THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Tuesday of the eight Week in Ordinary time, 2022

1Pet1 1:10-16

Ps 98

Mark 10:28-31

We have left everything…

Dear friends in Christ, even the faithful followers of Jesus are also sometimes worried about what they will get if their efforts will be enough to get them into eternal life. 

Today's Gospel (Mark 10:28-31) is a follow-up to yesterday's reading. The man who came to Jesus to enquire what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, had gone away after Jesus told him, “You lack one thing; go sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.” That made the disciples station, ‘Who will be saved then?’ Wealth, at the time, was seen as God’s favor. Why should one give it up to become a disciple? Perhaps the Apostles still had their boats, they've not sold them yet, nor have they given the money to the poor. So Peter asked Jesus, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you.” In response, he got the assurance they wanted, “Truly I say to you, there is no one, who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time…with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.” Jesus here affirms that when you give sincerely to God, it is the best investment anywhere. You get it back a hundredfold. He did not promise that it will come easy, persecution is to be expected but the reward is great. What is considered lost here in the world, will come back a hundredfold. God loves a cheerful giver, the more you give, the more you receive in return, the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.

‘We have left everything and followed you.’ Priestly and religious vocations in our society today are shining examples of how we can give ourselves in the service of Christ and the Gospel. Some laymen and women are giving their time, energy, and professional services for the sake of the gospel, not for gain, but service. There are servants of the gospel going on missions to foreign lands, to bring the gospel message to others. The gospel of today is a great assurance that it is not in vain. Many missionaries are going through difficult times including death for the sake of the gospel, their reward is with the Lord.

We must not be afraid to give what we can in the service of God and the community. No one is too poor to give. The Lord who sees the heart is the one who rewards our good deeds.

Let us pray: Bless us Lord in your grace with the courage to reach out to others in their need and do what we can to help them. Amen. 

+Remain blessed