february 28, 2011 No One is Good but God Alone

Jesus, your words challenge me to be more than I can be without you, help me to drop all of things that prevent me from fully embracing your will today.  Amen


Sir 17:20-24
To the penitent God provides a way back,
he encourages those who are losing hope
and has chosen for them the lot of truth.
Return to him and give up sin,
pray to the LORD and make your offenses few.
Turn again to the Most High and away from your sin,
hate intensely what he loathes,
and know the justice and judgments of God,
Stand firm in the way set before you,
in prayer to the Most High God.
Who in the nether world can glorify the Most High
in place of the living who offer their praise?
Dwell no longer in the error of the ungodly,
but offer your praise before death.
No more can the dead give praise
than those who have never lived;
You who are alive and well
shall praise and glorify God in his mercies.
How great the mercy of the LORD,
his forgiveness of those who return to him! 

 Mk 10:17-27
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”
He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement, his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
“Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
They were exceedingly astonished and said among themselves,
“Then who can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said,
“For men it is impossible, but not for God.
All things are possible for God.”

Today the scripture seems to have a theme of letting go, not holding on to anything when it comes to serving God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and body.  In the first reading we are reminded to let go of our sins, to have few of them, but also to give them to God so that he can forgive them, so that we will be alive in Christ rather than dead in our sin.  Then in the Gospel we are told that it is easier to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.  God wants us to be completely free, free of sin, and free of possessions that tie us to this world.

The disciples had a hard time with this, and I do too.  How can I live without possessions, I need to take care of family, I want to have a comfortable, welcoming home for people to find rest?  That requires things, right?  Maybe it isn't about the things themselves, but about how we use them, and if we are able and willing to walk away from them if God calls us to.

Also I need to let go of my sins, lay them at the feet of Jesus, and forget about them.  How often have I walked away from serving God because I was afraid of my own weaknesses, my own faults?  Often enough...

There are so many challenges in today's scripture!!! 

 Jesus, I choose you today, help me to walk away from things that I am holding onto so that I may be free to serve you. I love you, and want to serve you. Amen