us to trust God as material security inevitably wanes.  ./Vulnerasti, 2023