There is always that one thing more!
By Fr. Steve T. from www.kerygmafamily.com
 

AUGUST 20, 2007 (www.kerygmafamily.com)  -  With all the good intentions in the world, we can commit ourselves to a particular course of action and then discover that the one little exception clause that we had at the back of our mind when we made the commitment comes into play!

How often has this happened to you? What has been your response when it happens? From my own experience with similar situations to this, I believe that it is here we discover what we truly believe and the degree to which we are really committed to that particular course of action. If we back out, our ability to commit is seriously called into question as is our character in the face of difficulty and suffering.

The rich young man remains nameless in this parable because his name is your name! Each of us is rich in the blessings of God and each of us has a so-called Achilles heel when it comes to being asked to let go of something we enjoy! What your Achilles heel is I do not know but you had better discover it so you can defuse it and remove it from your life before it causes a problem with the commitments you have made that really matter to you.

Jesus challenges us to let go of everything that would hinder us from entrusting our entire lives to Him. If you reflect on that fact long enough, you ought to be able to discover the thing or things that you are going to have difficulty in surrendering to Jesus. It is a good practice for all entering into marriage to talk to their future spouses about this aspect of their life or it could be the cause of great difficulty further down the track.

We do not know what the final response of the young man in the Gospel was. I hope he reconsidered and decided to follow Jesus' invitation. Our lives will be a catalogue of "what ifs" and "what could or might have beens" if we are unwilling to surrender all to Jesus. This challenge is a critical and foundational part of our discipleship. It will determine the level of faith walk we have for the rest of our lives! Fr. Steve T.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Am I willing to let go of everything I have in order to faithfully follow Jesus? Remember, more often than not we get most if not all or even more back in return, at least in the life to come if not now!

Jesus, You gave Your life for me; help me to be willing to surrender all You ask me to surrender so I will be obedient to Your will for my life.

G O S P E L
Matthew 19:16-22

It is very possible that wealth will stand in the way of our relationship with God for the reason that it tends to occupy our time.By this I mean that if we are wealthy, then we have to spend a lot of time supervising our wealth to see that it is used well. This can mean that we have less time for our relationship with God to the point that it may be neglected. Our priority must always be our faith. We must never allow wealth to stand between us and our commitment to following God’s will.

16 Someone approached him and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" 17 He answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He asked him, "Which ones?" And Jesus replied, "You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; 19 honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.